Thinking about the Poem
I.
Q1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problems does he face?
Ans: The
traveller finds himself in the yellow woods at a point where the road
diverges into two. The problem that he faces is that 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.
Q2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
(a) A yellow wood
Ans: Yellowwood symbolizes the autumn season. Autumn corresponds with old age. The poet could be symbolically talking about the later stages of life.
(b) It was grassy and wanted wear
Ans: It conveys that the road was full of grass, and nobody had used that road. It was a smooth road that had not worn out.
(c) The passing there
Ans: The use of the path by passersby.
(d) Leaves no step had trodden black
Ans: The leaves had not changed their colour and turned black because of fewer people stepping on them. It could represent a path one may have never/seldom taken in life for the fear of uncertainty.
(e) How way leads on to way
Ans: This phrase means how certain decisions one makes in life could pave the way for many other decisions.
Q3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them
(a) in stanzas two and three?
(b) in the last two lines of the poem?
Ans:
(a)
In stanza two, the poet explains that the only difference between the
two roads was that the road he took had the right to be chosen (the
better claim) because it was covered with grass and looked as if it had
not been used too much. Besides this difference, both roads had been
equally worn down by passersby 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.
(b)
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
travelled by other people, and that made all the difference to his
journey.
Q4. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean? (Looking back, does the poet regret his choice or accept it?
Ans:
The last two lines of the poem mean the acceptance of reality. The poet made a choice and accepted the challenging path. He took an unexplored path in his life. He wanted to do something different in his life, so he chose the less travelled road. No, he does not regret his choice.
II.
Q1.
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:
No, till now I have never been in a situation in which I had to make a difficult choice. Perhaps I am still too young to make an independent choice.
But yes, I think later or sooner, I will have
difficult choices to make. After completing my general education, I will
have to make a choice of profession, whether I should become an
engineer or doctor, or something else. I will have hundreds of options
before me. Then it will be difficult to make a choice between them. I
will make a choice according to my capabilities and strong points at
that time. I will choose a path that gives me satisfaction and mental
peace. 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.
Q2. After you have made a choice, do you always think about what might have been, or do you accept the reality?
Ans:
Making
a decision can significantly impact our future. Once I make a choice, I
accept the consequences as my reality. Continually reevaluating or
dwelling on a decision is not a constructive way to live life. Such
thoughts prevent us from appreciating the outcomes of our choices.
Hence, I firmly believe in standing by my decisions.
