The Road Not Taken (Robert Frost)
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SUMMARY: - The Road Not Taken is one of the best and the most admired of the lyrics published in 1916 in the volume of poems called “Mountain Interval”. The poet's thoughts are set at work by the difficulty of choosing one of the two roads, which deviate at a particular point. He comments on the complexity and importance of making a choice in common. This poem is based on an ordinary experience. It depicts the speaker as standing at a junction, thinking which road he should take. He cannot see where each road will lead to in the end, in spite of his greatest hard work to do so. This is a metaphor for being faced with two different paths in life, and having to make only one choice between them.Once, speaker of the poem was travelling by a forest. He came to a place from where the road divided off in two directions. It is natural that he cannot travel by both the roads at the same time. He had to choose one of the two. He stood there and thought for a long time. One of the roads seems had been used commonly. The other one was dense with grass. So it is clear that this road had not been used much. The poet decided to go by the second road. He kept the first one for another day. This choice had made all the divergence for him. It affected not only the future course of his life on this earth but also his spiritual course after death. The theme of the poem is that it is important to take risks and go behind one's heart in life, even if the path is apparently unusual.
In this poem the poet brings out the significance of choice-making in one's life. He says that choices cannot be changed. They have a very extensive influence. The influence is the whole course of man's life.
Textual Exercises
Answer the following in a single word, phrase or sentence each.
1. What is the conflict the poet faces?
Ans.: The story of two roads unfolds the philosophical idea that every man has to make one choice from multiple choices.
2. Describe the setting of the poem.
Ans.: The setting of the poem is the junction of two roads. The roads were branching away from one another.
3. Why does the poet say that the second road had the "better claim'?
Ans.: The poet says that the second road had the “better claim” because this seems to be used frequently.
4. How does the poet come to a decision as to which road to take?
Ans.: He chooses the road which is not used by others .
5. What does taking the road not taken symbolises?
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