NCERT Class 9 Beehive Page No. 16
Thinking about the poem
1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?
Answer:
The traveller finds himself in the yellow woods at a point where the two roads diverge.
The problem that he faces is that he cannot decide which road to take to continue his journey.
All Chapters: CBSE Class 9 English Syllabus 2020-21
2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
(i) a yellow wood
(ii) it was grassy and wanted wear
(iii) the passing there
(iv) leaves no step had trodden black
(v) how way leads on to way
Answer:
(i) Yellow woods refers to the forest in the autumn season.
(ii) The road was full of grass and very few people had used it. It seemed to invite people to tread on it.
(iii) It implies the use of the path by passersby.
(iv) It implies that the leaves lying on the road had not been crushed under the feet of the travellers.
(v) Through this phrase the poet refers to the fact that one road always leads on to another and so on.
3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them
(i) in stanzas two and three?
(ii) in the last two lines of the poem?
Answer:
(i) There is no difference in the roads as the poet describes them in stanzas two and three except that the road he took was covered with grass looked to be not much used. Otherwise, both roads were equally covered with uncrushed leaves as if no person had stepped on them.
(ii) In the last two lines of the poem the poet says that there is a difference between the two roads because the road he opted for was less travelled by other people.
4. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean? (Looking back, does the poet regret his choice or accept it?)
Answer:
The last two lines of the poem reflect the courage to accept the challenge and take the right decisions in life. The poet decided to take the path that was less travelled by the others because he wanted to do something different in his life.
No, the poet does not seem to regret his choice.
II. 1. Have you ever had to make a difficult choice (or do you think you will have difficult choices to make)? How will you make the choice (for what reasons)?
Answer:
No, I have not had to make any difficult choice till now in my life. But I think in future I will have difficult choices to make in my academic and professional career. After 10th standard I will have to decide which stream to take for further studies. I think it will be a difficult decision to make as it will have an impact on my career. Then I will have to make a choice of profession whether I should become an engineer or a doctor or something else. At that time, I will make a choice according to my capabilities and strong points. It will be better to choose a path that will give me satisfaction and mental peace. I think it will be good not to join the rat race for money. I will choose a challenging and unexplored path in my life like the poet did in the poem.
Note: The above answer gives a hint to students what they can write. However, students are suggested to write this answer in their own words according to their own experiences and perspectives.
2. After you have made a choice do you always think about what might have been, or do you accept the reality?
Answer:
It is not always easy to make choices in life because either both the options look fair enough or we don’t know which one is better. However, we have to take the decision to go with any one of the two alternatives. Any decision should be taken wisely according to our experience and interest.
After making a choice, I accept the reality. Reconsidering a decision or regretting it is not a positive approach towards life. Such thoughts would not allow us to be happy with what we have gained from our decision. Therefore, it’s better to stick to your decisions.
The Road Not Taken Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive
The Road Not Taken Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type
Question 1.
What is the setting of the poem?
Answer:
The setting of the poem is a wood where the poet, Robert Frost, has gone for a walk. He comes to a fork in the woods and does not know which path to take. Both the roads are equally attractive and inviting. While one of the roads is the more frequented and easy, the other is less travelled and full of challenges. The poet decides to take the less frequented road.
Question 2.
What is a wood? What did the narrator see in the wood? Were the paths similar?
Answer:
Wood means a forest. He saw two paths diverging from a fork in the road and disappearing in the undergrowth. The roads were not similar as one was less used and so had more grass and seemed less used than the other.
Question 3.
Which of the two roads did the narrator take? Why?
Answer:
The narrator took the road that not many people had taken. It was a grassy road and so more inviting as not many people had walked on it. Also, the poet was more adventurous and wanted to take a route not many had taken. He wanted the challenge of the unknown.
Question 4.
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 would lead to another and it would be difficult for him to come back.
Question 5.
Does one road seem to be more appealing than the other? Use examples from the poem to support your answer.
Answer:
When the narrator comes to a fork in the road, he 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 other one sometime in the future.
Question 6.
Why did the poet leave the first path?
Answer:
The poet left the first path because it was well-trodden. Many people had walked on that path. He wanted the excitement and adventure of choosing to walk a path that was not frequented by too many people. It would offer him challenges to face.
Question 7.
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 people had walked on them, though one was less frequented. However, on that particular autumn morning, they were covered with fallen leaves and appeared as if they were not been used for a while.
Question 8.
If you were the speaker/poet, which road would you choose? Why would you do so?
Answer:
If I were the speaker/ poet I would choose the road that seemed relatively unused because I am an adventurous person and like challenges.
OR
I would choose that one that seemed to be more trodden upon because I prefer safety to adventure. A road used by more people indicates the certainty of it leading somewhere.
Question 9.
Do you think the narrator regrets his decision later? What makes you think so?
OR
Do you think the speaker is happy with his choice or not? Why?
Answer:
The speaker of this poem is not unhappy with his choice, and wonders where the other path, the road he did not take, would have led him. He thinks about a future time when he will look back at his decision with a sigh of regret as he thinks of the opportunities he may have lost by not taking the other road.
OR
The speaker of this poem is happy with his choice, though he knows he will not be able to return to take the more frequented path. He thinks about a future time when he will look back at his decision with a sigh of contentment and he will think of all that he has achieved by taking this road that is not normally taken.
Question 10.
Discuss the imagery in the poem.
Answer:
A very important, element in this poem is its use of natural imagery. The poem is about someone alone in the woods, on an autumn morning. The season is autumn, when the trees are beginning to shed their yellowing leaves, which cover the ground.
Question 11.
What do you think the differences between the two roads in this poem are, if any?
Answer:
One day while walking in a wooded area full of trees with yellow leaves, the poet comes to a fork in the place and he has to decide which road he should take. While both the roads are about the same and equally – inviting with fallen leaves on both look pretty fresh, one of the roads is less frequented and so more grassy.
Question 12.
What does the title of the poem suggest about how the speaker feels about his decision?
Answer:
The speaker makes a choice of taking the path that is less walked on after much deliberation, and leaves the well-trodden path for another day. But he wants to walk down the other road at a later date though he knows that he will never be able to return to take the other path. He knows that sometime in the future he will regret, or at the very least he will wonder, about the opportunities he may have lost by not taking the other road.
Question 13.
How sure do you think the speaker is that he will never come back to try the other road?
Answer:
The speaker chooses one of the paths in the wood which is less travelled and so more grassy, telling himself that he will take the other another day. Yet he knows it is unlikely that he will have the opportunity to do so because of the manner in which one path leads on to the other, taking the traveller far away from the other path.
Question 14.
What season do you think this poem takes place in? Why?
Answer:
The speaker tells us the woods are yellow, so we can infer that it’s autumn. The leaves have freshly fallen covering both paths – the one that is much travelled and worn and the road less taken and grassy.
Question 15.
Bring out the relevance of the poem The Road Not Taken.
Answer:
The Road Not Taken is a poem relevant for all times as it is a poem that deals with facing dilemmas in life.
At times the decisions we have to take may not be easy, at other times we may take a wrong decision. The poet, however, suggest that once we have taken a decision, we must move on and leave all second thoughts and regrets behind.
Question 16.
Why does the last stanza of the poem start with a sigh?
Answer:
The last stanza of the poem begins with a sigh of regret. The title, too, suggests the poem is about the road the poet did not travel on. The poet had left the road more frequented for another day. However, as one path led to another, he was not able to come back and walk on the other road.
OR
The poet’s sigh is one of relief and satisfaction. He is satisfied with all that he has achieved in life. His decision of taking the path not frequented by many has brought to him success and glory not many have known. He breathes a sigh of relief that on that day he took the road less travelled and that has made all the difference to his life.
Question 17.
What is the theme of the poem The Road Not Taken?
Answer:
The poet suggests that we may face dilemmas in life, but one should be ready for challenges. We must take risks and take the more difficult path. Walking on a path not many have taken is more challenging, but it may lead to better results.
Question 18.
Robert Frost did not feel dejected or disappointed in taking the road that was less tavelled. Justify.
Answer:
Robert Frost says he took the road less travelled because to him it appeared more inviting. The poet’s sigh of pride with his decision that has made all the difference to his life and his repition of the pronoun “I” shows his pride in exercising his individualism.
Question 19.
What do you learn about the poet from his decision to take the road he chose?
Answer:
The poet is an individualist. He likes to make his own choices and is not guided by others in doing so. He is adventurous and accepts challenges. He is a risk-taker and takes difficult decisions easily. He wants to stand out in a crowd.
Question 20.
Why did the poet doubt he would ever reach the same intersection again?
Answer:
The poet is pragmatic enough to know he may not be able to retrace his steps as one way leads to another. The path he has chosen will probably take him so far from the trodden path that he may find it difficult to return.
The Road Not Taken Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type
Question 1.
Discuss the title of the poem “The Road Not Taken”. Is it appropriate for the poem?
Answer:
The poem has an apt title. ‘The road’ is the symbol of the choices made by us in life. Many times, we regret the choice made by us but what is done once cannot be undone. Or, we may be happy for having taken the decisions we did. Even as the speaker makes a choice of taking the path that is less walked on, and leaves the well-trodden path for another day, the speaker knows that he will never be able to return to take the other path.
He knows that sometime in the future he will regret, or at the very least he will wonder, at the other path that is irrevocably lost. He realises that there is no Right Path—just the chosen path and the other path. Ages hence, he will sigh over the decisions taken. Hence, the poet has given his poem the title “The Road Not Taken”.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 4.
What do you think the fork in the road could represent in the speaker’s life?
Answer:
The fork could represent a time in the speaker’s life when he has reached a point in his life when he is facing a big dilemma; the road he’s walking on, and the life he’s leading, is forking into two separate roads up ahead. He has to decide on the future course of his life.
The decision he’s up against could be something like changing careers or moving to a different place. However, he knows that the choices he makes at this time would be final. It would probably too late to go back and change his mind after he makes big decisions; he knows that he probably will never have time. Whatever the decision is, it must be major, because he knows that he’ll still be talking about it far in the future, saying that it made a big difference in his life.
Question 5.
Debate the topic ‘The speaker is purposefully ambiguous about whether or not he’s -happy with his choice.’
Answer:
“The Road Not Taken” is a poem about the other road or the choices one makes. When he has to make a choice, the speaker takes the road that many people have avoided, or the road less taken. The other road is the road the speaker did not take. He does want to return to the road at some point, but knows he will not be able to come back to take that road. There is something about his decision of not taking the other road that causes the speaker to sigh in remembrance of not leaving it. The sigh seems to be a sad sigh, simply because he could not take both roads.
The speaker feels his decision has made all the difference. In a sense, the speaker is trying to convince himself that he took the right road. However, the fact that the speaker is still thinking about the other road is an indication that he will forever have a doubt. Truly, this poem is about the other road, the road the speaker did not take. Seeing as how “way leads on to way,” the speaker doubts that he shall ever go back. Therefore, he visits the idea of taking the other road only in his memory.
The Road Not Taken Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Question 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; ”
(a) What does the narrator mean by “a yellow wood”?
Answer:
By “yellow wood” the poet means a forest where the trees have yellowing and falling leaves.
(b) What choice did the narrator have to make?
Answer:
The narrator had to choose between the two roads.
(c) Which road did the narrator take?
Answer:
He took the road that was less travelled upon.
(d) What does the narrator regret?
Answer:
The narrator regrets the fact that he cannot travel on both the paths. He also regrets the fact that he cannot come back to the start once he makes a choice.
Question 2.
“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 I could;
To where it bent in the undergrowth, ”
(a) What did the narrator see in the wood?
Answer:
The narrator saw two paths diverging in the forest.
(b) Why did the narrator stand there for “long”?
Answer:
The narrator stood there for long because he could not make up his mind which path to take.
(c) How were the two roads different?
Answer:
While one of the roads was frequently taken, the second road appeared to be less travelled
(d) The poet here is using “roads” as symbols of:
Answer:
Choices one makes in life.
Question 3.
“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, ”
(a) 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.
(b) Which road did the narrator choose?
Answer:
The narrator chose the one that was grassy and less travelled upon.
(c) 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.
(d) What did the narrator decide about the road he did not take?
Answer:
He decided to walk down that road another day.
Question 4.
‘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) What does “both” refer to?
Answer:
In the given lines “both” refers to the two roads that forked out in different directions.
(b) Explain the line “In leaves no step had trodden back”.
Answer:
The given line means a path not commonly used so the dried leaves that lay on the ground and had not been trampled upon.
(c) Why did the narrator wish to come back?
Answer:
He wanted to walk down the road he had left.
(d) What made the narrator doubt whether he “should ever come back”?
Answer:
The fact that one road generally leads to another made the narrator doubt that he should ever come back.
Question 5.
“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference ”
(a) Where was the narrator walking one day?
Answer:
He was walking in the woods
(b) Which road did the narrator leave?
Answer:
The narrator left the road on which most people travelled.
(c) When will the narrator look back on his life?
Answer:
The narrator will look back on his life after a very long time – when he is an old man.
(d) Why do you think the narrator says this “with a sigh”?
Answer:
The narrator is regretful; he could not return and take the road he had left behind to travel on another day. OR He is content as the road he took him led him on to glory and a better life (Choose either)
Question 6.
“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) Where is the narrator standing?
Answer:
The narrator is standing at a place where the road forked into two.
(b) Why was the narrator sorry?
Answer:
The narrator was sorry because he could not travel both roads.
(c) Which road did the narrator finally decide to take and why?
Answer:
Encourage the students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.
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.
(d) Whom will he tell this with a sigh?
Answer:
The narrator will tell this to the people with whom he is sharing the story of his life.
Question 7.
“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 retrospectively telling people how his life has been different due to the choices he had made long ago.
(c) What did the narrator wish to do when he takes the road that he has not been able to do?
Answer:
The narrator wanted to come back and take the other road.
(d) What difference did the road he took make to his life?
Answer:
The road he took him led him on to glory and a better life.
Question 8.
“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 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.
(b) Which poetic device defines the roads in the wood?
Answer:
A metaphor has been used to define the two roads in the wood.
(c) What is the tone of the narrator in the last stanza?
Answer:
The narrator adopts a reflective tone in the last stanza.
(d) Where is the narrator when he makes the choice?
Answer:
While out for a walk in the woods, the narrator comes to a fork in the road and has to decide which path to take.