The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken 1. Discuss the significance of the title ‘The Road Not Taken’. Or 2. Justify the title, “The Road Not Taken”. The title “Road Not Taken” brings out the theme of the poem. The poet had to choose one of the roads as he could not choose both of them at once. He chooses the road less taken by people and decides to be different from others. He regrets that he could not take the second road again in his life, as he knows that such an opportunity will not come again. He thinks of about what he would have been if he had chosen the other road. Hence, the title is symbolises the two roads signifying the dilemmas of making a choice. Therefore the title “The Road Not Taken” is fully justified. 3. Which road did Robert Frost choose and why? Once Robert Frost came across a path diverged into two roads. He sees that one road was less trodden and full of challenges while the other road was a beaten track without any difficulties. As the poet wanted to be different from others and loved to take up challenges and adventures, he chose the less trodden road, which he believed to be less travelled by people. 4. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” What do the two roads indicate her? What was the poet’s dilemma? The two roads here indicate the choices one has to make in life. The poet has presented the dilemma that one goes through, while taking a decision regarding ones future. Man takes a less risky and acceptable decision as he is afraid of making the wrong choice and its consequences. 5. What is the theme of the poem ‘The Road Not taken’? Or 6. Write a brief note on the theme of Robert Frost’s poem 'The Road Not Taken.' The theme of the poem is about making a choice in life. Life is full of challenges; difficult decisions have to be made which decides our future and success. Though challenges have far reaching consequences that can change the life. After making a choice one thinks of what would have happened if he had made another choice. Opportunity to make the choice comes only once and hence it important to make the right choice. 7. Why did the poet leave the first road? The poet saw the first road to be frequently travelled by people, as it seemed well-trodden. As he had an adventurous spirit and wanted to take up challenges, he chose to explore the road which he so less travelled by people and hence left behind the first road for another day. 8. What makes narrator’s choice difficult in the poem “The Road Not Taken”? Or 9. Why was it so difficult for the poet to make a decision? Give reasons. The poet had reached a path diverged into two roads, of which one was frequently travelled and well-trodden road whereas the other appeared to be less travelled as it was less-trodden. He had to decide on whether he should go through the beaten track with no difficulties or whether he should go through the less travelled road with challenges to take up. The poet wished to take

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both of them but regretted that he could not do so. He knows this decision will decide his future and may change his life, but it was difficult to decide on one as he did not knew where they would take him and how successful he will be. Hence, the fear of making the wrong decision made it difficult for the poet to make a decision. Why did the poet doubt his coming back on the same intersection in life? The poet was practical enough and knew that life moved on as one way leaded to another, and retracing ones step’s would be impossible. The choices made by him now would mark his future life. Hence he doubts coming back to the same intersection in life that he had already chosen in the past. According to the poem “The Road Not Taken”, what would Robert Frost tell after a period of time? Why? The poet Robert Frost had to choose one among the two roads that he had come across, as he could not take both the paths. He had chosen to travel by the road less travelled by the people. He supposed he would be able to tell after a period of time, whether he was successful or not with the road he had chosen. Through years to come, he thought the choice made by him now will make a difference in his life. Does the poet seem happy about his decision? The poet seemed to be in a undecidable state. He chose to be different from others by traveling by the road which was less travelled by the people. He was adventurous and wanted to explore the challenges that the less trodden road would bring him. He is happy that he stands out of the crowd by exercising his individualism by taking risk. Still he is anxious about what he would have been if he had travelled by the other road, and regrets that he could not travel through it. What do the two roads symbolize in the poem “The Road Not Taken”? Or What does the road symbolize in the poem? How much important is it to take the right ‘road’ in life? The two roads in the poem symbolises the choices one makes in life. One faces a dilemma in choosing one choice as one is afraid of making wrong choice in life. Wrong choice may have far reaching consequences, and hence most take the less risky one. Right choices can change one’s life and bring success and happiness in life. One is never satisfied as one never knows what the other choice would made him, and hence may feel that the other choice was better. “I took the one less travelled by.” What do we come to know about the poet from this line? Or What does the choice made by the poet indicates about his personality in the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’? The poet had chosen to travel by the road less frequently travelled by people. This indicates that he believed in making his own decision rather than following what others expect him to do. As he chose not to take the beaten track, his adventurous nature and passion to take up challenges/risks in order to succeed in life is well indicated. He kept the other road for another day knowing that he would never be able to return here, this indicates that he was a practical person. Describe the two roads the author finds.

© Rivivo 2014.

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Or In the poem, “The Road Not Taken”, why did the poet feel like travelling both the roads? Once the poet comes to a path which dived into two roads, he needed to decide which road he should take to continue his journey. He found one road was a well-trodden beaten track travelled by many people, while the other road as much grassy and seeming to be less trodden and less travelled by people. He felt like travelling through both the roads as he wanted to experience both the situations, but regretted that he could not do so. What is the moral presented by the poet in the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’? Or Bring out the symbolism in the poem “The Road Not Taken” The poet conveys the message of taking a choice in life. This poem encourages one’s selfreliance and promotes independent thinking and sticking to one’s decisions. The poet says that there is no right or wrong about a choice, he also tell us that choice is unpredictable and one never know till one have lived the ‘difference. Whatever choice one takes one must be with determination and zest, as one can never turn the relive that moment. The final stanza in the poem “The Road Not Taken” starts ‘with a sigh’. Why? The last stanza reveals that the poet would be saying about the decision he had made with a sense of regret in his future. This is because the poet was not satisfied as he never knew what would have happened if he had chosen the other road. He thinks that if he had taken the other road he might have been much successful. Hence, the poet sighs with a sense of dissatisfaction in the last stanza of the poem.

© Rivivo 2014.