Poem 1 - The Road Not Taken

Summary 

The roads that have been mentioned in the poem- ‘The Road Not Taken’ symbolises our lives. According to the poet, the path that we do not choose in our life is the road not taken. The poet gives a detailed description of the feelings that he felt about the road that he did not take in the past. The path that we choose to walk on is the basis of our future, and this road determines how our future and destination look like. The crucial message that the poet wanted to pass on through this poem was that the path or the road that we choose will have an effect on our future, and a wrong choice could lead to regret and misfortune. This wrong choice cannot be undone, and the poet makes his readers aware of this and that it is important to be wise and careful while making such decisions.

Central Theme 

The central theme of The Road Not Taken is that it is difficult and impossible to see where the path you choose leads to in your life. Thus it is essential that one should think properly before taking their decisions. It is normal to think about the various outcomes that would have taken place if the road that was not taken was chosen. However, contemplating this thought is misleading as no one can tell if the other road would have been good or bad. The speaker presents a dilemma to its readers through this poem. He introduces the readers to two roads that lead to different destinations, and they have to choose either of them, which will ultimately determine their future.

The message that the poet is trying to indicate is that in life, we are often presented with two opposing choices and that it is necessary to think carefully before making a choice. In the poem, the poet does not tell users whether the road that he chose was the right on or not, but that he chose a path and he must walk on it, and wherever he ends up is all because of the decision that he made.

Literary Devices

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost is filled with important literary devices. By analysing the literary devices you will understand the hidden messages that were left behind by the poet in his work.

• Metaphor: The ‘road’, ‘yellow woods’, and ‘fork in the road’ are the metaphors used in this poem. The road is used to describe the metaphor of life whereas the fork in the road represents the choices that we make which will determine our future.

• Imagery: A poet uses the device of imagery so as to make his readers feel things via their five senses. Here Frost used the images of leaves, yellow wood to help his readers perceive these images while reading the poem.

• Simile: Simile is used to compare one thing with another which is similar to it. This device has been used in the sentence “ as just as fair”. This indicates how the poet has linked the road not taken to the easy path through life.

NCERT Class 9 English poem The Road Not Taken PDF is a perfect guide-book for you if you want to achieve good grades for your CBSE examinations. The NCERT solutions book is also equipped with The Road Not Taken questions and answers. This book provides you with a detailed explanation of the poem and the meaning behind it. NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Beehive Chapter 1 poem is also available in pdf format.