The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
Concept
Map:
About
the poet:
Robert
Frost is one of the finest of the rural New England’s 20th century
pastoral poets. Most of his poems deal with the countryside beauty and the
pastoral calmness. Nature and Frost's rural surroundings were for him a source
for insights "from delight to wisdom," or as he also said:
"Literature begins with geography”. He is well-known for his simple but
yet meaningful poem which the reader can relate himself or herself with. Some
of his famous poems are ‘Stopping by the Woods on A Snowy Evening’, ‘The Road
Not Taken’, ‘Fire and Ice’, etc.
About
the poem:
Robert
Frost and his writer friend Edward Thomas used to go to take walks in the
woods. On many occasions, while deciding which road they should take, they both
were indecisive. Most of the time, this indecisiveness was shown by Edward Thomas.
Through this poem, Robert Frost is gently mocking his friend’s indecisiveness.
Robert Frost also expressed his disappointment that most audiences took the
poem more seriously than he had intended. Robert Frost sent a copy of this poem
to his friend just to mock him for his indecisiveness. Edward Thomas took this
poem seriously and made his decision of joining army in World War I where he
got killed.
Summary
of the poem:
The speaker has
come to a fork in a path in the woods. It's fall, and the leaves are
turning colors. He's unsure which way to go, and wishes he
could go both ways. He looks down one path as far as he can see, but then he
decides to take the other. He thinks the path he decides to take is
not quite as worn as the other one, but really, the paths are about the same,
and the fallen leaves on both look pretty fresh. The
speaker reflects on how he plans to take the road that he didn't take another
day, but suspects that he probably won't ever come back. Instead, far
off in the future, he'll be talking about how his decision was final
and life changing.
Words’
meanings:
Questions
– Answers:
1)
Describe the two roads that the poet comes across.
Ans:
- The two ways (roads) encountered by the poet in the intense autumn wood were
aptly mysterious one. Both the roads were alike and aroused duality in the mind
of the poet. Wrapped with the autumnal cast off of the trees, both the roads
were in the disguised identity. The poet, confused, took one of them on observable
judgments. The two roads strongly symbolize and hint at the duality and darkness
of the paths. Apparently first road seemed to the poet to be often trodden one,
whereas the second one seemed to be less travelled one. At last the poet
decides to go for the second path the less travelled one.
2)
Which road does the poet choose and why?
Ans-On
the basis of obvious observation, the poet goes for the grassy and less travelled
one. The similar roads wrapped with autumnal leaves were rather a puzzle
to the poet. With human limitations, he tries to visualize the outcome and the
dilemma doesn’t soothe him. He takes the help of observable guess and goes for
the less travelled and grassy one.
3)
Which road would you choose and why?
Ans-
As I do not want to die in this world like the tramcars without having
variegated experiences and as I am of the blood of adventure, uniqueness and
the lover of expeditions and challenges, I shall take the second road.
I
believe in the following words – “Life is action and not contemplation”.
Leading a coward’s life is insulting the best gift of human life gifted by him.
Hence let the thought of Tennyson be my prime principle when he says “I shall
drink life to the lees”.
4)
Does the speaker seem to be happy about his decision?
Ans:-
No, the speaker is found to lament profoundly on his decision. There is a deep connection
between the apparent decisions of taking one of the roads with that of the
profession of one’s life. The poet strongly hints at unhappy state with the
negative title of the poem. We become clear of his view when we read the line –
“And that has made all the difference”. He uses the word ‘sigh’ to reflect his
failure in making right decision. Besides “I-I took the ……….” shows his
hesitation in sharing his failed decision. Throughout the poem the poet has
impliedly hinted that he regrets for his decision.
5)
The poet says “I took the one less travelled by /And that has made all the
difference.”
What
is the difference that mentions?
Ans:
- The traveller picks the road “less travelled by”. Only future can tell
whether he was wise to go on the road he once chose. Metaphorically, the choice
of the road will bring change in life. If we follow the path that hardly suits
us, we are inevitable to suffer. Conversely, if we can choose the right track
of life we are inevitable to prosper in life. This is what makes “The
difference” after all. The poem like most of Frost’s poems ends in wisdom. Once
again establishing Frost’s vision that a poem begins in delight and ends in
wisdom. The poet here talks about the failure that has come upon his life as he
chose the wrong way.
