NCERT Textbook - The Road Not Taken | English Class 9 PDF Download

 Page 1


71
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. (Pay attention
to the arrows.)
CHOICES
INTERESTS
FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
PARENTS
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. Listen to a recording of the poem.
a. What choice did the poet have to make?
b. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
P .2   The Road Not Taken
                        by  Robert Frost
POETRY
Unit
Page 2


71
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. (Pay attention
to the arrows.)
CHOICES
INTERESTS
FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
PARENTS
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. Listen to a recording of the poem.
a. What choice did the poet have to make?
b. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
P .2   The Road Not Taken
                        by  Robert Frost
POETRY
Unit
72
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. As a young man with a growing family he attempted to
write poetry while working on a farm and 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 the 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
defined thoughtful quality to his work which makes it unique.
Poetry
Page 3


71
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. (Pay attention
to the arrows.)
CHOICES
INTERESTS
FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
PARENTS
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. Listen to a recording of the poem.
a. What choice did the poet have to make?
b. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
P .2   The Road Not Taken
                        by  Robert Frost
POETRY
Unit
72
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. As a young man with a growing family he attempted to
write poetry while working on a farm and 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 the 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
defined thoughtful quality to his work which makes it unique.
Poetry
73
7. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions
by selecting 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 on the road of life.
(ii) the time wasted on deciding what to do.
(iii) life is like a forest.
(iv) one must travel a lot to realize one’s 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
(d) Select the quote that captures the central idea of the poem most appropriately.
(i) We often confuse what we wish for with what is.
(ii) I have always been much better at asking questions than knowing what the
answers were.
(iii) You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the
consequences of the choice.
(iv) To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
8. Answer the following questions briefly.
i) Describe the two roads that the poet comes across.
ii) Which road does the speaker choose? Why did he choose that?
iii) Which road would you choose? Why? Give reasons for your choice.
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?
Poetry
Page 4


71
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. (Pay attention
to the arrows.)
CHOICES
INTERESTS
FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
PARENTS
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. Listen to a recording of the poem.
a. What choice did the poet have to make?
b. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
P .2   The Road Not Taken
                        by  Robert Frost
POETRY
Unit
72
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. As a young man with a growing family he attempted to
write poetry while working on a farm and 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 the 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
defined thoughtful quality to his work which makes it unique.
Poetry
73
7. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions
by selecting 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 on the road of life.
(ii) the time wasted on deciding what to do.
(iii) life is like a forest.
(iv) one must travel a lot to realize one’s 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
(d) Select the quote that captures the central idea of the poem most appropriately.
(i) We often confuse what we wish for with what is.
(ii) I have always been much better at asking questions than knowing what the
answers were.
(iii) You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the
consequences of the choice.
(iv) To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
8. Answer the following questions briefly.
i) Describe the two roads that the poet comes across.
ii) Which road does the speaker choose? Why did he choose that?
iii) Which road would you choose? Why? Give reasons for your choice.
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?
Poetry
74
vi) Comment on Frost’s use of nature to establish a connect with a human situation.
vii) The poem carries a tinge of regret. Do you agree? Explain with a reason.
viii) Establish a connection between the given quote and the poem.
If you want to achieve something you’ve never had, you have to move out of your
comfort zone to travel towards it.
8. Read Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s ‘It Might Have Been’.
[Link to the poem: http://www.ellawheelerwilcox.org/poems/pitmight.htm]
Compare the poem to ‘The Road Not Taken’ and complete the following, based
on your insights.
Through a discussion, share your insight with others in class.
9. Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem, ‘The Road Not Taken’.
10 Fill in the blanks to complete the following paragraph that highlights 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 that
the outcome of going down that path would be just as                                 . At this point
Poetry
Page 5


71
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. (Pay attention
to the arrows.)
CHOICES
INTERESTS
FRIENDS
DETERMINING FACTORS
PARENTS
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. Listen to a recording of the poem.
a. What choice did the poet have to make?
b. Did he regret his choice? Why/ why not?
P .2   The Road Not Taken
                        by  Robert Frost
POETRY
Unit
72
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. As a young man with a growing family he attempted to
write poetry while working on a farm and 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 the 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
defined thoughtful quality to his work which makes it unique.
Poetry
73
7. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions
by selecting 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 on the road of life.
(ii) the time wasted on deciding what to do.
(iii) life is like a forest.
(iv) one must travel a lot to realize one’s 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
(d) Select the quote that captures the central idea of the poem most appropriately.
(i) We often confuse what we wish for with what is.
(ii) I have always been much better at asking questions than knowing what the
answers were.
(iii) You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the
consequences of the choice.
(iv) To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
8. Answer the following questions briefly.
i) Describe the two roads that the poet comes across.
ii) Which road does the speaker choose? Why did he choose that?
iii) Which road would you choose? Why? Give reasons for your choice.
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?
Poetry
74
vi) Comment on Frost’s use of nature to establish a connect with a human situation.
vii) The poem carries a tinge of regret. Do you agree? Explain with a reason.
viii) Establish a connection between the given quote and the poem.
If you want to achieve something you’ve never had, you have to move out of your
comfort zone to travel towards it.
8. Read Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s ‘It Might Have Been’.
[Link to the poem: http://www.ellawheelerwilcox.org/poems/pitmight.htm]
Compare the poem to ‘The Road Not Taken’ and complete the following, based
on your insights.
Through a discussion, share your insight with others in class.
9. Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem, ‘The Road Not Taken’.
10 Fill in the blanks to complete the following paragraph that highlights 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 that
the outcome of going down that path would be just as                                 . At this point
Poetry
75
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 songs. 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. According to you, what are
the other objects that 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
• influence of others
• decisions/actions taken
• immediate and future consequences of the decision.
13. ‘The Road Not Taken’ is a biographical poem. Therefore,  some personal
biographical information is relevant  for 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 that decision?
c) Why was it so difficult to take that decision? Think and give more than one
reason.
d) Was the “road” taken by Frost an easy one “to travel”?
Poetry