“The Road Not Taken” is a famous poem by Robert Frost, included in the CBSE Class 9 book ‘Beehive’. It presents the dilemma of choosing between two paths and the consequences of our choices. The poem’s summary and meanings are available in both English and Hindi for a comprehensive understanding.
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The Road Not Taken Poem Word meanings
Poem: The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sigh
Robert Frost
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Summary: The Road Not Taken Poem
The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost describes a speaker’s dilemma when faced with two paths in a yellow wood. He regrets that he cannot take both paths and be one traveller, so he stands for a long time and considers each path. He ultimately chooses the second path because it is grassy and appears to be less travelled, although he acknowledges that both paths are equally worn. The speaker wonders what would have happened if he had chosen the first path, but he knows that once he has made a choice, it will lead to more choices and ultimately determine his future. He concludes by saying that he will tell the story of his decision with a sigh and that choosing the less travelled path has made all the difference in his life.
The poem can be interpreted as a metaphor for making choices in life and the importance of taking the road less travelled i.e. not followed by many or is not a frequent, known and comfort route for others.
Word Meanings: The Road Not Taken
In the context of the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, the meanings of some of the words are:
| Words/Phrases | Meanings |
|---|---|
| Roads | paths or ways that one can take in life, which represent different choices or opportunities. |
| Diverged | separated or branched off into different directions. |
| Yellow wood | a forest with yellow leaves, which suggests that the season is autumn and may symbolize a time of change or transition. |
| Travel | move along or explore a path. |
| Traveler | a person who goes on a journey or takes a path. |
| Sorry | regretful or remorseful. |
| Long I stood | the speaker paused for a long time to consider his options. |
| Looked down | gazed or stared in the direction of the path he was considering taking. |
| Undergrowth | low-lying vegetation or bushes. |
| Just as fair | the other path looked just as appealing as the first one. |
| Better claim | the other path seemed to have more potential or promise. |
| Grassy | covered in grass. |
| Wanted wear | needed to be walked on or used more. |
| Passing there | people who had walked on the path before. |
| Equally lay | both paths seemed equally inviting and untrodden. |
| Trodden black | the ground had not been worn down by foot traffic. |
| Kept the first for another day | the speaker decided to save the first path for a later time. |
| Way leads on to way | one decision leads to another, and each choice can have a ripple effect on future choices. |
| Doubted | uncertain or hesitant. |
| Come back | return to the same point in life. |
| Sigh | a sound of regret or nostalgia. |
| Less traveled by | the path that was less popular or less taken. |
| Made all the difference | the choice he made had a significant impact on his life. |
Also Read..
- Stanza by Stanza Explanatio of ‘The Road Not Taken’
- Poetic Devices
- Textbook Solutions
- Extract Based MCQs/Objective Questions
- Extra Question Answers
Meanings in Hindi: The Road Not Taken
| Words | Meanings in Hindi |
|---|---|
| Roads | रास्ते – जीवन में विभिन्न विकल्पों या अवसरों का प्रतिनिधित्व करने वाले पथ जिन्हें लोग चुनते हैं। |
| Diverged | अलग-अलग दिशाओं में अलग हो गया – अलग दिशाओं में या शाखाओं में बंट गया। |
| Yellow wood | पीले पत्तों वाला जंगल – जिससे पता चलता है कि मौसम शरद ऋतु है और यह परिवर्तन या संक्रमण का समय का प्रतीक हो सकता है। |
| Travel | यात्रा करना – किसी मार्ग को चलना या अन्वेषण करना। |
| Traveler | यात्री – एक व्यक्ति जो यात्रा पर जाता है या किसी मार्ग का अनुसरण करता है। |
| Sorry | दुःखी या पछतावा करने वाला – खेदपूर्ण या पछतावा करने वाला। |
| Long I stood | बहुत देर तक मैं खड़ा रहा – वक्तव्य ने अपने विकल्पों को विचार करने के लिए बहुत देर रुका। |
| Looked down | नीचे देखा – उस मार्ग की ओर देखा जिसे वह चुनने का विचार कर रहा था। |
| Undergrowth | नीचे का वनस्पति – कम बढ़ती वनस्पति या झाड़ियाँ। |
| Just as fair | पहले के समान चार्मुखा – दूसरा मार्ग पहले वाले से उतना ही आकर्षक लग रहा था। |
| Better claim | ढेर सारी संभावनाओं के साथ दूसरा मार्ग अधिक वादी लग रहा था। |
| Grassy | घास युक्त – घास से ढका हुआ। |
| Wanted wear | इस्तेमाल की इच्छा थी – इसे चलने या उपयोग करने की इच्छा थी। |
| Passing there | वहाँ से गुजरते लोग – उन लोगों को संदर्भित करता है जो उस मार्ग से गुजर चुके हैं। |
| Equally lay | दोनों मार्ग बराबर थे – दोनों मार्ग बराबर आकर्षक लग रहे थे और किसी ने उन्हें चुना नहीं था। |
| Trodden black | गाड़ा हुआ काला – फुटपाथ से उतरे नहीं गए थे और जमीन काली नजर आ रही थी। |
| Kept the first for another day | पहले को दूसरे दिन के लिए बचाया – वक्तव्य ने पहले मार्ग को बाद में उपयोग करने का निर्णय लिया। |
| Way leads on to way | एक मार्ग दूसरे मार्ग पर जाता है – एक निर्णय दूसरे निर्णय पर असर डालता है, और हर एक निर्णय भविष्य के निर्णयों पर एक रिपल एफेक्ट हो सकता है। |
| Doubted | संदेह – अनिश्चित या अनिश्चयात्मक। |
| Come back | वापस आना – जीवन में एक ही समय पर लौटना। |
| Sigh | आह – खेद या यादों का एक ध्वनि |
| Less traveled by | कम चला हुआ – मार्ग जो कम लोगों द्वारा चुना गया था। |
| Made all the difference | फर्क पड़ा – जिस चुनाव को उन्होंने किया उसने उनके जीवन में एक महत्वपूर्ण परिवर्तन किया। |