Poem: The Road Not Taken | CBSE Class 9 | Beehive

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Poem: The Road Not Taken

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

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had born 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,

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,

And that has made all the difference.

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Theme

The theme of the poem revolves around the choices people make in their lives. The poem highlights that the choices we make decide our future and have a huge impact on our lives.

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Explanation

The poem 'THE ROAD NOT TAKEN' was written by the American poet Robert Frost.

The poet says that he reached a forest in the autumn season, where the leaves had turned yellow. The phrase 'a yellow wood' in the poem suggests that it was the autumn season. It also indicates a period of transition and signifies a critical time in our lives when we have to take a decision to shape our future.

The poet reached a point in the forest where two roads diverged in two different directions. The two roads symbolise the choices one has to make in life. The poet was a bit disappointed that he could not travel on both roads at the same time. He had to make a choice and choose one road to travel on. The poet stood there for a long time and tried to look at the roads as far as he could to choose the most suitable road to travel on. The poet couldn't notice anything, as both roads were covered with trees and bushes. The word 'undergrowth' in the poem symbolises an unknown world which is yet to be explored.

The first stanza of the poem conveys a message that we should not take decisions hastily in our lives. We should take our time and take a decision only after analysing the situation and considering its pros and cons.

The poet decided to travel on the other road and it was as good as the first road. As he started walking on the road, this road seemed better to him as it was covered with grass and had not been much walked over. After walking some distance, the poet realised that both roads were almost the same. He realised that both roads had been walked over equally.

The second stanza conveys a message that the pros and cons are always associated with any decision we take in our lives. We should always be ready to tackle the challenges associated with our decisions or choices.

The poet says that both roads were similar that morning and were equally covered with leaves. The leaves were still green. They had not been crushed by anyone, as no one had stepped on them. The poet decided to walk on the second road that day. He thought that he would take the first road on another day. Nonetheless, he knew that one way leads to another way. He was aware of the fact that he would hardly be able to come back to walk on the first road.

The third stanza of the poem gives us a message that once we take a decision in our lives, we have to stick to the decision and move ahead with it because we never get an opportunity to go back and change it.

The poet says that at some point of time in the future, with a deep breath, he will tell about the choice he made. He will tell that he had reached a point where two roads diverged in two different directions in a forest and he decided to travel on the less travelled road. It means he took a decision which people often don't take. That decision has made a huge impact on his life and changed his life entirely.

The fourth stanza conveys a message that we should always act judiciously while taking a decision because it can have an immense impact on our lives.

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Words and their Meanings

• Diverged - separated and moved in different directions
• Yellow wood - a forest during the autumn season
• Undergrowth - dense growth of plants and bushes
• Wanted wear - had not been much walked over
• Equally lay - equally covered
• Trodden black - turned something black or wore it down by trampling/crushing underfoot
• Sigh - a long deep breath 
• ages and ages hence - in the distant future

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Style of the Poem

The style of the poem is simple, symbolic, and narrative. The poet uses everyday conversational language to convey a deep philosophical meaning about the role of our choices and decisions in shaping our future.

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Tone of the Poem

The tone of the poem is hesitant and doubtful in the beginning, as the poet struggles to choose a path. Later, the tone becomes reflective, as the poet talks about the major decision he took which made a huge impact on his life.

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Literary Devices used in the Poem

• Rhyme Scheme - The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABAAB

• Alliteration - The repetition of the same consonant sound at the start of two or more closely placed words.

For example: 

1. wanted wear (Repetition of the consonant sound 'w')
2. Through as for that the passing there (Repetition of the consonant sound 't')
3. first for (Repetition of the consonant sound 'f')

• Assonance - The repetition of the same vowel sound in closely placed words.

For example:

1. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, (Repetition of the vowel sound 'o')

• Anaphora - The repeated use of the same word at the beginning of two or more consecutive lines.

For example: And (Line 2, 3 and 4)

• Imagery - The act of using language that creates an image in the mind of readers.

For example: 

1. a yellow wood (The poem gives a visual description of a forest in the autumn season.)

• Repetition - The use of the same word or line multiple times.

For example: 

1. ages
2. Two roads diverged in a wood,

• Symbolism - A poetic device in which a symbol, an object, a character or an idea is used to represent something other than its literal meaning.

For example: The two roads symbolise choices one has to make in life.

• Metaphor/Extended Metaphor - A comparison between two unrelated things without using the words 'like' or 'as'.

For example: Metaphor is used in the entire poem, as the poet compares two roads with the choices we make in our lives.

• Personification - A poetic device in which human attributes are given to non-living things.

For example: wanted wear (The road is personified with a human-like desire to be travelled upon.)

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