NCERT Solutions For Class 9 English Beehive Poem 1 The Road Not Taken free PDF is given here. These Solutions contains answers to all questions provided in the textbook. Class 9th English The Road Not Taken solutions are explained by the expert English teacher and as per NCERT (CBSE) guidelines.
Thinking about the poem
I.
Question 1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?
Answer: The traveller finds himself in the yellow woods at a point where the road forks into two.
The problem that he faces is that he cannot decide which road to take to continue his journey since it is not possible for him to travel both roads at the same time.
Question 2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
(i) a yellow wood
(ii) it was grassy and wanted wear
(iii) the passing there
(iv) leaves no step had trodden black
(v) how way leads on to way
Answer: (i) Yellow wood symbolises the autumn season. Autumn corresponds with old age. The poet could be symbolically talking about the later stages of life.
(ii) It conveys that the road was full of grass and nobody has used that road. It was a smooth road which had not worn out.
(iii) The use of the path by passersby.
(iv) It implies that the leaves lying on the road had not been crushed under the feet of the travellers.
(v) Through this phrase, the poet refers to the fact that one road always leads on to another and so on.
Question 3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them
(i) in stanzas two and three?
(ii) in the last two lines of the poem?
Answer: (i) In stanza two the poet explains that the only difference between the two roads was that the road he took had the right to be chosen (the better claim) because it was covered with grass and looked as if it had not been used too much. Besides this difference, both roads had been equally worn down by passersby travelling on them.
In stanza three the poet says that both the roads were equally covered with leaves and that no person had stepped on.
(ii) In the last two lines of the poem the poet says that there is a difference between the two roads because he took the road that was less travelled by other people and that made all the difference to his journey.
Question 4. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean? (Looking back, does the poet regret his choice or accept it?)
Answer: The last two lines have the quintessence of the poem. The poet expresses his opinion that it becomes difficult for a normal human being to change his/her decision. The poet intends to walk on the first road but he couldn’t do so because life does not offer multiple chances to choose. The decision taken may mar one’s future or lead one to success. It makes all the differences. He now repents for not getting a chance to travel on the first road.
II.
Question 1. Have you ever had to make a difficult choice (or do you think you will have difficult choices to make)? How will you make the choice (for what reasons)?
Answer: No, I have not had to make any difficult choice until now in my life. But I think in future I will have difficult choices to make in my academic and professional career. After 10th standard, I will have to decide which stream to take for further studies. I think it will be a difficult decision to make as it will have an impact on my career. Then I will have to make a choice of the profession whether I should become an engineer or a doctor or something else. At that time, I will make a choice according to my capabilities and strong points. It will be better to choose a path that will give me satisfaction and mental peace. I think it will be good not to join the rat race for money. I will choose a challenging and unexplored path in my life like the poet did in the poem.
Question 2. After you have made a choice do you always think about what might have been, or do you accept the reality?
Answer: One should live in the present and not in the past. The philosophy of ‘is’ is the key to attaining success. Life is not a bed of roses. Its hurdles are to be crossed bravely. One must not feel nervous and get dejected in the trying circumstances. On some instances, one needs to be confident about the choice he/she makes.