Summary and Question-Answers of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

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The poem “The Road Not Taken” has been written by a prolific writer “Robert Frost” in which the poet has used the symbolic logic to make the readers understand the importance of making right choices in life. The choices shape the future of the people by making them successful or unsuccessful. The choice which we make in life cannot be changed later. So, we must be careful while choosing things.

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Summary and Analysis of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

The poet says that during an autumn season he was going through a forest where the road was separated into two different paths. But the poet felt sorry as being one traveller he could not travel both the roads at the same time. The poet stood there for a long time pondering over that he had to choose only one road. He looked down on one up to the point where it bent under the bushes. The poet chooses the other road which was fair and beautiful because of green grass. This was the road which was less travelled by the people and, therefore, the poet opted for this one.

The poet thought that his choice was good. But later he finds out that both the roads had been worn out equally as that morning both the roads were covered with leaves which were not bruised as no traveller had stepped over them. The poet decides to keep the first road for another day though there was little chance of his returning back as every road leads to a new road. In the end, the poet says that after a long period of time in future he will be deeply in thoughts about the choice he had made in his life. He will be thinking with a sigh and will be recalling what choice he had made and how this choice had made all the difference in his life.

Robert Frost had once said that this poem is very tricky. Its tricky nature gets revealed when a reader gets confused about the actual state of the poet‘s mind: whether he was happy at the end or sad.

Questions Answers of The Road Not Taken

1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?

Answer: The traveller finds himself at a place where he sees a road diverging into two paths in front of him. He faces the problem of choosing the road which can lead him to his destiny. He is not sure which way he shall choose to proceed on.

Answer: The poet chooses the road which is less used by people. It is full of challenges and, therefore, more inviting for the poet because he is adventurous by nature.

Yes, it seems he regrets his decision eventually because he uses the word ‘sigh’ to express his choice which makes all difference in his life.

4. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Answer: The rhyme scheme of the poem is abaab.

a) a yellow wood.
Answer: It means a type of forest; the trees of which has yellow leaves turned due to the autumn season.

b) bent in the undergrowth
Answer: It means a place where the road is turned or bent behind the bushes

c) trodden black.
Answer: It means turned black by heavy stepping over them.

LITERARY DEVICES OF THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

1. What is s a metaphor and which metaphor has been used for choices we make in life?

Answer: Metaphor is a figure of speech in which comparison is made between two unlike things indirectly, categorizing them as identical. In other words, it is a literary device which makes an implied or hidden or indirect comparison between two objects or things that are different but have something common. Here words ‘like’ or ‘as’ are not used.
Examples:
1. A scholar fond of the world is a donkey loaded with books.
2. His mind is an ocean.
3. He is a tiger.

Robert Frost uses the “roads” as a Metaphor for the “choices” we make in life.

Note: The above notes of The Road Not Taken are thoroughly checked by the subject experts.

“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost Additional Questions

1. Read the poem carefully, then describe the two roads and explain whether or not they are very different from one another.

The roads are not very different from one another. Both are “worn really about the same” and, when the speaker arrives at them, neither one is freshly trodden. The speaker also describes the second road as “just as fair” as the first.

2. Was the speaker at all interested in taking the road he did not end up choosing?

Yes; the speaker was “sorry [he] could not travel both” and “kept the first for another day.”

3. Why do you think the speaker will be telling this tale “with a sigh” later in life?

Answers may vary. Example: The speaker will sigh because he was forced by circumstance to choose one road over another; he regrets it now and will always regret not being able to take both.

4. Why is the poem called “The Road Not Taken” instead of “The Road Less Traveled”?

The poem often misread as inspirational verse, is about the fact that each choice made entails leaving another choice behind. The road he did not take occupies the speaker’s mind—simply because he did not take it. He may wonder what difference the road not taken would have made in his life had he chosen it instead.

Answers may vary. Example: The tone is one of resignation and an awareness of the possibility of regret.