Class 9 Beehive Poem Chapter 1 Question Answers - The Road Not Taken

Q1: Discuss the title of the poem “The Road Not Taken”. Is it appropriate for the poem?
Ans:

•  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.

Q2: Why does the poet say he shall tell people “this with a sigh”? Why do you think the final stanza starts with a sigh?

Ans:

• 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.

Q3: Bring out the symbolism in the poem “The Road Not taken”.

Ans: 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.

Q4: 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.

Ans:  

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

Q.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?
Ans: 

• 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.

• 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.
• First, one of the roads is described as grassy and wanted 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.