MODULE 1

- ROBERT FROST

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

ABOUT THE POET

Robert Lee Frost (March 26,1874 – January 29, 1963) was anAmerican poet. His work wasinitially published in Englandbefore it was published inAmerica. Frost was honouredfrequently during his lifetimeand is the only poet to receivefour Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry .

On July 22, 1961, Frost wasnamed Poet Laureate ofVermont . Frost was nominatedfor the Nobel Prize inLiterature 31 times.

Brainstorming Activity

• Sometimes the choices we make have far reaching consequences. Think about any four choices you make on daily basis, and the importance of these choices.

3. ______________ 4. ______________

2.______________1. _______________

Complete the web chart showing choices and decisions you may have to make in the next few years and the

factors that affect these choices.

DETERMINING FACTORS

CHOICES

INTERESTS

PARENTSFRIENDS

INTROSPECTHave you made choices that are acceptable and less risky ?

– Yes

– No

Are you going to choose a career of your choice?

– Yes

– No

Do you think decisions matter a lot with future perspective?

– Yes

– No

Poem’s Title

• ‘The Road’ is the symbol of the choicemade by us in life. Many times we regretthe choice we make but what is done oncecannot be undone.

• The word ‘road’ not only means ‘way’ , italso means ‘journey’ or a ‘stage of journey’.Here ‘road’ does not signify any ordinaryroad, but functions a metaphor of a vitaldecision in our life.

SUMMARY

• In the poem - ‘The Road Not Taken’, the roadsymbolizes our life. The poet says that the path thatwe don’t choose in our life is ‘the road not taken’. Hedescribes his feelings about that choice that he hadleft in the past. The path which we have chosen,decides our future, our destination. The importantmessage that the poet wants to give is that thechoice that we make has an impact on our future andif we make a wrong choice, we regret it but cannot goback on it. So, we must be wise while making choices.

The Structure of the poem "The Road Not Taken“

• This poem consists of four stanzas, each five lines in length(a quatrain), producing a steady rhythmical four beat first-person narrative. Frost chose his lines to reflect this:❖ Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,❖ And sorry I could not travel both

• This simple looking poem, mostly monosyllabic, has atraditional rhyme scheme of ABAAB which helps keep thelines tight, whilst the use of enjambment (where one lineruns into the next with no punctuation) keeps the senseflowing.

• The whole poem is an extended metaphor; the road is life,and it diverges, that is, splits apart–forks. There is adecision to be made and a life will be changed. Perhapsforever.

The Mood and Tone of "The Road Not Taken"• Whilst this is a reflective, thoughtful poem, it's as if the

speaker is caught in two minds. He's encountered a turning point. The situation is clear enough - take one path or the other - go ahead, do it. But life is rarely that simple. We're human, and our thinking processes are always on the go trying to work things out.

• So, the tone is meditative. As this person stands looking at the two options, he is weighing the pros and cons in a quiet, studied manner. The situation demands a serious approach, for who knows what the outcome will be?

• All the speaker knows is that he prefers the road less travelled, perhaps because he enjoys solitude and believes that to be important. Whatever the reason, once committed, he'll more than likely never look back.

• On reflection, however, taking the road "because it was grassy and wanted wear" has made all the difference, all the difference in the world.

Poetic devices used in the poem

• Alliteration : is the repetition of usually consonant sounds in a sequence of words. It gives a musical effect and also enhances the poem’s stress. Ex : grassy and wanted wear (‘w’ sound is repeated)

• Symbolism : the two roads described by the poet are the symbols of the challenges and choices that life offers. The beaten track symbolises the easier path and the less travelled road is a more challenging path.

• Personification : is a figure of speech in which an inanimate object is given human attributes.

the line “because it was grassy and, wanted wear, while we know that a road cannot think and have any desire at all .

• Simile : makes a comparison , showing similarities between two different things.

Ex : we get the use of simile when we read the expression “as just as fair”.

Fill in the blanks to complete the following paragraph that deals with the theme of the poem. Use the words given in the box below:

• The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is about the___________ that one makes in life. It tells about a man who comes to a______________ in the road he is travelling upon. He feels ____________that he cannot travel ________ paths as he must choose one. Frost usesthis fork in the road to represent a point in the man’s life where he has tochoose the ____________ he wishes to take in life. As he thinks about his__________ he looks down one path as far as he can see trying to________________ what life will be like if he walks that path. He thengazes at the other _________ and decides the outcome of going downthat path would be just as ___________. At this point he concludes thatthe trail that has been less travelled on would be more _________ whenhe reaches the end of it. The man then decides that he will save the otherpath for another day, even though he knows that one path leads toanother and that he won’t get a _____________ to go back. The man thensays that he will be telling this story with a “sigh” someday in the futuresuggesting that he will ________ what life would have been like if he hadchosen the more walked path even though the path he chose has made allthe difference.

decision sorry foresee choices pleasant directionfork trail rewarding chance wonder both

THANK YOU !!

MODULE 1 ENDS