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The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
About The Author
Summary of Poem
So, he decided to take the second road. It was grassy and seemed less travelled by. But when he had gone some distance, he began to doubt whether he had made the right choice. Perhaps, it would have been better if he had taken the other road. But now he had made his choice. He would have to travel along this road. He would have to bear the consequences of his choice. One road leads to another. Therefore, once a man, has taken a road, it is difficult for him to come back. Yet, nobody can tell what would have happened if he had taken the other road. Perhaps, it would have been better. But it could have been worse also. But he had reached a point of no return. He could not change his path at this stage. Now, he would have to face the consequences of his choice.
Only the future would tell whether his choice was right or wrong. On the surface, the incident related in the poem is simple. But it has a deep hidden meaning. Many times, in life, we have to make a choice between two alternatives. Both the alternatives look equally attractive. It seems difficult to make a choice. Yet, a choice has to be made. We have to choose between the two alternatives. Our future happiness depends on our making the right choice. But it is difficult to be sure about the rightness of our choice. Only the future tells whether our choice was right or not.
Full Explanation Of Poem
The Road NOT Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
The poet was walking down the road, when he found a diversion where two roads diverged in different
directions. The poet feels sorry as he cannot travel on both the roads. He has to make one decision and
choose a single path. At the junction, the poet stood for a long time and tried to look at the roads as
far as he could. He wanted to see the roads and wanted to know about both paths. But he could not see
anything beyond the diversion as the roads were curved and covered with the trees.
In the stanza, the yellow wood refers to the forest with leaves, which were shed on the road and had
turned yellow. This indicates that it was autumn season. Through this stanza, the poet wants to convey
that in everyone’s life there comes a time when we have to make choices. We have alternatives, but we
have to choose only one. At that time, we see the pros and cons of the situation and take the time to
decide which path to take. Similarly, the poet is also taking time before making any decision.
Then took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
After taking a long time, the poet decided to take the other road. He thought that both the roads were
equally good. He started walking on the road which has grass on it and feels that it was a better road
for him. The grassy road means that the road was not used and the wanted wear means that only a few
people have walked through it. After walking some distance on the road, the poet feels that both the
paths were almost the same.
There was hardly any difference between them. Through this the poet conveys that, in our life whatever
decision we take or choices we make, each choice has some advantages and some disadvantages. Problems
are everywhere, so we must be ready to face them.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
The poet says that both the paths seemed to be similar that morning. Leaves were shed on both the roads,
and they were still green. It means that no one had walked on the roads. He decided to take one path
that day and the other path on another day. However, he knows that one way leads to another way. He
could not go back and take the other path once he moved ahead with one.
Similarly, in our life, when we make one decision, we can’t go back. We have to move ahead with the same
choice and face the problems which come our way.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The poet says that in the future, he will take a deep breath and say that once upon a time he reached a point in life where he had to make one choice. There were two options for him, and he had to opt for one. At that time, he decided to take that road which was less travelled by people. It means that he took that decision which rare people take. And that decision has changed his entire life. The poet sent a powerful message that people should decide wisely in their life because the decision they take will have an impact on the rest of their life.
Figure of Speech:
2. Symbolism: 2 roads 2 choices we have to make decision on
3. Anaphora: Repeated AND at beginning of 2,3 and 4
4. Alliteration: wanted wear, first for, thought that
5.Imagery: Visual, yellow wood, path, autumn
Paints vivid images of nature, forest
Remains in our mind, embedded in mind
Exercises
Comprehension for Passage
Stanza 1
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Questions:
(i) Name the poem and the poet.A. ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost.
(ii) Where was the poet standing?
A. The poet was standing at a place where two roads diverged.
(iii) Why did he feel sorry?
A. He felt sorry because he could not travel the both roads.
(iv) Where did the poet look for long time?
A. The poet looked at one road for a long time.
(v) Find in the passage a word that means ‘took a turn’.
A. Diverged.
Stanza 2
Then took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same
Questions:
(i) Which road did the poet take, first or the other?A. The poet took the other road.
(ii) What was the condition of the road?
A. It was grassy.
(iii) Which road has a better claim for selection?
A. The second road has a better claim for selection.
(iv) What is the name of the poem?
A. The name of the poem is ‘The Road Not Taken.’
(v) What is the name of the poet?
A. The name of the poet is ‘Robert Frost’.
Stanza 3
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
Questions:
(i) Name the poem from which these lines have been taken.(i) These lines have been taken from the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’.
(ii) Were there black leaves on the road?
(ii) No, there were no black leaves on the road.
(iii) Did he travel along the first road?
(iii) No, he travelled along the other road.
(iv) What did he doubt?
(iv) He doubted if he would ever come back.
(v) What was the poet’s decision about the first road?
(v) The poet kept the second road to travel on it on some other day.
Stanza 4
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Questions:
(i) What is the name of the poem from which these lines have been taken?A. These lines have been taken from the poem ‘The Road Not Taken.’
(ii) Who is the poet of these lines?
A. Robert Frost is the poet of these lines.
(iii) How many roads diverged in a wood?
A. Two roads diverged in a wood.
(iv) Which road did the poet take?
A. He took the road less travelled by.
(v) What has made all the difference?
A. The selection of the road has made all the difference.
3 and 5 mark Question:
Q.1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?
Ans. The traveller finds himself in a yellow wood. He comes to a place where the road he was walking
on diverged into two. It creates a problem for the traveller which road he should choose.
2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you:
(i) a yellow wood:
A: It means a forest in which the leaves have turned yellow because of the autumn season.
(ii) it was grassy and wanted wear:
A: It means that the road was overgrown with grass. Very few people walked on that road.
(iii) the passing there:
A: It means the people passing from that way.
(iv) leaves no step had trodden black:
A: It means that no man had yet gone on both of those roads since morning.
(v) how way leads on to way:
A: Every way leads to its destination. So, there is little possibility of meeting the same way
again.
Q.3. What is the central idea of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Ans. The poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ has a deep meaning. It deals with the problem of making the right
choice in life. Making the right choice in life is very important and it makes a big difference in
life.
Q.4. What confusion do we face many times while making a choice?
Ans. Many times while making a choice we get confused when there are many alternatives before us.
Our future happiness depends on our making the right choice. But it is difficult to be sure about
the rightness of our choice. Only the future tells whether our choice was right or not.
Q:5. What is the significance of the title ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Ans. The poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ has a deep thought. It relates a simple incident. The poet talks
about a traveller who is travelling through a jungle. He comes to a point where the road divides
into two roads. He has to choose between the two roads. After a careful thought, he makes his
choice. But after sometime, he becomes doubtful about his choice. He wonders if it had not been
better if he had taken the other road. But the poem has a hidden meaning. It deals with the problem
of making the right choice. The two roads here are symbolic of the confusion we face when we have to
make a decision in life.
Q:6. Write the brief summary of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ in your own
words?
Ans. It was autumn season. The poet was going through a forest. He came to a point where the road
divided into two roads. He had to choose between the two. Both the roads were covered with yellow
leaves. It appeared that nobody had gone on these roads that day. He looked along one of the roads.
This road curved into bushes after some distance. So, he decided to take the second road. It was
grassy and seemed less travelled by. But when he had gone some distance, he began to doubt whether
he had made the right choice. Perhaps, it would have been better if he had taken the other road. But
now he had made his choice. He would have to travel along this road. He would have to bear the
consequences of his choice. One road leads to another. Therefore, once a man, has taken a road, it
is difficult for him to come back. Yet, nobody can tell what would have happened if he had taken the
other road. Perhaps, it would have been better. But it could have been worse also. But he had
reached a point of no return. He could not change his path at this stage. Now, he would have to face
the consequences of his choice. Only the future would tell whether his choice was right or wrong.
Q:7. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean?
Ans. The last two lines of the poem show the importance of making a decision in life. The poet makes
a decision of taking a less travelled road. This decision has made a big difference in his life. He
tells us about this decision with regret.
1 Mark Question
Q.1. Who is the poet of the poem 'The Road Not Taken'?
Ans. Its poet is Robert Frost.
Q.2. What did the poet find when he was travelling through a wood?
Ans. He found that two roads diverged in a forest.
Q.3. Why was the wood 'yellow'?
Ans. It was autumn. The leaves of trees and plants had turned yellow.
Q.4. What was the problem before the poet?
Ans. He had to choose one road out of two.
Q.5. What did he see when he looked down the one road?
Ans. He saw that it bent in the under growth.
Q.6. Why had the other road better claim?
Ans. The other road had better claim because it was grassy and wanted wear.
Q.7. How many roads diverged in the forest?
Ans. Two roads diverged in the forest.
Q.8. What did the poet know?
Ans. The poet knew that one way leads on to the other way.
Q.9. Why would the poet talks about the choice he had made with a sigh?
Ans. He feels that his choice was wrong. As a result, he had to face a lot of suffering.
Q.10. Which road had the poet chosen to travel?
Ans. He had chosen the road which was less travelled by people.
To enjoy Detailed Explanation of these questions refer the video
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Who is the poet of this poem?
(a) William Wordsworth
(b) John Keats
(c) Robert Frost
(d) Coates Kinney
Ans. (c) Robert Frost
2. Where does the traveller find himself?
(a) at a crossroad
(b) in a dense forest
(c) where there were no roads ahead
(d) where two roads diverged
Ans. (d) where two roads diverged
3. What problem does he face?
(a) which road he should travel
(b) which would be the better road
(c) he has to be the traveller of only one road
(d) all the above
Ans. (d) all the above.
4. Why had the second road better claim?
(a) it was grassy
(b) it wanted wear
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) none of these
Ans. (c) both (a) and (b)
5. Both the roads equally lay that morning because..............
(a) both were empty.
(b) both were covered with leaves.
(c) no step had trodden them back.
(d) none of these
Ans. (c) no step had trodden them back.
6. Why does the traveller regret?
(a) because the road he chose was less travelled by.
(b) because it was a new road.
(c) because it was full of hardships.
(d) none of these
Ans. (a) because the road he chose was less travelled by.
7. What has made all the difference in his life?
(a) he suffered a lot
(b) he faced a lot of hardships
(c) he had made the wrong choice
(d) none of these
Ans. (c) he had made the wrong choice.
8. What kind of poems does Robert Frost write?
(a) simple but insightful
(b) about common, ordinary experiences
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) none of the above
Ans. (c) both (a) and (b)
9. How many roads are mentioned in the poem?
(a) Four
(b) Two
(c) One
(d) Three
Ans. (b) Two
10. Which road did the poet choose?
(a) first road
(b) second road
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) none of these
Ans. (b) second road
11. How many roads are mentioned in the poem “The Road Not Taken”?
(a) Four
(b) Two
(c) Three
(d) One
Ans. (b) Two
12. What was the colour of the leaves on the road?
(a) Red
(b) Green
(c) Yellow
(d) Black
Ans. (c) Yellow
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