Unit-9: The Road Not Taken

Unit-9

The Road Not Taken

a.    Who is the speaker in the poem?

Ans- The speaker in the poem is a traveller.

b.    Where is the speaker standing in this poem?

Ans- The speaker is standing at a point from where two roads diverge.

c.    Why does he stop there for a long time?

Ans- He stops there for a long time because he thinks which road he should choose.

d.    Why is he in a dilemma?

Ans- He is in a dilemma because he has to make a choice between two roads.

e.    Which road does he choose to travel?

Ans- He chooses the road which is fair, grassy and wanted wear.

f.     Why does he leave the other one?

Ans- He leaves the other one to travel along it some other day.

g.    Is the speaker optimistic? How can you say this?

Ans- Yes, the speaker is optimistic as in the third stanza, he says- ‘Oh! I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way.’

h.    Do you think he has made the right decision?

Ans- There is a certain ambiguity. The speaker seems happy when he says, ‘And that has made all the difference.’ However, the sigh just before this makes us question his happiness

i.      What do you think ‘the roads’ refer to?

Ans- I think 'the roads' means choices.

j.      What is the central idea of the poem?

Ans- The central idea of the poem is that our life is determined by the choices which we make.