Chapter 2 The Road not taken

Chapter 2 The Road not taken LESSON-2 Mp3

 

The Road not taken

Beehive Class 9 Chapter 2

About the poet:

Robert Frost is one of the finest of the rural New England’s 20th century pastoral poets. Most of his poems deal with the countryside beauty and the pastoral calmness. Nature and Frost's rural surroundings were for him a source for insights "from delight to wisdom," or as he also said: "Literature begins with geography”. He is well-known for his simple but yet meaningful poem which the reader can relate himself or herself with. Some of his famous poems are ‘Stopping by the Woods on A Snowy Evening’, ‘The Road Not Taken’, ‘Fire and Ice’, etc.  

About the poem:

Robert Frost and his writer friend Edward Thomas used to go to take walks in the woods. On many occasions, while deciding which road they should take, they both were indecisive. Most of the time, this indecisiveness was shown by Edward Thomas. Through this poem, Robert Frost is gently mocking his friend’s indecisiveness. Robert Frost also expressed his disappointment that most audiences took the poem more seriously than he had intended. Robert Frost sent a copy of this poem to his friend just to mock him for his indecisiveness. Edward Thomas took this poem seriously and made his decision of joining army in World War I where he got killed.  

Summary of the poem:

The speaker has come to a fork in a path in the woods. It's fall, and the leaves are turning colors. He's unsure which way to go, and wishes he could go both ways. He looks down one path as far as he can see, but then he decides to take the other. He thinks the path he decides to take is not quite as worn as the other one, but really, the paths are about the same, and the fallen leaves on both look pretty fresh. The speaker reflects on how he plans to take the road that he didn't take another day, but suspects that he probably won't ever come back. Instead, far off in the future, he'll be talking about how his decision was final and life changing.

Questions and Answers

Question 1.

Where does the traveller find himself?

What problem does he face?

यात्री स्वयं को कहाँ पाता है?

उसे किस समस्या का सामना करना पड़ता है?

Answer:

The traveller finds himself at a point where two roads diverge. His problem is to decide on which road he should walk.

यात्री अपने आप को एक ऐसे बिंदु पर पाता है जहां दो सड़कें अलग हो जाती हैं। उसकी समस्या यह तय करना है कि उसे किस रास्ते पर चलना चाहिए।

 

Question 2.

Discuss what these phrases mean to you.

चर्चा करें कि इन वाक्यांशों का आपके लिए क्या अर्थ है।

a yellow wood एक पीली लकड़ी

it was grassy and wanted wear यह घास वाला था और पहनना चाहता था

the passing there वहाँ से गुजरना

leaves no step had trodden black कोई कदम नहीं छोड़ता काला रौंद दिया था

how way leads on to way रास्ता कैसे आगे बढ़ता है

 

Answer:

 

A forest in the autumn season. पतझड़ के मौसम में एक जंगल।

The road was grassy because it was a less travelled road. It wanted people to move on it.

सड़क घास भरी थी क्योंकि यह कम यात्रा वाली सड़क थी। यह चाहता था कि लोग इस पर आगे बढ़ें।

It implies walking on the road. इसका अर्थ है सड़क पर चलना।

It means the leaves had not been crushed under the feet of travellers.

यानी यात्रियों के पैरों के नीचे पत्ते नहीं कुचले गए थे।

How one road leads to another? एक सड़क दूसरे की ओर कैसे जाती है?

 

Question 3.

Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them?

जैसा कवि वर्णन करता है, क्या दोनों सड़कों में कोई अंतर है?

in stanzas two and three? छंद दो और तीन में?

in the last two lines of the poem? कविता की अंतिम दो पंक्तियों में?

Answer:

 

There is no difference between the two roads in stanzas two and three

In the last two lines of the poem the poet tells that the road he opted for is less travelled.

छंद दो और तीन में दो सड़कों के बीच कोई अंतर नहीं है

कविता की अंतिम दो पंक्तियों में कवि बताता है कि उसने जो रास्ता चुना वह कम यात्रा वाला है।

 

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?)

आपको क्या लगता है कि कविता की अंतिम दो पंक्तियों का क्या अर्थ है? (पीछे मुड़कर देखें तो कवि को अपनी पसंद पर पछतावा होता है या स्वीकार?)

 

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.

अंतिम दो पंक्तियों में कविता का सार है। कवि अपनी राय व्यक्त करता है कि एक सामान्य मनुष्य के लिए अपना निर्णय बदलना कठिन हो जाता है। कवि पहली सड़क पर चलने का इरादा रखता है लेकिन वह ऐसा नहीं कर सका क्योंकि जीवन चुनने के कई मौके नहीं देता है। लिया गया निर्णय किसी के भविष्य को खराब कर सकता है या किसी को सफलता की ओर ले जा सकता है। यह सभी अंतर बनाता है। पहली सड़क पर यात्रा करने का मौका न मिलने पर अब वह पछताता है।

 

Short answer type questions

 

Question 1.

What was the poet’s dilemma? कवि की दुविधा क्या थी?

Answer:

The poet was standing before the two roads. He had to decide which one would lead him to success. It was not easy for him to decide. So he stood there and introspected. Out the two options, he had to choose the one. Of course, it was not an easy choice.

कवि दो रास्तों के सामने खड़ा था। उसे तय करना था कि कौन उसे सफलता की ओर ले जाएगा। उसके लिए फैसला करना आसान नहीं था। इसलिए वह वहीं खड़ा हुआ और आत्मनिरीक्षण किया। दो विकल्पों में से उसे एक को चुनना था। बेशक, यह एक आसान विकल्प नहीं था।

 

Question 2.

What was the poet’s opinion about both the roads?

दोनों रास्तों के बारे में कवि की क्या राय थी?

Answer:

The poet opined that both the roads were same. They were equally travelled and there was no difference between them. So he got confused. It was difficult to decide which road would be more convenient and comfortable. He wanted to choose the one that would take him to his intended destination.

कवि का मत है कि दोनों सड़कें एक जैसी थीं। उन्होंने समान रूप से यात्रा की और उनमें कोई अंतर नहीं था। तो वह भ्रमित हो गया। यह तय करना मुश्किल था कि कौन सी सड़क अधिक सुविधाजनक और आरामदायक होगी। वह उसे चुनना चाहता था जो उसे उसके इच्छित गंतव्य तक ले जाए।

 

Question 3.

What do the roads represent? सड़कें क्या दर्शाती हैं?

Answer:

The roads represent the problem of decision-making. Human beings suffer because of their choices and decisions. They find themselves in such situations at every step in their lives. Out of the available options, they have to choose the one that may take them to their destination. The choice decides the outcome in life.

सड़कें निर्णय लेने की समस्या का प्रतिनिधित्व करती हैं। मनुष्य अपनी पसंद और निर्णयों के कारण पीड़ित होता है। वे अपने जीवन में हर कदम पर खुद को ऐसी स्थितियों में पाते हैं। उपलब्ध विकल्पों में से, उन्हें वह चुनना होगा जो उन्हें उनके गंतव्य तक ले जा सके। चुनाव जीवन में परिणाम तय करता है।

 

Question 6.

What is the message of the poem?

कविता का संदेश क्या है?

Answer:

The message of the poem is to make people aware of their analytical skills. The poet wishes to say that choices should be made carefully and thoughtfully. One should behave responsibly because life does not offer multiple chances every now and then.

कविता का संदेश लोगों को उनके विश्लेषणात्मक कौशल से अवगत कराना है। कवि यह कहना चाहता है कि चुनाव सावधानी और सोच-समझकर करना चाहिए। जिम्मेदारी से व्यवहार करना चाहिए क्योंकि जीवन बार-बार कई मौके नहीं देता है।

 

Extract Based Questions (3 marks each)

 

Read the extract given below and answers the question that follow.

 

Question 1:

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Two roads diverged in yellow wood.

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And locked down once as far as

I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

 

At which point had the poet reached? कवि किस बिंदु पर पहुँचा था ?

Why was the traveller feeling sorry? यात्री को खेद क्यों हो रहा था ?

Give the opposite to ‘met at a point’ from the passage? गद्यांश में से 'एक बिंदु पर मिले' का विलोम बताइए?

Answer:

 

The poet is standing at a point where two roads diverged in the yellow wood.

कवि उस बिंदु पर खड़ा है जहाँ दो सड़कें पीली लकड़ी में विचरण करती हैं।

The poet is feeling sorry because he could not travel both the roads.

कवि को खेद हो रहा है क्योंकि वह दोनों रास्तों पर यात्रा नहीं कर सका।

‘Diverged’. 'विचलित'।

 

Question 2:

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden back

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted it if I should ever come back

 

Which road does the poet choose? कवि किस मार्ग का चयन करता है ?

Why was the poet doubtful about the first road ? कवि को प्रथम मार्ग के बारे में संदेह क्यों था ?

Find a word from the extract that means ‘crushed’. उद्धरण से एक शब्द खोजें जिसका अर्थ है 'कुच

Answer:

 

The poet took the second road. कवि ने दूसरा रास्ता अपनाया।

The poet chose the second road over the first thinking that he would come to it some other day. Yet, he was very doubtful that he would ever be able to come back to it someday.

कवि ने पहली सड़क पर दूसरी सड़क को यह सोचकर चुना कि वह किसी और दिन उस पर आ जाएगा। फिर भी, उसे बहुत संदेह था कि वह कभी भी किसी दिन उस पर वापस आ पाएगा।

Trodden. ट्रोडेन।

 

Question 3:

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 worn them really about the same.

 

Why did the poet take the other road ?  कवि ने दूसरा रास्ता क्यों अपनाया ?

What did the poet discover while travelling on the other road ?

दूसरी सड़क पर यात्रा करते समय कवि ने क्या खोजा?

What do the given lines suggest about the speaker ?

दी गई पंक्तियाँ वक्ता के बारे में क्या बताती हैं?

Answer:

 

The poet took the other road because he thought that it was more challenging to travel on it as only a few had used (trodden on) it.

कवि ने दूसरा रास्ता अपनाया क्योंकि उसने सोचा कि उस पर यात्रा करना अधिक चुनौतीपूर्ण था क्योंकि केवल कुछ लोगों ने इसका इस्तेमाल किया था।

The poet discovered, while travelling on the other road, that the second was almost equally used as the first one.

दूसरी सड़क पर यात्रा करते समय कवि ने पाया कि दूसरी सड़क का लगभग समान रूप से पहले के रूप में उपयोग किया गया था।

The given lines suggest that the speaker loved challenges and difficulties.

दी गई पंक्तियों से पता चलता है कि वक्ता को चुनौतियों और कठिनाइयों से प्यार था।

 

Question 4:

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.

 

How did the poet make his choice about the roads ?

कवि ने सड़कों के बारे में अपनी पसंद कैसे तय की?

What had made a lot of difference in the poet’s life ?

कवि के जीवन में किस बात ने बहुत अधिक परिवर्तन किया?

What does the term “road” stand for?

"सड़क" शब्द का क्या अर्थ है?

Answer:

 

The poet took the road which was less travelled as it was grassy and less worn.

कवि ने वह रास्ता अपनाया जो कम यात्रा करता था क्योंकि वह घास वाला और कम घिसा-पिटा था।

The poet regretted his decision as he thought that he would have been successful if he would have taken the other road and so his life would have been different.

कवि को अपने फैसले पर पछतावा हुआ क्योंकि उसने सोचा था कि अगर वह दूसरी राह लेता तो वह सफल होता और इसलिए उसका जीवन अलग होता।

The term “road” stands for opportunities and choices.

"सड़क" शब्द अवसरों और विकल्पों के लिए है।

 

Question 5:

Then took the other, just as fair,”

And having perhaps the better chance,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.

 

What made the poet choose such a road ?

कवि ने ऐसा मार्ग किस कारण चुना ?

What does the poet mean by “just as fair” ?

कवि का क्या अर्थ है "एक समान निष्पक्ष" ?

Find the phrase from the extract that mean “had not been used”.

उस वाक्य से वाक्यांश खोजें जिसका अर्थ है "इस्तेमाल नहीं किया गया था" अवधि 1,

Answer:

The poet chose such a road because grass has grown there and none had travelled so far on it.

कवि ने ऐसी सड़क इसलिए चुनी क्योंकि वहां घास उग आई थी और उस पर अब तक किसी ने यात्रा नहीं की थी।

“Just as fair” means that the other road was as beautiful as the one seen earlier.

"जस्ट फेयर" का अर्थ है कि दूसरी सड़क उतनी ही सुंदर थी जितनी पहले देखी गई थी।

Wanted wear

 

Question 6:

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.

Write the name of the poem and the poet. कविता और कवि का नाम लिखिए।

Why did the poet take the road which was less travelled by ?  कवि ने वह रास्ता क्यों अपनाया जिस पर कम यात्रा होती थी ?

Why was the poet in dilemma? कवि दुविधा में क्यों था ?

Answer:

The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost

The poet took the road which was less travelled by because he wanted to be different from others in his life.

कवि ने वह रास्ता अपनाया जिस पर कम यात्रा होती थी क्योंकि वह अपने जीवन में दूसरों से अलग होना चाहता था।

The poet was in a dilemma while choosing one of the two roads.

कवि दो रास्तों में से किसी एक को चुनते समय दुविधा में था।

 

Question 7:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

And sorry I could not travel both

An be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

 

Where did the roads diverge? रास्ते कहाँ अलग हो गए?

Where did the one road lead to? एक रास्ता कहाँ ले गया ?

What does “yellow wood” stand for? "पीली लकड़ी" का क्या अर्थ है?

Answer:

The roads diverged in the yellow wood.

पीली लकड़ी में सड़कें अलग हो गईं।

The one road led to dense growth of plants and animals.

एक सड़क के कारण पौधों और जानवरों की सघन वृद्धि हुई।

“Yellow wood” stands for the autumn season.

"पीली लकड़ी" शरद ऋतु के मौसम के लिए है।

 

Question 8:

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.

 

Who has composed these lines? इन पंक्तियों की रचना किसने की है?

What does “both” refer to?  "दोनों" का क्या अर्थ है?

Trace a word from the extract which means “suspected”. उद्धरण से एक शब्द का पता लगाएं जिसका अर्थ है "संदिग्ध"।

Answer:

These lines were composed by Robert Frost. इन पंक्तियों की रचना रॉबर्ट फ्रॉस्ट ने की थी।

“Both” refers to two roads which lead to different directions. "दोनों" दो सड़कों को संदर्भित करता है जो अलग-अलग दिशाओं की ओर ले जाती हैं।

Doubted. संदेह है।

 

Question 9:

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden back.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

 

What does “both” refer to in the stanza? छंद में "दोनों" का क्या अर्थ है?

Explain “in leaves no step had trodden back”. समझाइए "पत्ते में कोई कदम पीछे नहीं हटता था"।

Write the rhyming scheme of the extract. अर्क की तुकबंदी योजना लिखिए।

 

Answer:

“Both” in the above stanza refers to two roads which diverged in different directions.

उपरोक्त श्लोक में "दोनों" दो सड़कों को संदर्भित करता है जो अलग-अलग दिशाओं में परिवर्तित होती हैं।

 “In leaves no step had trodden back” means that both the roads were covered with yellow leaves and nobody had walked on them.

"पत्तों में कोई कदम पीछे नहीं था" का अर्थ है कि दोनों सड़कें पीले पत्तों से ढँकी हुई थीं और कोई भी उन पर नहीं चला था।

Abaab अबाबी

 

Question 10:

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.

 

What problem does the poet faces ? कवि को किस समस्या का सामना करना पड़ता है?

Where is the poet standing ? कवि कहाँ खड़ा है?

Find a word from the extract that means “separated”.  उद्धरण से एक शब्द खोजें जिसका अर्थ है "अलग"

 

Answer:

The poet wasn’t able to decide which road or path he should tread upon.

कवि यह तय नहीं कर पा रहा था कि उसे किस रास्ते या रास्ते पर चलना चाहिए।

The poet is standing at a point where two roads diverge in a yellow wood.

कवि उस बिंदु पर खड़ा है जहां दो सड़कें पीली लकड़ी में मिलती हैं।

Diverged. अपसारी।

 

Question 11:

‘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’

 

Why is the poet feeling sorry? कवि को खेद क्यों हो रहा है ?

What is the mood of the poet ? कवि की मनोदशा क्या है?

Find the word from the extract which means the same as “branched out”.

उद्धरण से वह शब्द ढूंढें जिसका अर्थ "शाखा से बाहर" जैसा ही है। 1

Answer:

The poet is feeling sorry because he could not travel both the roads.

कवि को खेद हो रहा है क्योंकि वह दोनों रास्तों पर यात्रा नहीं कर सका।

The mood of the poet is regretful and thoughtful.

कवि की मनोदशा खेदजनक और विचारशील है।

Diverge. विचलन।

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Short Answer Type Questions

(About 30-40 words each)

 

Question 1:

Why will the choice between two roads that seem very much alike make such a big difference many years later in the life of the poet ?

Answer:

A choice between two roads that seem very much alike will make such a big difference many years later in the poet’s life’since this particular decision, this path opened up many different opportunities for him in future. The decision that he now makes will influence him and his life and his rest of the decisions since the two roads are same they still have varied options in them.

 

Question 2:

Does the speaker feel that he has made the wrong choice in taking the road “less travelled by”? If not, why does he “sigh”? What does he regret ?

Answer:

No, the speaker does not feel that he has made a wrong decision by taking the road less travelled. The poet wanted to explore both the roads. He tells himself that he will explore one and then come back and explore the other, but he knows that he will probably be unable to do so.

 

Question 3:

And that has made all the difference. What is your opinion of the difference- was it for the better or the worse? Substantiate your answer.

Answer:

The poem does not clearly state whether the choice made by the poet made him happy or sad. However, if examined the way of the world, we find that the individuals who have achieved recognition and fame have always eschewed the beaten track. Hence, we can reason that the poet-poet-traveller was made happy by choosing the less travelled path, not the beaten track. The concluding line of the poem “And that has made all the difference” connotes the poet’s joy.

 

Question 4:

After reading the poem can you detail the tone entire poem.

Answer:

The overall tone of the poem is one of regret. He believes that at some time far in the future, he will still be thinking of his two possible paths “with a sigh”. He does not anticipate being any less conflicted then or any more satisfied with his choice. He realizes that his choice will have made “all the difference” in his life, but he is presently uncertain about what the difference will turn out to be.

 

Question 5:

Was the poet doubtful or clear that he would return to take the other path which he could not do earlier ?

Answer:

Throughout the poem and the poet’s journey he faces an archetypal dilemma. He doubts if he would ever be able to come back to take that other road which might have given him some other more lucrative options in life. The poet believes and we all know that one road leads to another so going back to the original path is not easy.