English Textbook for Class 9th - BEEHIVE Poem-1 The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost. The Poem, Glossary, Summary, Questions, And Answers- ...
English Textbook for Class 9th - BEEHIVE
Poem-1 The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost.
The Poem, Glossary, Summary, Questions, And Answers-
The Poem -
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;
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.
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.
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.
Glossary -
1. Diverged - to separate and go in different directions.
2. Wood - a small forest.
3. Undergrowth - grass.
4. Wear - deteriorate, corrode.
5. Trodden- to press down on something with your foot.
6. Sigh - to take a deep breath, expressing grief.
7. Hence, for this reason, consequently.
Summary -
The poem narrates the dilemma of a traveler who comes across a fork in a forest path and must choose between two roads. One road appears more traveled, while the other seems less worn, symbolizing life’s choices. The traveler selects the less-traveled road, reflecting individuality and the courage to make unconventional decisions. In life, we always get two options, but we need to choose one by using our conscience, gut feeling, and, of course, the risk involved. Many times, while making our decisions, we are not sure what exactly we are going to get, and sometimes we may regret the decision we have taken.
In hindsight, the traveler anticipates that this choice will define their life and wonders what might have happened had they taken the other path. The poem emphasizes the significance of choices in shaping our lives and the inevitability of uncertainty about paths not taken.
The poem is a metaphor for life's journey, encouraging readers to embrace their choices and the unique experiences they bring.
Thinking about the poem -
I 1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he find?
Ans—The traveller finds himself at a divergence, where two roads are visible going into the yellow woods, and he has to choose one of them.
2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
i) a yellow wood - a small kind of yellow forest.
ii) it was grassy and wanted wear - It had grass on it, and wanted some people to walk on it.
iii) the passing there- It means to walk there on the road.
iv) leaves no step had trodden black - It means that no one had walked over the leaves.
v) how way leads on to way - It means that one road leads to another.
3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them?
Ans - Yes, there is a difference between the two roads, one was grassy, meaning it was less travelled, and another was more travelled, so he decides the first one, considering it as a better claim than the other.
i) In stanzas two and three?
Ans - In stanzas two and three, the poet describes that the poet chooses the road which was less travelled, though he was not sure of its destination.
ii) In the last two lines of the poem?
Ans - In the last two lines of the poem, the poet says that had he chosen the first one, his destination would have been different.
4. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean?
Ans - I think that in the last two lines of the poem, the poet is trying to say that he took the bold decision to walk on the road less travelled, without knowing where exactly it would lead him. So, he is saying that it made all the difference. It shows the dilemma of life that at every moment, one finds two options, and one should be wise enough to make the right decision.
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