The Road Not Taken BY ROBERT FROST
Multiple Choice Extra Questions
Read the following extracts and
choose the correct option :
1. 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.
(a) ‘Sigh’ means :
(i)
regret
(ii) to hate
(iii) not to feel sorry
(iv) to be indifferent
(b)
What has made all the difference in the poet’s life?
(i) Choosing a travelled
road
(ii) Choosing a less travelled road
(iii) By not choosing any
road
(iv) By not being weak
(c)
‘Road’ is a metaphor for :
(i) travelling
wisely
(ii) good health
(iii) choices we make in life
(iv) morning walks
Ans
: (a) (i) (b) (ii) (c) (iii)
2. And both that morning
equally lay
In leaves, no step had trodden back.
Oh, I kept the first for another
day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to the
way
I doubted if I should ever come back
(a) ‘Both’ in line one refers to :
(i)
leaves
(ii) roads
(iii)
steps
(iv) the poet and his friends
(b)
The poet chose to travel on another road because :
(i) it was
easier
(ii) it was shorter and easier
(iii) it was grassy and wanted
wear
(iv) he was sure of his success in that way
(c)
The poet doubted if :
(i) he could ever finish his
journey
(ii) he could meet his family again
(iii) he could join his
friend
(iv) he could ever come back to travel the first road
Ans
: (a) (ii) (b) (iii) (c) (iv)
3. Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted
wear;
(a) The poet didn’t take the first
road as :
(i) It had worn out by continuous
use
(ii) It had been tried and tested
(iii) It was expected of
him
(iv) It looked shabby
(b)
The second road had the better claim as :
(i) It had been laying waste
(ii) It was attractive with green grassy carpet
(iii) It needed to be
explored
(iv) It was full of surprises
(c)
The poet’s decision to take the other road indicates that he is :
(i) Adventurous
(ii) Calculative
(iii) Opportunist
(iv) Careful
Ans. (a)
(i) (b) (iii) (c) (i)
4. Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come
back.
(a)
In this extract, the poet is describing.
(i) a
road
(ii) his love for trekking
(iii) two roads, the one he chose
and the reason for his choice
(iv) his tastes
(b)
The poet doubts his comeback because
(i) he continues to follow the road
he
chooses
(ii) he is very lazy
(iii) he is a man on the
move
(iv) he never repeats himself
(c)
The first line of the extract can be explained as_________ .
(i) the world is
round
(ii) all roads have a dead end
(iii) all roads join at an
intersection
(iv) all roads lead to other roads
Ans. (a)
(iii) (b) (i) (c) (iv)
5. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
To where it bent in the undergrowth
(a)
The poet is standing :
(i) at a
crossing
(ii) at a crossing in the autumn season
(iii) where two roads
cross
(iv) in a forest
(b)
He sees before him :
(i) a yellow forest and
roads
(ii) two roads crossing
(iii) a dense
forest
(iv) two roads diverging in a forest
(c)
His desire at this moment is to :
(i) cross the
road
(ii) travel further
(iii) travel on both the
roads
(iv) see the forest
Ans. (a)
(iii) (b) (iv) (c) (iii)
6. “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.”
(a) The poet decided that :
(i) he would take the second road and leave the first one
for some other day
(ii) he would take the frequently trodden road
(iii) he would go back and decide later
on
(iv) he would take the first road
(b) ‘Leaves no step had trodden
black’ implies :
(i) that the road was not taken by
anyone
(ii) that it was not a safe road
(iii) that the poet was not
interested in taking the road
(iv) None of the above
(c) ‘Should ever come back’show that the poet
was :
(i) confident
(ii) indecisive
(iii) optimistic
(iv) pessimistic
Ans. (a)
(i) (b) (i) (c) (ii)
Extract Based Extra Questions
Read the following extracts and
answer the questions that follow in one or two lines.
“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;”
(a) Name the poem and the poet of
these lines.
Answer.-The above lines
have been taken from the poem The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost.
(b)
Why does the poet feel ‘sorry’?
Answer.-The poet feels
sorry that he can’t travel on both the roads diverging in the forest before him.
(c)
Where do the two roads diverge in?
Answer.-The two roads
diverge in the wood where the leaves have turned yellow in the autumn.
(d)
What is the mood of the poet in these lines?
Answer.-The mood of the
poet appears to be serious and pensive.
(e)
What does the ‘yellow wood’ mean?
Answer.- ‘Yellow wood’
means that the leaves have turned yellow because of the autumn season.
(f)
Why does the poet stand long?
Answer.-The poet stands
long because he was in a dilemma about which road to take.
(g)
What is the rhyme scheme of the stanza?
Answer.-The rhyme
scheme of the stanza is abaab.
(h)
What choice did the narrator have to make?
Answer.-The narrator
had to choose between the two roads.
(i) What
does the narrator regret?
Answer.–The narrator
regrets the fact that he cannot travel on both paths. He also regrets the fact
that he cannot come back to the start once he makes a choice.
(j)
Why does the poet feel ‘sorry”?
Answer.-The poet feels
sorry that he can’t travel on both the roads diverging in the forest before him.
(k)
What did the narrator see in the wood?
Answer.-The narrator
saw two paths diverging in the forest.
(l)The poet here is using “roads” as symbols of:
Answer.-Choices one
makes in life.
(m)
why did he feel like travelling both the roads?
Answer.–He felt like
travelling both the roads as both of them looked equally fair and promising.
Although they had been worn out equally, that morning both lay untrodden.
(n)Explain:
‘And be one traveler’.
Answer.-The expression
means that he was an individual who couldn’t travel two roads at the same time.
(o)
Why did the poet look down as far as he could?
Answer.-The poet was
unhappy that he could not take that road as he chose the other one and, that is
why he looked as far as he could.
(p)
What is the meaning of the word ‘diverged’? What do the roads represent in
these lines?
Answer.
– ‘Diverged’ means separated. The roads represent the
different chokes that one has to make in his/her life.
(q)
Who is the author of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer.
– Robert Frost
2. “Then took the other, as 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,”
Extra Questions:
(a)
How was the other road?
Answer.
– The
other road was as fair and beautiful as the first one.
(b)
Why did the second road present a better claim than the first?
Answer.
– The
second road presented a better claim as it was still grassy and had not been
used by many travellers.
(c)
What is the rhyme scheme of the given lines?
Answer.
– The
rhyme-scheme of these lines is ab, aa, b.
(d)
What does the poet mean by ‘as just as fair’?
Answer.
–‘
As just as fair’ means that the second road was just as beautiful as the
first one.
(e)
How do you understand the expression ‘grassy and wanted wear’?
Answer.
– The
second road was grassy and green with its grass was not crushed and worn by the
steps of the travellers.
(f)
In which sense were the two roads similar?
Answer.
– Both
roads were similar in the sense that they both were appealing to the poet to
travel on them.
(g)What
does “other” refer to in the above lines?
Answer.
– In
the above lines, “other” refers to the road that was grassy and less travelled
upon.
(h)
Which road did the narrator choose?
Answer.
– The narrator chose the one that was grassy and less
travelled upon.
(i)
Explain “grassy and wanted wear”?
Answer.
– The
road was covered with grass as not many people had walked this road so it was
more inviting.
(j)
How was the other road?
Answer.
– The
other road was as fair and beautiful as the first one.
(k)
Explain: ‘… just as fair’.
Answer.
– By
‘just as fair’ the poet means that the road that he chose to tread on appeared
to be just as inviting and as beautiful as the other road that was chosen by
the majority.
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 :
(a) How did both the roads lie?
Answer.
– Both
the roads laid there with their leaves and grass not crushed by the steps of
the travellers
(b)
Why did the poet leave the first road?
Answer.
– The
poet left the first road in the hope that he would travel on it on another day.
(c)
Why did the poet suffer from a doubt?
Answer.
– The
poet doubted if he would ever come back to the same place to walk on the road
that he had left for another day.
(d)Who
does ‘both’ refer to?
Answer.
– `Both’
refers to the two roads that lay in front of the poet.
(e)Why
does the poet doubt his coming back?
Answer.
– The
poet doubts his coming back because he knows his chosen road will lead to
another road and he would go so far from the first road that he would not be
able to come back to it.
(f)
Why would the poet like to come back?
Answer.
– The
poet would like to travel by the first road (the road not taken) and, so would
like to come back.
(g)Having
chosen his road, what decision did the speaker take about the first road?
Answer. – He decided to stick
to the chosen road for some more time and promised himself that he would travel
the other one sometime later.
(h)Explain:
‘leaves no step had trodden black’.
Answer.
– No
traveller had trodden on either of the two roads. It was evident from the fact
that the fallen and sodden leaves lay uncrushed there. No feet had trampled
them.
(i)Why
is the poet not sure whether he will ever come back to the first road?
Answer.
– The
poet thinks so because in the journey of life one road leads to another and one
can seldom relive the moments and undo the circumstances gone by.
(j)
Who wrote the poem?
Answer. – Robert Frost
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.
(a) What will the narrator tell
“with a sigh”?
Answer. –The narrator
will tell about the fork that he had come to in the woods and the choice he had
to make. The fact that he had taken the road less frequented by people.
(b)Why
does the narrator say, “And that has made all the difference”?
Answer.
–The
narrator said that later in life he shall be telling people how his life has
been different due to the choices he had made long ago.
(c)What
did the poet wish to do when he takes the road that he has not been able to do?
Answer.
– The
poet wanted to come back and take the other road.
(d)
What is the theme of the poem?
Answer.
–The
theme of the poem is the various problems we face in life and the choices we
make.
(e)
Which poetic device defines the roads in the wood?
Answer.
–A
metaphor has been used to define the two roads in the wood.
(f)
What is the tone of the poet in the last stanza?
Answer.
–The
poet adopts a reflective tone in the last stanza.
(g)
Which road did the narrator finally decide to the lake and why?
Answer.
–The
narrator finally decided to take the road that not many people had walked on
because it seemed more adventurous than the route everyone seemed to take.
(h)
When will the poet look back on his life?
Answer.
–The
poet would look back on his life after a very long time — when he is an old
man.
(i)
Why do you think the poet says this “with a sigh”?
Answer.
–The
poet is regretful; he could not return and take the road he had left behind to
travel on another day.
(j)
Why do you think the speaker will sigh?
Answer.
–He
will ‘sigh’ wondering what would have happened to his life if he had travelled
by the first road. His dissatisfaction with his decision also might make him
sigh.
(j)
Why does the poet say, ‘And that has made all the difference’?
Answer.
–The
poet means to say that it was the choice of that specific road that shaped his
life in a particular manner. Had he chosen the other road life would have been
different?
(k)As
a symbol, what does ‘road’ signify in the poem?
Answer.
– As
a symbol, ‘road’ signifies opportunities in life and the decisions and choices
one has to make in life.
(l)
What do you mean by ‘sigh’? What will the speaker be telling with a sigh?
Answer.
–‘Sigh’
is an expression which,here means a deep breath of sorrow. The speaker will be
telling about his decision to travel by the less travelled road, which has made
all the difference in his life.
(m)
Does the poet seem to be happy with his choice?
Answer.
–The
poet has left the end open on the readers. They may assume whatever suits them
after making a choice.
Short Answer Type Important Extra Questions
1.
What is wood? What did the narrator see in the wood? Were the paths similar?
Answer- Wood
means a forest. He saw two paths diverging and disappearing in the undergrowth.
No, one had more grass and seemed less used than the other.
2.
What did the narrator hope that he would do one day? Was he sure of doing so?
Answer- The
narrator hoped to come back and try the other path someday. No, he did not
think he would do so because he knew that one path led to another and it would
be difficult for him to come back.
3.
Does one road seem to be more appealing than the other? Use examples from the
poem to support your answer.
Answer- At
first the narrator comes to a fork in the road and is not able to decide which
path to take. One of the roads looks more frequented by people while the second
road appears to be less travelled on. Though he is tempted to walk on both, he
decides to take the second path with the intention of walking on the first one
sometime in future.
4.
What does the poet mean when he says, ‘worn them really about the same’?
Answer- The
poet means to relay to the readers that both the roads that diverged in a
yellow wood seemed similar and both of them looked as if they had not been used
for a while.
5.
What is the
main problem or the dilemma of the poet?
Answer- Robert
Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ revolves around the dilemma of making the right
choice in life. He suffers from an illusion that he can use the option he has
left for the other day. Whatever ‘road’ or way of life he chooses, it makes all
the difference in his life. Sometimes after a long time, he will have to repent
for choosing the path that was less travelled by. It didn’t turn out to be
quite a rewarding choice or option.
6.
How does the
poet resolve the dilemma? Which road does he choose and why?
Answer- The two
roads represent two ways of life. They stand for two directions, two attitudes
and even two careers in life. The dilemma is of making the right and the
rewarding choice. Two roads diverge in different directions. They look equally
beautiful and fair. The poet leaves the first road for another day. He opts for
the road that was less travelled by and ‘wanted wear’. He opts for an option
that is not very conventional, popular and risk-free.
7.
‘The Road Not
Taken’ is a metaphor of life. Justify this statement. Justify the title.
Answer- In ‘The
Road Not Taken’, Frost uses the fork in the road as a metaphor for the choices
we make in life. Thus, the two roads are, in fact, two alternative ways of
life. They represent two directions and two options open to the poet. He has
made a choice. He has opted for the road which is ‘less traveled by’. He
leaves the first ‘for another day’. It becomes impossible to come back on the
road one has left. One’s choice makes ‘all the difference’ in one’s life.
Hence, the title is appropriate and logical.
8.
Why has the
poet’s choice ‘made all the difference’ in his life?
Robert Frost uses the fork in the
road as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. The two roads represent two
alternative ways, two options and two directions of life. One has to face the
dilemma. He opts for an unconventional and risky path of life. He chooses to be
a poet. This choice has made all the difference in his life. Perhaps he would
realise late in life that he chose an alternative which was less rewarding than
the one he had left.
9.
Why did the
poet leave the first road? Did he ever get a chance to walk on the road he had
left for ‘another day?
Answer- The poet
left the first road and chose the other one which was less traveled, grassy
and ‘wanted wear’. He left the first road for another day. But he had a genuine
doubt. He knew that one path leads to another and then he would not get a
chance to go back.
10.
Did the poet
repent for making his choice? Give an example from the poem to prove your
point.
Answer- The poet
had the freedom to make a choice. The two roads were, in fact, two alternatives
in life that lay before him. The poet left the conventional and less risky way
of life. He opted for the road that was less traveled by and ‘wanted wear’. He
left the first road for another day. The choice he made brought all the
difference in his life. He seemed to be unhappy about making his choice. ‘1
shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: ‘ But he
couldn’t do anything now. His choice had altered the course of his life.
11.
‘I doubted if I
should ever come back’. Why does the poet doubt he should ever come back?
Answer- The poet
doubts whether he should ever come back to tray-: the other road because he
knows that one road leads to another. As a reckless and curious traveler, he
was sure to continue to move on in the journey of life. Thus there were no
chances of his retracing his steps. Normally one sticks to the decision once
taken.
12.
What does the
divergence in the road signify in real life?
Answer- The
divergence in the road signifies that many times in real life we have difficult
choices to make. We take a long time thinking about which of the two would be a
better option and only time can tell whether we were right in making the choice
we made. The forking of one road into two is symbolic of the confusion or
dilemma we face in life while confronting a problem and making a decision.
13.
Why did the
poet stand long on the forked road to make the decision?
Answer- The poet
took long to make a decision because he could not foresee which choice would
prove to be beneficial for hint As he looked at the roads he couldn’t see
beyond a particular point. One road was well-trodden and the other showed no
signs of anyone treading on it. Thus the poet stood there for a long time
undecided which one to experiment with.
14.
What impact did
the choice of the ‘other road’ make on the poet’s life?
Answer- While
making a choice of the roads, the poet took time deciding which one to take.
The poet’s choice shaped his life in a different manner. He had a shade of
regret about his choke. He knew that his life wouldn’t have been as it was
presented if he had taken the other road.
15.
Why do you
think the poet sighs in the last stanza of the poem?
Answer- The last
stanza reveals that the poet would be telling his story with a sense of regret
as the alternative chosen by him did not yield a satisfactory result. He is not
very excited while telling the story of his life as he feels that had he taken
the other road things might have taken a better shape. Hence, the poet sighs
with a sense of dissatisfaction in the last stanza of the poem.
16.
The poet says,
“I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” What
is ‘the difference that the poet mentions?
Answer- The
poet says his choice of that particular road has shaped his life in a specific
manner with which he is not very happy. Had he chosen the other road, his
ambitions and aspirations in life might have been fulfilled and he would not have
looked back with a sense of regret. Probably, he would have called himself a
successful man.
17.
What does the
poet mean by ‘yellow wood’?
Answer- ‘Yellow wood’
refers to the jungle with decomposing leaves shed from the trees. It stands for
the world where people have been living since long.
18.
Explain:
‘leaves no step had trodden black’.
Answer- No traveler had trodden on either of the two roads. It was evident from the fact
that the fallen and sodden leaves lay uncrushed there. No feet had trampled
them.
19.
Which road does
Robert Frost choose and why?
Answer- Robert
Frost chooses the second road which was less travelled by the travelers. He
chose the second road because it was more inviting and wanted to wear’.
20.
“Two roads
diverged in a yellow wood.” What do the two roads indicate here? What was the
poet’s dilemma?
Answer- The
two roads indicate the choices or decisions one has to make in one’s life. The
poet has presented the dilemma that one goes through while taking a decision
regarding one’s future. The poet, too, is faced with the dilemma of which road
to choose for the course of his travel.
21.
What is the
theme of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer- In ‘The
Road Not Taken’, Robert Frost makes a fascinating use of two roads as a
metaphor for life. The two roads serve as a metaphor for the choices one makes
in life. ‘Thus, the roads are, in fact, two alternative ways of life. The
choice one makes has a far-reaching consequence. Elie poet leaves the first
road for the road less travelled by and accepts challenges and dares to walk on
the untrodden path which has made all the difference in his life.
22.
Why did the
poet leave the first road?
Answer- The poet
left the first road thinking that he would use it on some other day. He found
the second road more inviting. The second road was less travelled by and it
also wanted wear.
23.
Justify the
tide ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer- The tide
‘The Road Not Taken’ is quite appropriate. It clearly brings out the theme of
the poem. The title hints at the dilemmas of life—the choices that one makes in
life. Whatever ‘road’ or the way of life one chooses, it makes all the
difference. It is the ability to do things differently that makes one stand out
in the crowd. Many times, the man yearns for what he has denied himself in
life, rather than what he has chosen. Hence, the poet has given his poem the
title ‘The Road Not Taken’.
24.
Bring out the
symbolism in the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer- The poem
The Road Not Taken’ concerns a choice made between two roads by the poet. The
poet decides to explore one road and then come back and explore the other but
this might not be possible. The choice of roads in the poem symbolises the
choices that one has to make in life. All the choices appear to be equally
attractive. They are confining too as one cannot foretell the eventual result
of one’s choice. Through the years, however, we come to find out that the
choices we make and the paths we choose, will make all the difference in our
lives.
25.
The poet kept
the other road for another day. Was he able to travel back on that road?
Explain.
Answer- The poet
left the first road thinking that he would use it on some other day. However,
he was not able to travel back on that road. He could never come back as the
road he took led to other roads. He went so far from the first road that he
doubted if he would ever come back to walk on it.
26.
In the poem
‘The Road Not Taken’, why did the poet feel like travelling both the roads?
Answer- Both the
roads lay in front of the poet almost in the same condition. He chose the
second road and felt sorry about not choosing the first one. The poet wanted to
experience both situations. He was also not sure of the outcome of his choice.
So, the poet wanted to travel by both roads.
27.
Write a brief
note on the theme of Robert Frost’s poem ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer- In
the poem, ‘The Road not Taken’, the roads symbolise ‘Choices’ that one has to
make in life. Whenever one has to take an important decision in life, one finds
oneself coming across a fork in the road, one is travelling upon. No one has to
choose the only way to walk upon. Here, one choice leads to another but it
remains difficult to go back reiterate.
28.
What moral
lesson do you get from the poem ‘The Road not Taken’?
Answer- According
to the poet, one should not adopt the shortcuts in life. We should choose the
daring and experimental path that involves turmoil and tension. These practices
ennoble a man for his life. In order to seek the truth, we should not follow
the easy, convenient and trodden path. The poet has chosen the other road which
is less trodden by the people.
29.
What problem
did the poet feel while standing on the intersection of the two roads?
Answer- While
standing on the crossing, the poet saw two roads diverged in a yellow forest.
For the poet both the roads looked fascinating. One was widely trodden and the
other was untrodden. At last, he chose the second road and hoped to travel the
first on some other day.
30.
Explain “Way
leads on to way.”
Answer- Here we
can find two meanings. In the first, we find that the poet is undecided to
follow the road. Once a choice is made, there is no retreating back even if the
choice is wrong. Same is true for our life. We must make a definite choice
where there is no turning. Situations do change and may require adjustments but
we must not return.
31.
Why did the
poet keep the first road for another day?
Answer- The poet
kept the first road for another day in the hope that he would travel it in
future. But all know that our future is uncertain. No one can predict it. One
can never hope to return to the original starting point to resume the path.
32.
Does the poet
believe that he would ever return to the first road?
Answer- No, the
poet does not believe that he would ever be able to return to the first road.
He is fully aware that one road leads on to another and that still to another.
Hence it will not be possible for him to come back to the point where both the
roads bifurcate.
VALUE BASED AND LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1.
Discuss the
title of the poem “The Road Not Taken”. Is it appropriate for the poem?
Answer- Yes, it
is apt because the title of the poem concerns a choice made between two roads
by a person walking in the woods. He would have liked to explore both the roads,
but he knows that he can’t walk on both the roads at the same time. He chooses
the road not travelled on by too many people and many years later, he feels
that all the difference in his life is because of the choice of roads he had
made.
2.
Why does the poet
say he shall tell people “this with a sigh”? Why do you think the final stanza
starts with a sigh?
Answer- The poet
comes to a fork in the road and decides to walk on the path that looks less
walked on. He is however wishful of walking on the other road on some other
day. He is not sure if his choice has been the right one and feels that if
someone asks him to justify his choice he would probably answer him with a
sigh. The sigh could signify two things. Either it is a sigh of happiness and
contentment at having achieved success in life because of the right choices
made at the right time or it could be interpreted to mean that the sigh is one
of regret and sorrow at having made the wrong choice and lost out on a golden
opportunity.
3.
Bring out the
symbolism in the poem “The Road Not taken”.
Answer- The poem
is about something more than the choice of paths in a wood. We can interpret
the narrator’s choice of a road as a symbol for any choice in life between
alternatives that appear almost equally attractive. It is only after the
passage of years, that we can really evaluate the decisions and choices that we
make based on the result of these choices. If we find success, the choice is
the right one but if the result is failure and pain then the choice has
obviously not been the right one.
4.
The road is
used as a metaphor for life in this poem. Can you think of another metaphor and
explain why that has been used to describe life.
Answer- A puzzle
can be another metaphor for life. A puzzle requires one to constantly keep
figuring out the answers and right after one decision has been made, there are
other problems awaiting solution. Similarly, life is also full of doubts and
questions. When we are able to figure out solutions and make decisions
accordingly another predicament often comes up. We are constantly figuring out
things. hence, life is a puzzle.
5.
“Then took the
other, as just as fair,
And
having perhaps the better claim,
Because
it was grassy and wanted wear.”
–
Robert Frost chose a road that was less travelled by. What does this choice
show about his character?
–Do
you think people should regret their choices or decisions once they have been
made? Why not?
Answer- Robert
Frost’s choice shows that he is an adventurous individual who doesn’t like to
take up the trodden paths. He studies the situation and takes his time to reach
his own conclusions. Not afraid of taking on the challenges in life, he decides
to explore the unexplored. He knows full well that the choice once made cannot
be undone, so he chooses the comparatively difficult option. He knows that this
choice would affect his life and he is ready to accept as it comes. He knows
that if he had taken the other road, his life would have been very different
than what it has turned out to be.
I don’t think people should regret
their choices or decisions once they have been made. First, life has in its
store countless opportunities and possibilities so that nobody ever needs to
regret. Second, it is not possible for human beings to do everything that is
there to be done because they are bound by time and space. So I think instead
of regretting, it is more important to keep moving ahead in life without
looking back Whether the choice of paths taken is right or wrong will be
decided by time. Third, we must own the responsibility for the decisions and
choices we make in our life.
6.
Bring out the
contrast and similarities between the two roads mentioned in the poem.
Answer- Both the
roads mentioned in the poem are the offshoots of the same road. As this mother
road running through the ‘yellow woods’ forks into two – these two roads are
formed. Both of them are equally inviting and put the traveller in a fix as he
stands to wonder which road to take up.
A keen observation reveals that
unlike the other road, one of the roads is well-trodden. It has commonly been
chosen by a majority of the people. Maybe it is considered to be an easier
path. However, it takes a turn and its end cannot be seen just as the other
road’s destination cannot be foreseen. In the morning both the roads are
well-covered with leaves as no one has so far ventured on either of the two.
Both the roads once chosen would have to be stuck to. Years later whichever
road is not taken would be looked at wistfully and one would wonder whether the
right choice had been made.
7.
“Two roads
diverged in a wood, and I—
I
took the one less travelled by,
And
that has made all the difference.”
On
the basis of your understanding of the above lines, analyse the following:
–
why people are in dilemma sometimes?
–
what is the need of making the correct choices in life?
Which determining
factors and values would you consider before making an important
choice?
Answer- People
are often in the dilemma because life throws up many alternatives and people
are prone to temptations and ‘what-ifs’. They look at their lives in terms of
what would have happened, had their choices been different. In doing so, they
often lose sight of the importance of what they have in their hands. Sometimes
they are in dilemma because of a moral or ethical conflict. Thus, I believe
their dilemma can be blamed on their greed – ‘the more the merrier attitude’,
plain indecision or a crisis.
The choices we make have
far-reaching consequences. They hold the potential to make or mar a life. So we
must exercise our choices carefully, weighing the pros and cons of everything,
lest we have to regret later.
Before I make an important choke, I
would carefully consider the far-reaching impact it is likely to have in my
life and the lives of people I love. If my choice was going to result in
something bad or evil or a short-term glory, I would rather not make it. So my
choices in life would always be governed by need, responsibility and
rationality. There will be no scope for regret once I have made choices, for I
shall be responsible for them.
8.
One of the
lessons the poem “The Road Not Taken” teaches is the importance of making the
best use of time and opportunity. Taking ideas from the poem, together with
your own ideas, draft a speech to be delivered in the morning assembly
emphasizing the need for making the best out of available time and
opportunities.
Good Morning Everyone.
Today, I would like to share my
views on the importance of making the best of time and opportunity that we get
in life. The other day I was reading Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not
Taken”, which is about making choices in life and the difference they make in
our life. Since we have only one life to live and we cannot possibly have and
do everything in life, it is really very important to make choices judiciously
and once we have made them, we must stick to them and do all we can to achieve
what we want to achieve in life.
We all know that time once has gone
can never be reclaimed and an opportunity knocks at our door only once. If
there is another knock, that is another opportunity, not the first one So,
instead of wasting time and being torn in all sorts of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, we
must be proactive and make the best of time and opportunity that we have.
What if we don’t? Well, if we fail
to respect time and honour opportunities, Time and circumstances may shape our
lives in ways we do not expect or do not like. There may be consequences we
would find hard to bear. We may be left regretting ever after if we do not make
the best of our time and opportunities. So, let us make hay while the sun
shines, for time and tide wait for none. And on that note, I would like to
conclude my speech, for time, is up for me.
Thank you!
9.
Describe the
two roads the author finds.
Answer- One day
during his walk, the poet reached a point of bifurcation. There were two roads
and he had to take only one. He stood there surveying the pros and cons and
looked at both the roads with great care. The poet looked at the mad, as far as
his eyes could see till it bent in the undergrowth. He saw that the other road
was more grassy and needed to be travelled upon. But when he had gone a little
ahead, he saw that the other road was also grassy.
10.
What is the
moral presented by the poet in the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer- This is
an inspirational poem and quite tricky, according to Robert Frost himself. The
poem presents an antithesis. The traveller comes to a fork and wishes to take
both, which is impossible. One of the roads is described as
grassy and wanting wear’, then he
says that both the roads look the same. This represents the eternal An poem
encourages self-reliance, man: he finds the grass greener always on the other
side.
This poem is a call for the reader
to forge his or her way M life and not follow the path that others have taken
reinforces the power of independent thinking and sticking to one’s decisions.
The –“‘ will never know till you y have lived the dilemma of e poet Thu
does not moralise about choice, he simply says that choice is inevitable and
you win ‘difference. So there is nothing right or wrong about a choice, it is
all relative. Whatever direction one takes one roust pack it with determination
and zest for one can never turn the clock back, or relive that moment.
11.
As the poet who
took the road not taken by many people, write a letter to your friend stating
how “It has made all the difference”.
Answer-
Dear Natalie,
As you know that I have established
myself as a poet but this journey of life had not been very simple. I must tell
you about the day when I was facing a dilemma to choose between the two roads
to walk upon and I chose the one which was less frequent, leaving the first one
for some other day. I knew full well that I will not get a chance to go back to
it. Now I wish I had taken the first road. But friend, this is the irony of
life, we cannot travel on all the available roads, no matter howsoever we wish
to.
The basic thing is to make the right
choice because after that we can’t undo them. It is only the future that will
reveal whether our decision was right or wrong. Since I took the road less
travelled by, it has made all the difference-The outcome is known to you. Rest
in the next letter,take care.
Yours truly,
Beyonce
12.
What is the
moral presented by the poet in the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer- This is
an inspirational poem and quite tricky, according to Robert Frost himself. The
poem presents an anti-thesis. The traveller comes to a fork and wishes to take
both, which is impossible. First, one of the roads is described as grassy and
`wanting wear’, then he says that both the roads look the same. This represents
the eternal dilemma in man when he finds the grass greener on the other side.
This poem is a call for the reader to forge his or her way in life and not
follow the path that others have taken. This poem encourages self-reliance,
reinforces the power of independent thinking and sticking to one’s decisions.
The poet does not moralize about choice. He simply says that choice is
inevitable and you will never know until you have lived the `difference.’ So
there is nothing right or wrong about a choice, it is all relative. Whatever
direction one takes one must pack it with determination and zest for one can
never turn the clock back, or relive that moment.
13.
Why does the
poet doubt he should ever come back?
Answer- This poem
is about choices, decisions and their consequences. It is a fact that once the
choice has been made, there is no going back. The traveller standing on the
road of life is confronted with a dilemma when both the paths or choices look
equally promising. Once a road is chosen, the traveller has to move on. There
is no rewinding. There would never be a befitting time or opportunity for
coming back and exercising the choice again. Time has changed, so has the
psychology of the traveller. It will never be the same again. So one stick to
the road one has taken and makes it lead to the destination already decided.
14.
Describe the
two roads the author finds.
Answer- One day
during his walk, the poet reached a point of bifurcation. There were two roads
and he had to take only one. He stood there surveying the pros and cons and
looks at both the roads with great care. The poet looked at the road, as far
his eyes could see till it bent in the undergrowth. He saw that the other roads
was more grassy and needed to be travelled upon. But when he had gone a little
ahead, he saw that the other road was also grassy.
Value-Based Questions
1. ‘The Road Not
Taken’ symbolises the metaphor of choices made in life. Describe the theme of
the poem justifying its title.
Answer- ‘The Road
Not Taken’ is a biographical poem of Robert Frost. In the poem, Frost uses the
fork in the road as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. It tells us
about a man (the poet himself) who comes to a fork in the road, he is
travelling upon. He can’t travel both paths and must choose one. This fork
represents a point in man’s life where he has to choose the right direction. He
stands and watches the first alternative that life provides to him. Then he
views the other road or the other option of life. He resolves the dilemma by
choosing the road less travelled by the people. He hopes that his choice will
be more rewarding when he reaches the end of the journey. The poet leaves the
first road for another day. He has a genuine doubt that one road leads to the
other and he will never get a chance of going back. The title The Road Not
Taken’ is quite appropriate and logical. It is very difficult to say whether he
has made the right choice on the spur of the moment. It is possible that after
many years from now he will not be too happy with his choice. But he had
already taken the decision which couldn’t be altered now.
2.
What is the
dilemma of the poet in ‘The Road Not Taken’? How does Frost use the fork in the
road as a metaphor for the choices we make in life? How does he resolve this
dilemma and with what result? Had you been in place of the poet, would you have
chosen the same road as chosen by the poet? If not, give reasons for your
choice.
Answer- Robert
Frost’s poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ is about the choices that one makes in life.
In the poem, Frost uses the fork in the road as a metaphor for the choices we
make in our lives. How our life will shape much depends on what option, and
what direction we choose in life. The dilemma before the poet is how to make
the right choice. Two roads are separating in a yellow forest. Both are equally
fair. The poet sees the first road as far as it goes and assesses the
situation. Then he turns to the second road as far as the first one. But the
second road is less travelled by and its grass wants to wear. The poet resolves
the dilemma by choosing the road which is less travelled by. He keeps the first
road for another day. He knows that it becomes impossible to come back to the
road one has left for another day. Frost himself chose the risky and
unconventional profession of becoming a poet. Perhaps he was not happy about
making his choice. Perhaps the road that was not taken would have proved more
rewarding. But once the choice is made it becomes irrevocable. And this choice
has made all the difference in life. Being a man of adventurous nature, I
would like to follow the unconventional path like the poet.
3.
The poet will
be telling ‘this with a sigh’ that he took the road ‘less travelled by’ and
‘that has made all the difference’. What is the difference that the poet
mentions? Do you believe in making choices that are less ‘risky’ and acceptable
or the ones which are adventurous, ambitious and unconventional? Give reasons
for your choice.
Answer- The poet
resolved the dilemma of making a choice. He chose the road that was less
travelled by. Here, the two roads represent two options, two alternatives, two
ways and two directions of life. The poet left the more acceptable and
convenient road thinking that he would walk on it on another day. Though he
doubted that once followed a path it would become impossible for him to come
back to the one he had left. The poet had options to follow the road that led
to prosperity, fame and money. It could have been a less risky and acceptable
conventional option. But he chose to be a poet. His choice made all the
difference in his life. Perhaps the road he had not taken would have proved
more rewarding. Perhaps other professions would have proved more fruitful. The
poet would regret it but without any redressal. The choice had been made and it
was irrevocable.
I believe in making choices which
are adventurous, ambitious and unconventional. The reason is simple. I am young
and full of vigour I like to come across new challenges in life.
4.
“The choice we
make has far-reaching consequences.” How can you make the right choices in
life?
Answer- Life is a
continuous journey full of divergences every now and then. Life throws up many
alternatives. Man being an individual cannot take up all the choices. The
impact that our choice will make on one’s life also cannot be foreseen. Hence,
our decision is a shot in the dark though our future depends on it.
Man revolves around the dilemma of
making the right choice in life. If the choice made by him happens to be
erroneous, he has to face the consequences as steps once taken cannot be
retracted.
We should make a choice after taking
advice and suggestions of elders who are more experienced than us. If we want
to do something new and unconventional, we should see both positive and
negative aspects because once we make a choice it cannot be retracted. We
should be very careful and cautious and think many times before choosing any
road in our life because whatever the choice we make today, it will have
far-reaching consequences on our life tomorrow.
5.
“I took the one
less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.”
(a)What
is the difference that the poet mentions?
(b)What
values do you learn from the speaker?
Answer-
(a)The
poet says his choice of the less travelled road has shaped his life in a
specific manner with which he is not very happy. Had he chosen the other road,
his ambitions and aspirations in life might have been fulfilled and he would
not have looked back with a sense of regret. Probably, he would have called
himself a successful man.
(b)“The Road” is
the symbol of the choice made by us in life. Many times, we regret the choice
made by us but what is done once, cannot be undone. Man yearns for what he has
denied himself in life, rather than what he has chosen. We have mainly two
types of choices in life, the easier path and the more challenging path. The
selection of the difficult road symbolises man’s urge to live life boldly. In
the holy book the Gila, it is written that man should do work without thinking
about rewards.
6.
‘The Road not
Taken’ symbolises the metaphor of choices made in life. Describe the theme of
the poem justifying its title.
Answer- The Road
not Taken’ is a biographical poem of Robert Frost. In the poem, Frost uses the
fork in the road as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. It tells us
about a man (the poet himself) who climes to a fork in the road he is
travelling upon. He can’t travel both paths and must choose one. This fork
represents a point in man’s life where he has to choose the right direction. He
stands and watches the first alternative that life provides to him. Then he
views the other road or the other option of life. He resolves the dilemma by
choosing the road less travelled by the people. He hopes that his choice will
be more rewarding when he reaches the end of the journey. The poet leaves the
first road for another day. He has a genuine doubt that one road leads to the
other and he will never get a chance of going back. The title ‘The Road not
Taken’ is quite appropriate and logical. It is very difficult to say whether he
has made the right choice on the spur of the moment. It is possible that after
many years from now he will not be too happy with his choice. But he had already
taken the decision which couldn’t be altered now.
No comments:
Post a Comment