Robert Frost was an American poet who is considered one of the most important figures in

American literature. He was known for his simple, yet powerful, poems about nature, rural
life, and the human experience. Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874, but he grew up in
New England. He studied at Dartmouth College and Harvard University, but he did not
complete his degree. After working as a teacher for several years, Frost moved to a farm in
New Hampshire in 1912. It was during this time that he began to write his most famous
poems.
Frost's poems are characterized by their use of everyday language and imagery, as well as
their exploration of universal themes such as love, loss, and the meaning of life. He is also
known for his use of meter and rhyme, which makes his poems both enjoyable to read aloud
and easy to remember.
Frost was awarded the Pulitzer Prize four times, and he was also the recipient of the National
Medal for Literature. He died in 1963 at the age of 88.
Here are some of Frost's most famous poems:
 "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
 "Mending Wall"
 "The Road Not Taken"
 "Birches"
 "Fire and Frost"
The Road Not Taken
The Road Not Taken is a poem by Robert Frost that is one of his most famous and well-
loved works. It is a short, simple poem that tells the story of a traveler who comes to a fork
in the road and must decide which path to take.
The speaker in the poem chooses the path that is "less traveled by," and he believes that this
decision has made "all the difference" in his life. The poem is often interpreted as a
celebration of individualism and the importance of making one's own choices. However, it
can also be seen as a reflection on the uncertainty of life and the difficulty of making
decisions.
Lead in
The poet is walking in the country and comes to a point where the path he is on forks in two.
Which road should he take?
At the crossroads, the poet stands, heart torn between two paths. Leftward, the unknown
beckons, a wilderness of whispers and secrets. Rightward, serenity calls, a haven of peace
and wildflowers. The choice lies not in the destination, but in the journey's embrace.
Comprehension
Where is Frost and what choice is he faced with?
The poem begins with the speaker, presumably Robert Frost himself, walking in a forest. He
comes to a point where the path he is on forks in two. The speaker describes the two paths as
being “really about the same,” but there is one key difference: the path to the right is “less
traveled by.”
Why did the road Frost chose have ‘the better claim’? (Line 7)
The speaker does not explicitly explain why he chose the road less traveled by, but there are
a few possible interpretations. One possibility is that he was drawn to the mystery and
adventure of the unknown. Another possibility is that he simply wanted to avoid the crowds
and take a less conventional path.
Did Frost really believe that he would return to the road he had not chosen?
The speaker says that he “stood and looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the
undergrowth,” but he makes no mention of actually returning to the road he did not choose.
It is possible that he is simply imagining what it would have been like to take the other path,
or perhaps he is suggesting that there are no regrets in life, even for the paths we do not take.
According to Frost, at the end of the poem, what ‘has made all the difference’?
The speaker says that “perhaps the passing there / Had made all the difference.” This
suggests that the mere act of making a choice, even if it is a difficult one, can have a
profound impact on our lives. It is also a reminder that we are all responsible for our own
destinies, and that the choices we make today shape the future that awaits us.
Overall, the poem "The Road Not Taken" is a meditation on the choices we make in life and
the impact they have on our destiny. Frost suggests that there is no right or wrong choice, but
that the most important thing is to make a choice and follow it with conviction.
Analyze
1.On the surface, the poem is about choosing a road in a wood. On a symbolic level,
what does this choice represent?
On a symbolic level, the choice to take the road less traveled by represents the courage to
make one's own way in life, to follow one's own path, even if it is different from what others
expect or approve of. It is a choice of individuality, self-expression, and authenticity.
Question 2: A subtle shift in verb tenses divides the poem into two distinct parts. Where
does the change in tense occur? Which of the two stanzas sees Frost:
meditating on the past?
projecting himself into the future?
The change in verb tenses occurs between stanzas 3 and 4. In the first three stanzas, Frost
uses the present tense to describe the scene before him and the choices he is faced with. In
the fourth stanza, he switches to the future tense, imagining the impact his choice will have
on his life in the years to come.
This shift in tense suggests that the poem is not just about a single moment in time, but about
the long-term consequences of our choices. It also suggests that Frost is reflecting on his
own life and the choices he has made, and wondering how things might have been different
if he had taken a different path.
**Question 3: Focus on stanzas 1-3.
a. Frost initially says that he chose one road 'because it was grassy and wanted wear'.
He then contradicts himself twice. Identify the lines in which he says that both roads
were more or less equally worn.
Frost contradicts himself in lines 3 and 4, where he says that "both that morning equally lay /
In leaves no step had trodden black." This suggests that his choice was not entirely rational,
but was also influenced by his intuition or subconscious desires.
b. Consider what Frost says in lines 5-7. Was he totally convinced about his decision or
did he have doubts?
The fact that Frost says that he "shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages
hence" suggests that he is not entirely convinced about his decision. He seems to be aware
that he may have missed out on something by not taking the other path.
c. At the time he took it, was Frost's decision to follow one of the two roads well
motivated or did he choose it amidst confusion?
It is difficult to say whether Frost's decision was well motivated or made amidst confusion.
He seems to be drawn to the road less traveled by, but he is also aware of the risks involved.
Ultimately, his decision seems to be a mix of both rational and irrational factors.
Question 4: Focus on the final stanza.
a. Which lines suggest that the poet made a very conscious, well-motivated decision?
The line "And that has made all the difference" suggests that the poet made a conscious and
well-motivated decision. He is confident that his choice was the right one, even though he
may not be able to fully explain why.
b. Is Frost as an old man being totally honest about how the decision was made?
It is difficult to say whether or not Frost is being totally honest about how he made his
decision. He may be embellishing the story slightly in order to make himself seem wiser and
more insightful than he was at the time. However, it is also possible that he has simply come
to appreciate the significance of his choice more fully over the years.
C)Initially Frost seems to be about to tell the truth. He then changes his mind and
'rewrites' the event. How is his moment of hesitation marked in the poem?
Frost's moment of hesitation is marked by the line "Oh, I kept the first for another day!".
This line suggests that the speaker initially intended to take both roads, but then changed his
mind and decided to take only one. The hesitation is further emphasized by the speaker's
admission that he knew "how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back."
This suggests that the speaker was aware that he might never have the opportunity to take the
other road, but he still decided to take the one he did.
d. Why does the ageing poet distort the truth?
The poem suggests that the ageing poet distorts the truth because he knows that the truth
would disappoint people. He tells them what they want to hear from a wise old poet, which is
that he made a conscious and deliberate decision to take the road less traveled, and that this
decision has made all the difference in his life.

5 In your opinion, which of the following commentaries best sums up the poem?
In my opinion, the commentary that best sums up the poem is the one that says that "The
Road Not Taken is about our capacity to deceive ourselves and others. Frost shows us that
many of life's major decisions are based on erroneous and superficial assessments and are
taken randomly, without any clear notions of the consequences. We, however, prefer to flatter
ourselves by convincing others (and ourselves perhaps) that our major life decisions are well
thought out and planned."
This commentary captures the poem's theme of self-deception and the tendency to
romanticize our past choices. The speaker in the poem is clearly trying to present himself as
a wise and decisive individual, but the poem suggests that his decision to take the road less
traveled was actually made on a whim.
The other commentaries are also valid interpretations of the poem, but I believe that the one I
have chosen is the most comprehensive and insightful.