NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Beehive Poetry – Chapter 1 The Road Not Taken introduces students to the famous work of poet Robert Frost. In the poem, the speaker faces two diverging roads in a forest and must choose one. This symbolizes the important decisions in life, where the path chosen often makes all the difference. The poem inspires students to think about responsibility and courage while making choices.
The NCERT Solutions are written in a simple manner, explaining the meaning of each stanza and the use of poetic devices. They include well-structured answers to questions and summaries that make revision easier. With the help of these solutions, Class 9 students can both prepare effectively for exams and understand the timeless message of the poem.
Download NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 1 – The Road Not Taken. Free PDF with accurate answers, clear explanations, and exam-oriented guidance to help students understand the poem better.
This Chapter "The Road Not Taken" is a poem about making choices. The person in the poem is at a fork in the road and picks one, knowing it'll change things. The poem represents how our decisions have effects we can't predict. It asks us to think about how our choices make us who we are.
Here's what it's about:
I. Answer the following questions.
1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?
Ans. The traveller finds himself in the yellow woods at a point where the road forks into two. He faces the problem of choice. He cannot decide which road to take to continue his journey since it is not possible for him to travel both roads at the same time.
2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you. (i) a yellow wood (ii) it was grassy and wanted wear (iii) the passing there (iv) leaves no step had trodden black (v) how way leads on to way
Ans. (i) Yellow wood symbolises the autumn season. As Autumn corresponds to withering of old leaves, the poet could be symbolically talking about the later stages of life. (ii) It conveys that the road was full of grass and nobody had used that road. It was a smooth road which had not worn out. It was an unexplored opportunity. (iii) The use of the path by a passersby. (iv) It represents a path which was never / seldom taken in life for the fear of uncertainty. 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. (v) This phrase means how certain decisions one makes in life could pave the way for many other decisions.
3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them (i) in stanzas two and three? (ii) in the last two lines of the poem?
Ans. (i) In stanza two the poet explains that the only difference between the two roads was that the road he took is a better claim because it was covered with grass and was never taken before. Besides this difference, both roads had been equally worn down by the passers-by travelling on them. In stanza three, the poet says that both the roads were equally covered with leaves and that no person had stepped on them. (ii) In the last two lines of the poem the poet says that there is a difference between the two roads because he took the road that was less taken by other people and that made all the difference to his journey.
4. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean? (Looking back, does the poet regret his choice or accept it?) Ans. In the last two lines of the poem, the poet accepts the reality. The poet made a choice and accepted the challenging path. He took the unexplored path in his life. He wanted to do something different in his life so he chose the less travelled road.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. Have you ever had to make a difficult choice (or do you think you will have difficult choices to make)? How will you make the choice (for what reasons)? Ans. Everyone has to make a choice in one's life. Life is full of opportunities and options. One can't take up all of them. We have to make a choice out of them. No, I have never had to make a difficult choice till now. I am too young to make an independent decision. But after some time, I will also have to make a choice. When I face such a situation, I will weigh all the pros and cons of the choice and take a decision. I may even consult my parents and teachers for my decision. I will not join the rat race for money. Like the poet in the poem, I will choose a challenging and unexplored path in my life.
2. After you have made a choice do you always think about what might have been, or do you accept the reality? Ans. It's human nature to think what might have been if we had selected some other path. But it's also a fact that once we choose a path and cover some distance, there is no going back. One should think before making a choice. One should weigh all the pros and cons of the choice. But once we make a choice we should be determined to move on. Regretting the choice does not help. Acceptance of reality motivates. I will definitely accept the reality.
(Session 2025 - 26)