NCERT Textbook - The Road Not Taken - English Class 9

 Page 1


CBSE
7 7
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.2    The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
1.   Sometimes the choices we make have far-reaching consequences. Think about 
choices you make on a daily basis, and the importance of these choices.
2.    Complete the web chart showing choices and decisions you may have to make in 
the next few years and the factors that affect these choices.
Share your choices and decisions with your partner.
3.    Have you made choices that are acceptable and less 'risky' or have you followed 
the beaten track? Why?
4.     List common dilemmas that teenagers face involving the choice of one or more 
"roads." Give examples of "roads" that you must travel (e.g. facing peer 
pressure, choosing friends, observing rules laid down by school and parents, 
acting on your own values).
5. a. Listen to a recording of the poem.
b. What choice did the poet have to make?
c. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
64
CHOICES
INTERESTS
PARENTS FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
Page 2


CBSE
7 7
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.2    The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
1.   Sometimes the choices we make have far-reaching consequences. Think about 
choices you make on a daily basis, and the importance of these choices.
2.    Complete the web chart showing choices and decisions you may have to make in 
the next few years and the factors that affect these choices.
Share your choices and decisions with your partner.
3.    Have you made choices that are acceptable and less 'risky' or have you followed 
the beaten track? Why?
4.     List common dilemmas that teenagers face involving the choice of one or more 
"roads." Give examples of "roads" that you must travel (e.g. facing peer 
pressure, choosing friends, observing rules laid down by school and parents, 
acting on your own values).
5. a. Listen to a recording of the poem.
b. What choice did the poet have to make?
c. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
64
CHOICES
INTERESTS
PARENTS FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
CBSE
Poetry
65
6.      Read the poem silently.
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
5 To where it bent in the undergrowth;
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
10 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, 
15 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,
20 And that has made all the difference.
About the Poet
Robert Frost (1874-1963) was born in San Franscisco, Frost spent most of his adult 
life in rural New England and his laconic language and emphasis on individualism in 
his poetry reflect this region. He attended Dartmouth and Harvard but never earned a 
degree, and as a young man with a growing family he attempted to write poetry while 
working on a farm or teaching in a school. American editors rejected his submitted 
poems. With considerable pluck Frost moved his family to England in 1912 and the 
following year a London publisher brought out his first book. After publishing a 
second book, Frost returned to America determined to win a reputation in his own 
country, which he gradually achieved. He became one of the country's best-loved 
poets. Unlike his contemporaries, Frost chose not to experiment with new verse 
forms but to employ traditional patterns, or as he said, he chose "the old-fashioned 
way to be new." Despite the surface cheerfulness and descriptive accuracy of his 
poems, he often presents a dark, sober vision of life, and there is a decidedly 
thoughtful quality to his work.
Page 3


CBSE
7 7
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.2    The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
1.   Sometimes the choices we make have far-reaching consequences. Think about 
choices you make on a daily basis, and the importance of these choices.
2.    Complete the web chart showing choices and decisions you may have to make in 
the next few years and the factors that affect these choices.
Share your choices and decisions with your partner.
3.    Have you made choices that are acceptable and less 'risky' or have you followed 
the beaten track? Why?
4.     List common dilemmas that teenagers face involving the choice of one or more 
"roads." Give examples of "roads" that you must travel (e.g. facing peer 
pressure, choosing friends, observing rules laid down by school and parents, 
acting on your own values).
5. a. Listen to a recording of the poem.
b. What choice did the poet have to make?
c. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
64
CHOICES
INTERESTS
PARENTS FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
CBSE
Poetry
65
6.      Read the poem silently.
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
5 To where it bent in the undergrowth;
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
10 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, 
15 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,
20 And that has made all the difference.
About the Poet
Robert Frost (1874-1963) was born in San Franscisco, Frost spent most of his adult 
life in rural New England and his laconic language and emphasis on individualism in 
his poetry reflect this region. He attended Dartmouth and Harvard but never earned a 
degree, and as a young man with a growing family he attempted to write poetry while 
working on a farm or teaching in a school. American editors rejected his submitted 
poems. With considerable pluck Frost moved his family to England in 1912 and the 
following year a London publisher brought out his first book. After publishing a 
second book, Frost returned to America determined to win a reputation in his own 
country, which he gradually achieved. He became one of the country's best-loved 
poets. Unlike his contemporaries, Frost chose not to experiment with new verse 
forms but to employ traditional patterns, or as he said, he chose "the old-fashioned 
way to be new." Despite the surface cheerfulness and descriptive accuracy of his 
poems, he often presents a dark, sober vision of life, and there is a decidedly 
thoughtful quality to his work.
CBSE
Poetry 
66
7. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions 
by ticking the correct choice.
(a) In the poem, a traveller comes to a fork in the road and needs to decide which way to go 
to continue his journey. Figuratively the choice of the road denotes 
______________________
(i) the tough choices people make the road of life.
(ii) the time wasted on deciding what to do.
(iii) life is like a forest.
(v) one must travel a lot to realize his dreams.
(b) The poet writes, 'Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.' The word diverged means 
_______________.
(i) appeared 
(ii) curved
(iii) branched off
(iv) continued on
(c) The tone of the speaker in the first stanza is that of  ______________.
(i) excitement
(ii) anger
(iii) hesitation and thoughtfulness
(iv) sorrow
8. Answer the following questions briefly.
i) Describe the two roads that the author comes across.
ii) Which road does the speaker choose? Why?
iii) Which road would you choose? Why?
iv) Does the speaker seem happy about his decision?
v) The poet says "I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the 
difference."  What is 'the difference' that the poet mentions?
9. Write the rhyme scheme of the poem.
Page 4


CBSE
7 7
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.2    The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
1.   Sometimes the choices we make have far-reaching consequences. Think about 
choices you make on a daily basis, and the importance of these choices.
2.    Complete the web chart showing choices and decisions you may have to make in 
the next few years and the factors that affect these choices.
Share your choices and decisions with your partner.
3.    Have you made choices that are acceptable and less 'risky' or have you followed 
the beaten track? Why?
4.     List common dilemmas that teenagers face involving the choice of one or more 
"roads." Give examples of "roads" that you must travel (e.g. facing peer 
pressure, choosing friends, observing rules laid down by school and parents, 
acting on your own values).
5. a. Listen to a recording of the poem.
b. What choice did the poet have to make?
c. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
64
CHOICES
INTERESTS
PARENTS FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
CBSE
Poetry
65
6.      Read the poem silently.
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
5 To where it bent in the undergrowth;
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
10 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, 
15 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,
20 And that has made all the difference.
About the Poet
Robert Frost (1874-1963) was born in San Franscisco, Frost spent most of his adult 
life in rural New England and his laconic language and emphasis on individualism in 
his poetry reflect this region. He attended Dartmouth and Harvard but never earned a 
degree, and as a young man with a growing family he attempted to write poetry while 
working on a farm or teaching in a school. American editors rejected his submitted 
poems. With considerable pluck Frost moved his family to England in 1912 and the 
following year a London publisher brought out his first book. After publishing a 
second book, Frost returned to America determined to win a reputation in his own 
country, which he gradually achieved. He became one of the country's best-loved 
poets. Unlike his contemporaries, Frost chose not to experiment with new verse 
forms but to employ traditional patterns, or as he said, he chose "the old-fashioned 
way to be new." Despite the surface cheerfulness and descriptive accuracy of his 
poems, he often presents a dark, sober vision of life, and there is a decidedly 
thoughtful quality to his work.
CBSE
Poetry 
66
7. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions 
by ticking the correct choice.
(a) In the poem, a traveller comes to a fork in the road and needs to decide which way to go 
to continue his journey. Figuratively the choice of the road denotes 
______________________
(i) the tough choices people make the road of life.
(ii) the time wasted on deciding what to do.
(iii) life is like a forest.
(v) one must travel a lot to realize his dreams.
(b) The poet writes, 'Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.' The word diverged means 
_______________.
(i) appeared 
(ii) curved
(iii) branched off
(iv) continued on
(c) The tone of the speaker in the first stanza is that of  ______________.
(i) excitement
(ii) anger
(iii) hesitation and thoughtfulness
(iv) sorrow
8. Answer the following questions briefly.
i) Describe the two roads that the author comes across.
ii) Which road does the speaker choose? Why?
iii) Which road would you choose? Why?
iv) Does the speaker seem happy about his decision?
v) The poet says "I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the 
difference."  What is 'the difference' that the poet mentions?
9. Write the rhyme scheme of the poem.
CBSE
Poetry
67
10 Fill in the blanks to complete the following paragraph that gives the theme of the 
poem. Use the words given in the box below 
decision sorry foresee choices pleasant direction
fork trail rewarding chance wonder both
The poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is about the __________ that one 
makes in life. It tells about a man who comes to a ___________ in the road he is 
travelling upon. He feels ___________ that he can not travel___________ paths as he 
must choose one. Frost uses this fork in the road to represent a point in the man's life 
where he has to choose the ___________ he wishes to take in life. As he thinks about 
his ___________ he looks down one path as far as he can see trying to ___________ 
what life will be like if he walks that path. He then gazes at the other and decides the 
outcome of going down that path would be just as ________________. At this point he 
concludes that the ________that has been less travelled on would be more 
___________ when he reaches the end of it. The man then decides that he will save the 
other path for another day, even though he knows that one path leads to another and 
that he won't get a ___________ to go back. The man then says that he will be telling 
this story with a sigh someday in the future suggesting that he will ___________ what 
life would have been like if he had chosen the more walked path even though the path 
he chose has made all the difference.
11. Roads are fascinating as metaphors for life, change, journeys, partings, 
adventure, etc. or simply as roads. This is probably why they, and all their 
attendant images, have permeated art, literature and song. In the poem, Frost 
uses the fork in the road as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. Thus the 
roads are, in fact, two alternative ways of life. What other nouns could be used to 
represent life?
River
________________
________________
________________
________________
12. In groups of six, select, write the script of and present a skit that demonstrates 
decision making and conflict resolution. Follow the steps given below :
choices to be made, 
options to be considered
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Page 5


CBSE
7 7
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.2    The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
1.   Sometimes the choices we make have far-reaching consequences. Think about 
choices you make on a daily basis, and the importance of these choices.
2.    Complete the web chart showing choices and decisions you may have to make in 
the next few years and the factors that affect these choices.
Share your choices and decisions with your partner.
3.    Have you made choices that are acceptable and less 'risky' or have you followed 
the beaten track? Why?
4.     List common dilemmas that teenagers face involving the choice of one or more 
"roads." Give examples of "roads" that you must travel (e.g. facing peer 
pressure, choosing friends, observing rules laid down by school and parents, 
acting on your own values).
5. a. Listen to a recording of the poem.
b. What choice did the poet have to make?
c. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
64
CHOICES
INTERESTS
PARENTS FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
CBSE
Poetry
65
6.      Read the poem silently.
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
5 To where it bent in the undergrowth;
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
10 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, 
15 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,
20 And that has made all the difference.
About the Poet
Robert Frost (1874-1963) was born in San Franscisco, Frost spent most of his adult 
life in rural New England and his laconic language and emphasis on individualism in 
his poetry reflect this region. He attended Dartmouth and Harvard but never earned a 
degree, and as a young man with a growing family he attempted to write poetry while 
working on a farm or teaching in a school. American editors rejected his submitted 
poems. With considerable pluck Frost moved his family to England in 1912 and the 
following year a London publisher brought out his first book. After publishing a 
second book, Frost returned to America determined to win a reputation in his own 
country, which he gradually achieved. He became one of the country's best-loved 
poets. Unlike his contemporaries, Frost chose not to experiment with new verse 
forms but to employ traditional patterns, or as he said, he chose "the old-fashioned 
way to be new." Despite the surface cheerfulness and descriptive accuracy of his 
poems, he often presents a dark, sober vision of life, and there is a decidedly 
thoughtful quality to his work.
CBSE
Poetry 
66
7. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions 
by ticking the correct choice.
(a) In the poem, a traveller comes to a fork in the road and needs to decide which way to go 
to continue his journey. Figuratively the choice of the road denotes 
______________________
(i) the tough choices people make the road of life.
(ii) the time wasted on deciding what to do.
(iii) life is like a forest.
(v) one must travel a lot to realize his dreams.
(b) The poet writes, 'Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.' The word diverged means 
_______________.
(i) appeared 
(ii) curved
(iii) branched off
(iv) continued on
(c) The tone of the speaker in the first stanza is that of  ______________.
(i) excitement
(ii) anger
(iii) hesitation and thoughtfulness
(iv) sorrow
8. Answer the following questions briefly.
i) Describe the two roads that the author comes across.
ii) Which road does the speaker choose? Why?
iii) Which road would you choose? Why?
iv) Does the speaker seem happy about his decision?
v) The poet says "I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the 
difference."  What is 'the difference' that the poet mentions?
9. Write the rhyme scheme of the poem.
CBSE
Poetry
67
10 Fill in the blanks to complete the following paragraph that gives the theme of the 
poem. Use the words given in the box below 
decision sorry foresee choices pleasant direction
fork trail rewarding chance wonder both
The poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is about the __________ that one 
makes in life. It tells about a man who comes to a ___________ in the road he is 
travelling upon. He feels ___________ that he can not travel___________ paths as he 
must choose one. Frost uses this fork in the road to represent a point in the man's life 
where he has to choose the ___________ he wishes to take in life. As he thinks about 
his ___________ he looks down one path as far as he can see trying to ___________ 
what life will be like if he walks that path. He then gazes at the other and decides the 
outcome of going down that path would be just as ________________. At this point he 
concludes that the ________that has been less travelled on would be more 
___________ when he reaches the end of it. The man then decides that he will save the 
other path for another day, even though he knows that one path leads to another and 
that he won't get a ___________ to go back. The man then says that he will be telling 
this story with a sigh someday in the future suggesting that he will ___________ what 
life would have been like if he had chosen the more walked path even though the path 
he chose has made all the difference.
11. Roads are fascinating as metaphors for life, change, journeys, partings, 
adventure, etc. or simply as roads. This is probably why they, and all their 
attendant images, have permeated art, literature and song. In the poem, Frost 
uses the fork in the road as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. Thus the 
roads are, in fact, two alternative ways of life. What other nouns could be used to 
represent life?
River
________________
________________
________________
________________
12. In groups of six, select, write the script of and present a skit that demonstrates 
decision making and conflict resolution. Follow the steps given below :
choices to be made, 
options to be considered
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
CBSE
Poetry 
68
the influence of others
the decisions/actions taken
the immediate and future consequences of the decision.
13. 'The Road Not Taken' is a biographical poem. Therefore, some personal 
biographical information is relevant to the deeper understanding of the poem we 
have read. Go to www.encarta.com and complete the following worksheet about 
Robert Frost.
a) What "momentous decision" was made by Frost in 1912?
b) How old was he when took this decision?
c) Why was it so difficult to make this decision? Think and give more than one reason.
d) Was the "road" Frost had taken easy "to travel"?
e) Do you think he wrote "The Road Not Taken" before sailing from the USA to 
England or after? Can you quote a line or two from the poem that can support your 
answer?
f) Do you think Frost finally became popular in America as a poet?
14.  You can find more information about Robert Frost at the following websites
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=1961.
Hear the poet (who died almost forty years ago!) reading the poem at
http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm ?prmID= 1645
To view a beautiful New England scene with each poem in this web site: "Illustrated 
Poetry of Robert Frost":
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/1487/index.html
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