The road not taken Exercise Class 10

The Road Not Taken Poem Exercise Class 10 and Question Answer from the Textbook

Background of the poet Robert Frost

Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. One of the most popular and critically respected American poets of the twentieth century, Frost was honoured frequently during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960 for his poetic works. On July 22, 1961, Frost was named poet laureate of Vermont.

Background of the poem "The Road Not taken"

"The Road Not Taken" is a poem about someone trying to decide which road s/he is going to take on a stroll through the woods. It is a poem about the journey of life. The two roads diverged in a yellow wood forest symbolise a person‟s life. The narrator‟s choice about which road to take represents the different decisions we sometimes must make and how those decisions affect our future. Frost is making the connection between life and travelling. Frost captures the uncertainty about making decisions. In the poem, the poet tries to encourage readers to overcome the fear of the unknown: someone must be the first person to try a new thing. 

The Road not taken poem exercise Class 10

Match the following words with their meanings. 

    Diverged=> Branched away 

    Wood=> Forest 

    Undergrowth=> Shrubs; a mass of bushes 

    Claim=>Demand 

    Sigh=> Deep and long breath 

    Trodden=>Walked on 

    Bent=>Curved 

    Hence=> From now on 

Fill in the blanks using suitable words from the box. You may need to use one word twice. 

The poem is about a dilemma that the speaker has faced. He has choices between two roads. He compares both the roads. He takes a long time to take the final decision. It is difficult for him. Finally, he chooses a less travelled road that has made a difference in his life 

Find the rhyming words of given words alone 

wood=>stood 

fair=>wear 

day=>lay 

sigh=>by 

The road not taken poem question and answers Class 10

Read the poem again and answer the following questions: 

a. Who is the speaker in this poem? 

 => A Traveller is the speaker in this poem. 

b. Where is the speaker standing in this poem? 

 =>The speaker is standing between two roads diverged in a yellow wood in this poem. 

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

=>He stops there for a long time because he is unable to decide which road to travel. 

d. Why is he in a dilemma? 

 =>He is in a dilemma as he must choose one path and is unable to decide which one to choose. 

e. Which road does he choose to travel? 

  =>He chooses a less travelled road to travel. 

f. Why does he leave the other one? 

   =>He leaves the other one to travel it another day. 

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

=> Yes, the speaker is optimistic as he says he has made the right decision huge difference in his life. 

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

  => Yes, I think he has made the right decision because it brought a huge difference in his life. 

i. What do you think "the roads" refer to? 

 =>  The roads refer to the journey of life and the opportunities we get in our life. 

j. What is the central idea of this poem? 

  => The central idea of this poem is that we must be able to take the right decision at the right time which changes our way of life.

C. Follow-up activities

1. Have you ever been in a situation like the speaker of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ has been? Share it with your class.

=>Yes, I have been in such a dilemma many times in my life. The major one was that when I had to choose between two schools. My father wanted me to study at the school near my house where I could help my parents when I had leisure time. But I wanted to go to the nearest city which is almost two hours walk from my house, and I had to stay there in a rented house. I finally chose a school in the city. I missed my friends, old school and many more. Though I was in a dilemma, my decision has made everything different now.

2. Recite the poem in a group and paraphrase it.

 The Road not taken poem Class 10 Summary

=>The Road Not Taken is a poem about life and all the choices you make. Frost's masterpiece is the quintessence of the iceberg principle and has so much meaning behind it.

He knows that both roads have an equal reputation and that either road will be a good choice. He realized that upon choosing a road he would never be able to choose the other one. In life, everyone gets chances and options but people don't always get the opportunity to change their decision. Also, people can't tell their future and how everything will turn out. People can only anticipate so far into the future. This is the reason that the traveller must ponder on what path to take in life.

Life can give a person these choices at any time, and the traveller knew that either path would lead him to a different life. He would never be the same person after making choices in life.

The road was not less travelled by! It was simply the choice that a person makes the person. The difference could be anything. The traveller could be anyone, but he was telling you a story that changed his personality.

3. What message do you think the poet wants to convey to the readers?

=>The main theme of the poem, "The Road Not Taken," is that human beings are confronted with and defined by the choices they make.