The-Road-Not-Taken-Line-by-line Explanation-CBSE-CLASS- IX-ENGLISH

 

 
 
 

Line
1-2-

“Two
roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
 “

 
 
  • ·
    The poet has come into the deep autumnal wood where two roads have diverged into two ways like a fork. Immediately the poet understands that as a traveller travelling both the roads is impossible.
  • ·
    Here two roads are meant two ways of life.
  • ·
    Yellowwood symbolizes thee autumnal forest.
  • ·
    The first line is a metaphor where two roads are impliedly compared with the ways of life.
  • ·
    There is a sense of antithesis as the poet first thought for travelling both the roads and then discarded the idea.
 


Line-3-5-

“And
be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;”

 
 
  • ·
    The poet in an utter state of duality examines both the roads as he finds himself in dilemma about the choice of roads.
  • ·
    At first, he looked down the first road to the utmost to check whether it will be suitable or not.
  • ·
    Line 2, 3, 4 are an example of Anaphora as the lines begin with the same word.
  • ·
    He found that the first road has bent in the undergrowth (bush). The poet here in regard to the choice of life considered the word undergrowth as unknown world.

 

 

 

Line-6-8-

“Then
took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;”

 

 
·
Then the poet decided to check the other road, the second one which he found similar to the first one.
·
“As just as fair” is an example of a simile.
·
The poet then found the other road to have better prospect because he found the other road to be less travelled and grassy
one.
·
This shows that the poet is risk-taking and adventurous.
·
“Wanted wear “is an example of personification.
 
 
 
 

 

Line
9-10

“Though
as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same, “

 
  • ·
    But when the poet passed through the road, he found that both the roads are equally travelled.
  • ·
    This is an example of Antithesis. First, the poet finds the first road to be the more travelled one, but then he says that both the roads to be equally travelled.
 

Line
11-12

“And
both that morning equally lay
in leaves, no step had trodden black.”

 
 
  • ·
    The poet here goes in the flashback. When he came in the morning, he found that both the roads were looking the same and both the roads were covered with autumnal leaves.
  • ·
    It was tough for him to identify the real road as in the morning he was the first person to walk on the roads. But he could not decide the right one as no step had smashed the leaves on the rods to allow him to go for the right one.
  • ·
    The above two lines are examples of imagery.
 

Line-13-15

“Oh,
I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.”

 

 
  • ·
    The poet here saves the first road for another day.
  • ·
    He knows the fact that one way leads to another way and coming back is impossible.
  • ·
    Then in the third line, he affirms saying that he is enough doubtful of retuning and walking on the first road.
  • ·
    The 3rd line and 5 the line is an
    example of Antithesis as the lines contradict the statements.
 

Line-16

“I shall be telling this with a sigh”

 
 

 

  • ·
    This line is the example of the poet’s failure in choosing the right road.
  • ·
    He uses the word ‘sigh’ which reflects that he is disappointed about the decision.

Line-17-19

“Somewhere ages and age hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood and I—
I took the one less traveled by,”

 
 
    • ·
      He accepts the fact that he is a failure in taking the right decision.
    • ·
      ‘ages and ages ‘   is an example of alliteration.
    • ·
      He says that he will announce this very incident where he faced two similar-looking roads and chose the less travelled one.

 

Line 20-

“And that has made all the difference. “

 
  • ·
    The poet here affirms that his choice of the road has brought a big difference in his life in negative.
  
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