This page offers The Road Not Taken Short answer type question for Class 9 from the book Beehive. We’ve put together a bunch of Short answer type question based on assumption, creativity, extrapolation and critical thinking. These types of questions are introduced after 2024 in CBSE Board. So, practice to understand The Road Not Taken Short answer type question
The Road Not Taken Short Answer Type Question
By- Robert Frost
1. Question: What dilemma does the traveller face in the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer: The traveller faces the dilemma of choosing between two paths that diverge in a yellow wood, unsure which one to take.
2. Question: How does the traveller decide which path to take? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer: The traveller decides to go down the path that doesn’t look like many people have walked on it. It might be a bit harder to walk on. This choice shows the traveller wants to try something not many others do, something a bit special and different.
3. Question: What does the yellow wood symbolise in the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ ?
Answer:The yellow wood is like a tough time we go through. We need to figure out how to get through these hard times. It’s like life giving us different paths to choose from.
4. Question: Why does the traveller doubt he will ever come back to the fork in the road? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer: The traveller understands that picking one choice leads to more choices. Once he starts walking down one path, he probably won’t come back to that spot where he had to decide which way to go.
5. Question: What is the significance of the roads being “equally lay” in leaves? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer: This means both paths are not used much and look the same. It’s hard to pick one when they both look alike. It’s like having two ice creams you like and not knowing which one to choose because they both seem good.
6. Question: How does the traveller feel about his decision at the end of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer: The traveller reflects on his decision with a sigh, suggesting a sense of acceptance and perhaps some regret. Still we can say that he has left the end open means neither happy nor sad. The readers may adopt the meaning of this poem as per their own life experiences.
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7. Question: What does “I took the one less travelled by” tell about the traveller’s personality? Ref. “The Road Not Taken”
Answer: This shows that the traveller likes being unique and brave. He picks roads others don’t often choose. He’s okay with exploring new things, even if he’s not sure what will happen. It’s like he enjoys adventures and discovering things on his own.
8. Question: How does the phrase “way leads on to way” contribute to the theme of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer: This idea tells us that life is all about making choices. When we make one decision, it often leads us to the next set of choices. Every choice we make takes us to a new path.
9. Question: What does the sigh in the final stanza suggest about the nature of choices? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The sigh could show a mix of feelings like looking back fondly, wishing things were different, and thinking deeply. It shows that thinking about choices we made before can bring up a lot of different emotions.
10. Question: How does the setting of a yellow wood enhance the themes of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer: The yellow wood in the poem is like a crossroads in life, showing how choices can lead to big changes. It’s about deciding which way to go.
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11. Question: Why does the traveller express doubt about keeping the first road for another day? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The traveller understands life is full of surprises. Picking one path means he might not see what the other one holds. It’s like choosing one snack and missing out on another.
12. Question: What role does the undergrowth play in the traveller’s decision? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The poet talks about the undergrowth to show that the traveller really tried to see as far as he could down each path before making his choice. This detail helps us understand that the traveller was thoughtful and careful in his decision-making.
13. Question: What might the phrase “And that has made all the difference” show about life’s journey?
Answer: It shows that the choices we make, however small or big, shape our journey and the person we become. It also highlights the impact of our decisions.
14. Question: How does Frost talk about big ideas using a journey in the poem? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: Frost talks about big ideas like choosing, being different, and how our choices change our lives by telling a story of a journey where the road splits in two in the woods.
15. Question: What did the traveller hope to see on the less used path? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The traveller might have wanted to go on a journey, to learn new things about himself, or do something that makes him different from others. He wanted to be his own person by choosing a path not many people take .
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16. Question: If the traveller had chosen the other path, how might his journey have differed? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: Picking the other path could have been an easier journey, maybe with less trouble. But it also might have meant not finding out as much about himself or not being as special.
17. Question: Why might the traveller feel a sense of regret or contemplation years later? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The traveller might wonder about the experiences and opportunities he missed by not taking the other path, reflecting on how different choices could have led to a different life.
18. Question: What might be the meaning of the traveller’s sigh at the end when thinking about his choice? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The sigh might mean he’s comfortable with his choice but also thinking about “what if.” It shows he knows every choice has its own set of what-ifs, even the good ones.
19. Question: What might the two roads symbolise in the context of life’s broader decisions? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The two roads could symbolise life’s major decisions, such as career paths, relationships, or moral dilemmas, where each choice leads to distinct experiences and consequences.
20. Question: How does the traveller’s decision reflect on the human condition and our approach to decision-making? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The traveller picking a path shows how people like to be unique and find meaning in what they choose. It also shows how we often think about the choices we didn’t make.
21. Question: What might the undergrowth represent in terms of the challenges we face in life? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The undergrowth could represent the unforeseen challenges and complexities that arise as we journey through life, emphasising the unpredictable nature of our paths.
22. Question: How could the traveller’s reflection “ages and ages hence” influence our understanding of time and memory in relation to choices?
Answer: The thought shows that the choices we make impacts over time. They affect our memories and how we think about what’s happened before, showing how big choices really leave a mark on our lives.
23. Question: What does “And that has made all the difference” tell us about trying new or different things in life?
Answer: It means that trying something new or taking a chance can change your life in big ways. It shows that picking a different path can bring good things you didn’t expect.
24. Question: What can we learn about courage and fear from the traveller’s decision to take the less travelled road? Ref. ‘The Road Not Taken’
Answer: The traveller’s decision shows that being brave often means trying new things and leaving what we know behind. This brave step, even when we’re scared of what’s coming, shows us how we can grow and find new things by facing and getting past our fears.
25. Question: How does the traveller’s decision-making process in the poem reflect the complexities of real-life choices?
Answer: The traveller’s way of making choices is like the tricky parts of real life. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell choices apart, and they can seem very much alike. This shows how we often have to think hard and struggle inside ourselves to make a choice, knowing that what we decide can really change things for us.
26. Question: How can the poem’s setting in a “yellow wood” serve as a metaphor for the stages of life at which we make significant choices?
Answer: The “yellow wood” is like the changing parts of life, shown by the yellow colour of fall that means change and choices. It’s about those times when we have big choices to make in a difficult time, just like standing where two roads split. It shows the mix of something pretty and things fading away, like chances that won’t last forever.
27. Question: How does the poem make us think differently about winning and losing when we pick our way in life?
Answer: The poem makes us see that winning isn’t about picking the most popular way. It’s more about what we learn and how the path fits what we want and believe in. It says that “winning” is really up to us and what matters to us.
Note- Following are the old types of questions that were asked in CBSE before 2023- 24. They are still useful. Go through and gain insight of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’
1. What is wood? What did the narrator see in the wood? Were the paths similar?
Answer- Wood means a forest. He saw two paths diverging and disappearing in the undergrowth. No, one had more grass and seemed less used than the other.
2. What did the narrator hope that he would do one day? Was he sure of doing so?
Answer- The narrator hoped to come back and try the other path someday. No, he did not think he would do so because he knew that one path led to another and it would be difficult for him to come back.
3. Does one road seem to be more appealing than the other? Use examples from the poem to support your answer.
Answer- At first the narrator comes to a fork in the road and is not able to decide which path to take. One of the roads looks more frequented by people while the second road appears to be less travelled on. Though he is tempted to walk on both, he decides to take the second path with the intention of walking on the first one sometime in future.
4. What does the poet mean when he says, ‘worn them really about the same’?
Answer- The poet means to relay to the readers that both the roads that diverged in a yellow wood seemed similar and both of them looked as if they had not been used for a while.
5. What is the main problem or the dilemma of the poet?
Answer- Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ revolves around the dilemma of making the right choice in life. He suffers from an illusion that he can use the option he has left for the other day. Whatever ‘road’ or way of life he chooses, it makes all the difference in his life. Sometimes after a long time, he will have to repent for choosing the path that was less travelled by. It didn’t turn out to be quite a rewarding choice or option.
6. How does the poet resolve the dilemma? Which road does he choose and why?
Answer- The two roads represent two ways of life. They stand for two directions, two attitudes and even two careers in life. The dilemma is of making the right and the rewarding choice. Two roads diverge in different directions. They look equally beautiful and fair. The poet leaves the first road for another day. He opts for the road that was less travelled by and ‘wanted wear’. He opts for an option that is not very conventional, popular and risk-free.
7. ‘The Road Not Taken’ is a metaphor of life. Justify this statement. Justify the title.
Answer- In ‘The Road Not Taken’, Frost uses the fork in the road as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. Thus, the two roads are, in fact, two alternative ways of life. They represent two directions and two options open to the poet. He has made a choice. He has opted for the road which is ‘less travelled by’. He leaves the first ‘for another day’. It becomes impossible to come back on the road one has left. One’s choice makes ‘all the difference’ in one’s life. Hence, the title is appropriate and logical.
8. Why has the poet’s choice ‘made all the difference’ in his life?
Robert Frost uses the fork in the road as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. The two roads represent two alternative ways, two options and two directions of life. One has to face the dilemma. He opts for an unconventional and risky path of life. He chooses to be a poet. This choice has made all the difference in his life. Perhaps he would realise late in life that he chose an alternative which was less rewarding than the one he had left.
9. Why did the poet leave the first road? Did he ever get a chance to walk on the road he had left for ‘another day?
Answer- The poet left the first road and chose the other one which was less travelled, grassy and ‘wanted wear’. He left the first road for another day. But he had a genuine doubt. He knew that one path leads to another and then he would not get a chance to go back.
10. Did the poet repent for making his choice? Give an example from the poem to prove your point.
Answer- The poet had the freedom to make a choice. The two roads were, in fact, two alternatives in life that lay before him. The poet left the conventional and less risky way of life. He opted for the road that was less travelled by and ‘wanted wear’. He left the first road for another day. The choice he made brought all the difference in his life. He seemed to be unhappy about making his choice. ‘1 shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: ‘ But he couldn’t do anything now. His choice had altered the course of his life.
11. ‘I doubted if I should ever come back’. Why does the poet doubt he should ever come back?
Answer- The poet doubts whether he should ever come back to tray-: the other road because he knows that one road leads to another. As a reckless and curious traveller, he was sure to continue to move on in the journey of life. Thus there were no chances of his retracing his steps. Normally one sticks to the decision once taken.
12. What does the divergence in the road signify in real life?
Answer- The divergence in the road signifies that many times in real life we have difficult choices to make. We take a long time thinking about which of the two would be a better option and only time can tell whether we were right in making the choice we made. The forking of one road into two is symbolic of the confusion or dilemma we face in life while confronting a problem and making a decision.
13. Why did the poet stand long on the forked road to make the decision?
Answer- The poet took long to make a decision because he could not foresee which choice would prove to be beneficial for hint As he looked at the roads he couldn’t see beyond a particular point. One road was well-trodden and the other showed no signs of anyone treading on it. Thus the poet stood there for a long time undecided which one to experiment with.
14. What impact did the choice of the ‘other road’ make on the poet’s life?
Answer- While making a choice of the roads, the poet took time deciding which one to take. The poet’s choice shaped his life in a different manner. He had a shade of regret about his choke. He knew that his life wouldn’t have been as it was presented if he had taken the other road.
15. Why do you think the poet sighs in the last stanza of the poem?
Answer- The last stanza reveals that the poet would be telling his story with a sense of regret as the alternative chosen by him did not yield a satisfactory result. He is not very excited while telling the story of his life as he feels that had he taken the other road things might have taken a better shape. Hence, the poet sighs with a sense of dissatisfaction in the last stanza of the poem.
16. The poet says, “I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.” What is ‘the difference that the poet mentions?
Answer- The poet says his choice of that particular road has shaped his life in a specific manner with which he is not very happy. Had he chosen the other road, his ambitions and aspirations in life might have been fulfilled and he would not have looked back with a sense of regret. Probably, he would have called himself a successful man.
17. What does the poet mean by ‘yellow wood’?
Answer- ‘Yellowwood’ refers to the jungle with decomposing leaves shed from the trees. It stands for the world where people have been living since long.
18. Explain: ‘leaves no step had trodden black’.
Answer- No traveller had trodden on either of the two roads. It was evident from the fact that the fallen and sodden leaves lay uncrushed there. No feet had trampled them.
19. Which road does Robert Frost choose and why?
Answer- Robert Frost chooses the second road which was less travelled by the travellers. He chose the second road because it was more inviting and wanted to wear’.
20. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” What do the two roads indicate here? What was the poet’s dilemma?
Answer- The two roads indicate the choices or decisions one has to make in one’s life. The poet has presented the dilemma that one goes through while taking a decision regarding one’s future. The poet, too, is faced with the dilemma of which road to choose for the course of his travel.
21. What is the theme of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer- In ‘The Road Not Taken’, Robert Frost makes a fascinating use of two roads as a metaphor for life. The two roads serve as a metaphor for the choices one makes in life. ‘Thus, the roads are, in fact, two alternative ways of life. The choice one makes has a far-reaching consequence. Elie poet leaves the first road for the road less travelled by and accepts challenges and dares to walk on the untrodden path which has made all the difference in his life.
22. Why did the poet leave the first road?
Answer- The poet left the first road thinking that he would use it on some other day. He found the second road more inviting. The second road was less travelled by and it also wanted wear.
23. Justify the tide ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer- The tide ‘The Road Not Taken’ is quite appropriate. It clearly brings out the theme of the poem. The title hints at the dilemmas of life—the choices that one makes in life. Whatever ‘road’ or the way of life one chooses, it makes all the difference. It is the ability to do things differently that makes one stand out in the crowd. Many times, the man yearns for what he has denied himself in life, rather than what he has chosen. Hence, the poet has given his poem the title ‘The Road Not Taken’.
24. Bring out the symbolism in the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer- The poem The Road Not Taken’ concerns a choice made between two roads by the poet. The poet decides to explore one road and then come back and explore the other but this might not be possible. The choice of roads in the poem symbolises the choices that one has to make in life. All the choices appear to be equally attractive. They are confining too as one cannot foretell the eventual result of one’s choice. Through the years, however, we come to find out that the choices we make and the paths we choose, will make all the difference in our lives.
25. The poet kept the other road for another day. Was he able to travel back on that road? Explain.
Answer- The poet left the first road thinking that he would use it on some other day. However, he was not able to travel back on that road. He could never come back as the road he took led to other roads. He went so far from the first road that he doubted if he would ever come back to walk on it.
26. In the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’, why did the poet feel like travelling both the roads?
Answer- Both the roads lay in front of the poet almost in the same condition. He chose the second road and felt sorry about not choosing the first one. The poet wanted to experience both situations. He was also not sure of the outcome of his choice. So, the poet wanted to travel by both roads.
27. Write a brief note on the theme of Robert Frost’s poem ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer- In the poem, ‘The Road not Taken’, the roads symbolise ‘Choices’ that one has to make in life. Whenever one has to take an important decision in life, one finds oneself coming across a fork in the road, one is travelling upon. No one has to choose the only way to walk upon. Here, one choice leads to another but it remains difficult to go back reiterate.
28. What moral lesson do you get from the poem ‘The Road not Taken’?
Answer- According to the poet, one should not adopt the shortcuts in life. We should choose the daring and experimental path that involves turmoil and tension. These practices ennoble a man for his life. In order to seek the truth, we should not follow the easy, convenient and trodden path. The poet has chosen the other road which is less trodden by the people.
29. What problem did the poet feel while standing on the intersection of the two roads?
Answer- While standing on the crossing, the poet saw two roads diverged in a yellow forest. For the poet both the roads looked fascinating. One was widely trodden and the other was untrodden. At last, he chose the second road and hoped to travel the first on some other day.
30. Explain “Way leads on to way.”
Answer- Here we can find two meanings. In the first, we find that the poet is undecided to follow the road. Once a choice is made, there is no retreating back even if the choice is wrong. Same is true for our life. We must make a definite choice where there is no turning. Situations do change and may require adjustments but we must not return.
31. Why did the poet keep the first road for another day?
Answer- The poet kept the first road for another day in the hope that he would travel it in future. But all know that our future is uncertain. No one can predict it. One can never hope to return to the original starting point to resume the path.
32. Does the poet believe that he would ever return to the first road?
Answer- No, the poet does not believe that he would ever be able to return to the first road. He is fully aware that one road leads on to another and that still to another. Hence it will not be possible for him to come back to the point where both the roads bifurcate.