the road not taken summary of class 9

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The Road Not Taken Poem Summary and Notes | CBSE Class 9 English Beehive

Summary of the road not taken.

Chapter 1 of the CBSE Class 9 English book ‘Beehive’ has a poem named The Road Not Taken . The poem is written by the American poet Robert Frost. He writes about common, ordinary experiences in a simple but insightful way. Here, we have provided a detailed description of the poem, along with a summary. Students can go through the CBSE Class 9 English Beehive notes to get an insight into the poem and understand it in a better way. The summary will provide a brief overview of the poem.

Students can also know how to write an effective essay during the exam by going through the  essays at BYJU’S to increase their marks in Class 9 English exam.

CBSE Class 9 English Beehive The Road Not Taken Poem Summary

The Road Not Taken is a well-known poem about making choices in our lives. The choices we make shape us. In the poem, the road symbolizes our life, and the path that we don’t choose is “the road not taken”. The poet describes his life experience and says that long ago, he had two choices to make. He had chosen one and moved ahead with it. Now, if he wants to make another choice, he can’t do so. The message the poet wants to convey is that the choices we make significantly impact our future. If we make the wrong choice, then we can’t go back and correct it. We will have no option other than regretting it. So, we should be wise while making decisions or choices in our life.

CBSE Class 9 English Beehive The Road Not Taken Poem Explanation Notes

Below, students can have a look at the poem and its explanation in detail.

The Road Not Taken Poem and Explanation

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;

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.

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.

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.

By ROBERT FROST

The poet was walking down the road when he found a diversion where two roads diverged in different directions. The poet felt sorry that he could not travel on both roads. He had to make one decision and choose a single path. At the junction, the poet stood for a long time and tried to look at the roads as far as he could. He wanted to see the roads in full and wanted to know about both paths. But, he could not see anything beyond the diversion as the roads were curved and covered with trees. In the stanza, the yellow wood refers to the forest with leaves which were shed on the road and had turned yellow. This indicates that it was the autumn season. Through this stanza, the poet wants to convey that in everyone’s life, there comes a time when we have to make choices. We have alternatives, but we have to choose only one. At that time, we see the pros and cons of the situation and take the time to decide which path to take. Similarly, the poet is also taking time before making any decision.

After pondering on it for a long time, the poet decided to take the other road. He felt that both roads were equally good. He started walking on the road which had grass on it and felt that it was a better road for him. The grassy road means that the road was not used, and the wanted wear means that only a few people have walked through it. After walking some distance on the road, the poet felt that both paths were almost the same. There was hardly any difference between them. Through this, the poet conveys that, in our life, whatever decisions we take or choices we make, each choice has some advantages and some disadvantages. Problems are everywhere, so we must be ready to face them.

The poet says that both paths seemed to be similar that morning. Leaves were shed on both roads, and they were still green. It means that no one had walked on the roads. He decided to take one path that day and the other path on another day. However, he knows that one way leads to another way. He could not go back and take the other path once he moved ahead with one. Similarly, in our life, when we make one decision, we can’t go back. We have to move ahead with the same choice and face the consequences which come our way.

The poet says that in the future, he will take a deep breath and say that once upon a time, he reached a point in life where he had to make one choice. There were two options for him, and he had to opt for one. At that time, he decided to take that road which was less travelled by people. It means that he took a decision which rare people take. And that decision has changed his entire life. Through the poem, the poet sends a powerful message that people should decide wisely in their life because the decision they take will have an impact on the rest of their life.

We hope students have found the summary and explanation of CBSE Class 9 English Beehive The Road Not Taken Poem useful for their studies. They can also access essays on different topics, such as Essay on Republic Day and Essay on the Constitution of India . By going through these essays, students will get an idea of how to write a good essay for the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions on CBSE Class 9 English: The Road Not Taken

Who is the poet of the poem ‘the road not taken’.

Robert Frost is the poet of this poem.

Why is it important to make the right choices in life?

The choices we make in our lives should be thought about carefully. One should be aware and ready to face the consequences of each decision he/she takes.

Whom should one consult for advice?

One should be very cautious while discussing decisions with anyone. It is advisable to consult and seek help only from very close ones which include parents.

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The Road Not Taken Poem Summary and Analysis

The Road Not Taken Summary

This article deals with the Road Not Taken summary written by Robert Frost and published in the year 1916. The Road Not Taken Summary is a poem that describes the dilemma of a person standing at a road with diversion. This diversion symbolizes real-life situations. Sometimes, in life too there come times when we have to take tough decisions. We could not decide what is right or wrong for us.

Driven by our hopes and ambitions, we take a decision taken by fewer people. We think that if fail to seek accomplishments we could get a chance to change and start again. However, we travel too far and have to regret at the end. Also, it is possible that we could become an extraordinary person because of that one decision. Thus, the road not taken summary focuses on making wise decisions in life.

The Road Not Taken Summary in Short

The article is all about the Road Not Taken Summary by Robert Frost . It explains about the road not taken summary in short. This poem signifies a situation where the poet was walking down a road that had a diversion. He had to choose between the two paths. Since he was a single person, he could choose only one of the two paths. The wood was yellow which represents a world full of people who have been residing for many years.

The poet kept standing at that fork and looked at the paths very carefully. He looked as far as he could. Before moving forward on one path, he wants to understand how it was. Was it suitable for him to walk on it or not? He was able to see the path till from where it got curved. However, afterward it was covered with trees and thus was hidden. He wanted to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the paths. The same happens in life too. We have to make decisions thinking about its good and bad consequences in the future.

The poet looked at one path for a long time to decide whether it’s good or not for him. Then he takes the alternative path as he feels that both paths are equally good. He feels that the path he chose was better for him. The path was grassy which depicted that it was walked over by fewer people and also, it was ‘wanted wear”.

It depicted that the path was unused. However, as he walks on the path for some distance, he realizes that both the paths were similarly worn out. Even in our life, every decision has its own good and bad consequences. We might think we are in a better position than the others but it is not the reality.

The poet says that the two paths looked similar that morning. Both were having leaves on them.  No one stepped on that and thus they were green. He decided to move forward on one path and keep the other for another day. Although he knew that he would not be able to return back as one path would lead to another. This happens in life too. We make a decision and move forward in that direction. We think that we would get a chance to start over again if we fail. But that does not happen.

The poet says that sometime in the future, he will take a deep breath and tell that once in a lifetime he had to take a tough decision. He was standing at a diversion of two roads. Both looked to him equally well. Thus, he decides to move forward on the road which fewer people took. As a result, it has made him what he is today. That one decision shaped his future.

Similarly, in the future, when we grow up, and then we have to say that once upon a time when you were in your youth, you have to take tough decisions. The choice made by you had made you what you are today. Thus, the article of the poem the road not taken summary gives a very strong message to the people.

It tells us to be careful in making decisions in life. One should be very wise and careful while making choices as our choices shape our future. Also, once we make a decision, it is very difficult to change and start again. One bad decision could make us regret it throughout life. All this depends on the choices we make today.

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The Road Not Taken Poem Short Summary Stanza by Stanza & Explanation Class 9

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Table of Contents

The poet while travelling on foot in the woods reaches a junction where two roads diverge. Immediately, he realizes that as a traveller travelling both the roads is impossible. Here two roads are meant two ways of life. The woods are yellow, which means that it probably falls and the leaves are turning yellow.

As it is impossible to travel both the roads, the poet stands there trying to choose which path he’s going to take. However, the poet wants to go down both paths and is thinking about it hard. He is staring down one road, trying to see where it goes. The small plants and greenery of the woods block his view.

The phrase could mean something like “as just as it is fair,” as in proper, righteous and equal. But this doesn’t quite apply to a road. “As just as fair” is an example of a simile. Then the poet decided to check the other path because he found the other road to be less travelled and grassy one. “Wanted wear” is an example of personification.

After travelling through the road, he found that both the roads are equally travelled. First, he found the first road to be the more travelled one, but then he says that both the roads to be equally travelled. The ‘as for that” refers to the path being less worn.

Lines 11-12

Here, again, the poet found both the paths looking same. Perhaps, he goes in the flashback. It was tough for him to recognize the real road as in the morning he was the first person to walk on the road.

He couldn’t decide the right path as no step had smashed the leaves on the roads to allow him to go for the right one. These lines are an example of imagery.

Lines 13-15

The poet here saves the first road for another day. He knows how “way leads” to another, and then another until you end up very far from where you started. The poet here saves the first road for another day. Then in the third, he doesn’t think he will ever be able to come back and take the other path, as much as he wishes he could.

This line is the example of the poet’s failure in choosing the right path. The word ‘sigh’ reflects that he is disappointed with the decision.

Lines 17-19

He accepts the fact that he is a failure in taking the right decision. ‘ Ages and ages’ is an example of alliteration. Perhaps, he chose the less travelled one.

The poet took the path that no one else did, and that is what has made the difference in his life that made him successful. However, a “difference” could mean success or utter failure.

The poem The Road Not Taken is made with a rhyme scheme of ABAAB. The poet in the poem decided to seize the day and express himself as an individual by choosing the road that was “less traveled by.”

Moreover, the narrator’s decision to choose the “less-travelled” path shows his courage. In terms of the beauty, both paths are equally “fair” .

The narrator only distinguishes the paths from one another after he has already selected one and traveled for many years through life. The Road Not Taken is one of Frost’ s most beloved poems and is frequently studied in high school literature classes.

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The Road Not Taken Summary Analysis and Explanation

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The Road Not Taken Poem Summary Analysis and Explanation

About the Poet Robert Frost Robert Frost (1874-1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American. He became one of the United States rare “public literary figures, almost an artistic institution.”

The Road Not Taken Introduction

The Road Not Taken, a poem by Robert Frost is about making choices, and choices that shape our life. “The road’ is the symbol of the choice made by us. Many times, we regret the choice made by us but once the choice has been made, it cannot be altered. Only the future will make it clear whether the decision or choice was right or wrong. What we need is to make a right choice.

The Road Not Taken Summary of the Poem

The poet, while travelling on foot in the woods, comes across a junction where his path diverges into two roads, and he has to choose one of them. Now the poet is in dilemma which road he should take to continue his journey. He stands there for a long time looking at one of the roads. He finds this road as a beaten track. Many people had travelled on it. It was carved into the undergrowth and nothing was visible beyond it.

The poet then looks at the other road which was grassy and seemed less travelled. Being adventurous by nature, he chooses the other road and leaves the first one for some other day, knowing fully well that he will not get a chance to go back to it. The poet feels that this choice will make all the difference to his future life. Later the poet wishes that he had taken the road he left. This is the irony of life. We cannot go through all the roads available to us, no matter whosoever we may wish to.

The poet now feels that after ages from now he would be looking back at this decision with a ‘sigh’. He would be telling that since he had taken the less travelled road, it made all the difference in his life.

Thus, the poet talks about one of the basic problems of human life the problem of making the right choice out of many. We come across many alternatives or choices in life. But we cannot take up all the choices at a time. Neither can we alter the decision once made by us. Therefore, it is important to make a right choice because our future is heavily dependent on it. If we fail to make a right decision, our life would be full of miseries. But if we are fortunate enough to make a right choice, we would be successful.

FAQs on The Road Not Taken Summary

Q1. What is the summary of the road not taken?

Ans: In the poem – ‘The Road Not Taken’, the road symbolizes our life. The poet says that the path that we don’t choose in our life is ‘the road not taken’. He describes his feelings about that choice that he had left in the past. The path which we have chosen, decides our future, our destination.

Q2. What is the meaning of road not taken?

Ans: In “The Road Not Taken,” the meaning of the poem is about a person having to choose between two roads. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” and the speaker is torn between which road is the best choice. It is in the autumn of the speaker’s life. He has to choose which road to travel.

Q3. What is the main idea of the road not taken?

Ans: Robert Frost’s central idea is his poem “Road Not Taken” is that by choosing a path that most people don’t, a man can make a big difference in his life. In this poem, a man came to a place where he had to make a choice between two roads.

Q4. What is the form of the road not taken?

Ans: Form. “The Road Not Taken” consists of four stanzas of five lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAAB; the rhymes are strict and masculine, with the notable exception of the last line (we do not usually stress the -ence of difference). There are four stressed syllables per line, varying on an iambic tetrameter base.

What is the summary of road not taken?

The Road Not Taken Summary is a poem that describes the dilemma of a person standing at a road with diversion. This diversion symbolizes real-life situations. Sometimes, in life too there come times when we have to take tough decisions. We could not decide what is right or wrong for us.

What is the main theme of The Road Not Taken?

The major theme in Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” is about making choices. The speaker in the poem in traveling and comes upon a cross roads or a fork-in-the-road. Here he or she much decide which way to continue traveling.

What is the summary of road not taken Class 9?

The Summary

‘The Road Not Taken’ is an autobiographical poem.; Once, the poet come across a junction when his path diverged into two and he had to take a decision of which road to take. He stood there for a Long time and gave a serious thought to each road. Then he decided to take the road which was less travelled.

What is central idea of the poem?

A poem’s core concept is the subject of the poem, or ‘what it’s about’ if you like. While many shy away from poetry being ‘about’ something, at the end of the day, as it was written, the poet had something in mind, and that something, whatever it was or may have been, is the central concept.

ਆਲੇ-ਭੋਲੇ Summary in punjabi

NCERT Solutions For Class 9

The Road Not Taken Summary Class 9

“The Road Not Taken” is a poem by Robert Frost. In this class 9 summary, the speaker encounters two paths in a forest. Contemplating which one to choose, they ultimately opt for the less traveled path, symbolizing individuality and making unique choices. The poem highlights the significance of personal decisions and their impact on one’s life journey.

The Road not taken Summary in English Class 9

By – Robert Frost

Once the poet was walking down a road he found a division at a  point. There were two different paths and he had to choose one of them he felt sorry for himself as he couldn’t travel on both roads at the same time. The poet kept standing there and looked at the path carefully as far as he could. 

He was able to see the path till from where it was covered after which it was covered with trees and was hidden. Then he looked at the other Path.  He thought the result could be better by moving on it. He felt both paths were equally good. On one road fewer people had travelled so it was overgrown with grass.

The poet says that both paths were similar that morning. He decided to take the less travelled path and left another path for some other day’s journey. He knew he could not go back on the choice he had made. He says in future, he will take a deep breath and tell his experience that once he had reached such a point in life that there were two options for him and he travelled on that road which was less travelled and that had made him a completely different person.

So the message is we should be wish and careful in making choices because our future depends on the choices that we have made today. 

By- Robert Frost

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Summary of The Road Not Taken NCERT Class 9th

Summary and revision notes of the road not taken beehive class 9, contact form.