The Road Not Taken
Do you think it was easy for the poet to choose between the two roads?
A1 No, it was not an easy decision. The attraction for both roads was the same. He stood at the juncture for a long time trying to decide which way to go.
A2 The poet calls the wood ‘yellow wood’ because everything is turning yellow, as it is fall/autumn.
As the Prime Minister of the country, what are the major tasks that Nehru faces?
The major tasks that Nehru faced were:-
To choose the best structure leading the country to prosperity as well as progress.
To stir people to take action and bring change.
Q1 What drove the scorpion inside the house?
Q2 Where did the scorpion crawl?
A1 The scorpion was driven inside the house by continuous rain.
A2 The scorpion crawled under a sack of rice.
What incident made Bholi a backward child?
When she was ten months old, she had fallen off her cot and perhaps it had damaged some part of her brain. That is why she was a backward child.
Choose the correct option to explain the phrase ‘bent in the undergrowth’.
The phrase means that………
(i) there were bushes
(ii) one couldn’t see beyond a point
(iii) the road was grassy and full of leaves.
The phrase means that………
(ii) one couldn’t see beyond a point
What makes Nehru’s task difficult?
Nehru’s task is made difficult by the disturbance and confusion of the times. There is also mental conflict caused by trying to retain both old values and spirit and material progress.
Q1 Why does the poet call the tail ‘diabolic’?
Q2 Why did the peasants say the name of God a hundred times?
Q3 Whose shadows were thrown on the walls?
A1 The tail poisons the person and stings.
A2 The peasants were saying the name of god a hundred times because they had to paralyze the evil one.
A3 The shadows of peasants were thrown on the wall.
Q1 At what age did Bholi have an attack of smallpox? What was its effect on her looks?
Q2 Why did Bholi speak very little? Give two reasons.
A1 She got smallpox at the age of 2 years. The effect was that it left pock-marks on her whole body; only her eyes remained intact.
A2 Bholi spoke very little because she stammered while speaking. Secondly, she was laughed at and mimicked by the children.
Why does the poet look down the road as far as he can see?
The poet looked down the road as far as he could see to know what lay ahead. He had to make a decision about which way to go. The way was lost in the bushes and so he could not see any further.
What model of change does Gandhiji provide? What are its advantages?
Gandhiji’s model uses both continuity and change. The advantages are that it uses truth and peaceful ways to bring about revolutionary changes.
He uses methods that are Indian in origin.
Q 1 Why did the peasants want the scorpion to sit still?
Q2 What makes the poet remember that particular night?
A1 The peasants believed that the poison moved in the mother’s body with the movement of the scorpion.
A2 The poet remembers the particular night because on that night his mother was stung by a scorpion. She suffered terribly for 24 hours and he just watched the drama helplessly.
Q1 What kind of a farmer was Ramlal? What was his worry about Bholi? Or Why was Ramlal worried about Bholi and not about his other children?
A1 Ramlal was a prosperous farmer, who was very well respected in the village. He was worried about Bholi’s marriage as she had neither good looks nor intelligence. Bholi was a stammerer, too. All his other children were healthy, good looking, and strong.
Why does the other road have a better claim?
The other road had a better claim because it was grassy and wanted wear. Its leaves had not turned black by travelers walking on it. It appeared as a new road.
What saved India from complete deterioration? Give two reasons.
India was saved from complete deterioration because she could adapt herself well to the changing conditions and adjust to the new influences. She also never forgot the values and traditions of past cultures which form the foundation of our society.
Q1 What picture of the father does Nissim present?
Q2 What are the perceptions of the poet about common people in rural India?
A1 The picture of the father that Nissim presents is that he is unlike the illiterate and ignorant peasants. He had no blind faith. He was guided by reason. He applied some paste and put a match to it. Thus he did something solid to provide relief to his wife.
A2 The village people in rural India are superstitious if an insect bites a person, the poison is the evil that spreads in the victim’s body.
Q1 Why did the Tehsildar ask Ramlal to send his daughters to school? Give two reasons. Or Why was Bholi sent to a school?
Q2 Why did Ramlal’s wife disagree when he consulted her for sending Bholi to school?
A1 The Tehsildar asked Ramlal to send his daughter to school because a new primary school for girls was opened and new admission was required. Secondly, Ramlal being a representative of the government in the village was expected to get an example for the other villagers.
A2 Ramlal’s wife didn’t agree to send her daughters to school because of her apprehension that it would be difficult to get them married off if they were educated.
Q1 What has made all the difference?
Q2 What do the two roads stand for in the poem?
A1 The poet took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference. The poet thinks things would be different if he had taken the other road.
A2 The two roads in the poem stands for the choices in life. Everybody in life has to make some choices at some point.
What aspects of ancient India fill Nehru with pride and wonder? List four such aspects.
Aspects of ancient India that fill Nehru with pride are:-
i) strong and energetic race
ii) eager to know; a spirit of curiosity
iii) mature and tolerant civilization
iv) forever searching for truth and spiritual knowledge.
A scorpion stings the poet’s mother one night. How do the peasants, the holy priest, and the poet’s father react to it?
The peasants rush to the poet’s house to look for the scorpion, the little devil. They find no trace of it. They click their tongues and express sympathy. They hope her suffering in this life would reduce her misfortunes in the next birth. The holy man performs Puja and tries to tame the poison by chanting mantras. The poet’s father, who is usually reasonable, applies herbs and kerosene oil to fight the poison.
Q 1 How was Bishamber a well-to-do bridegroom?
Q2 How did Bholi react to Bishamber, the groom’s demand for additional dowry at the last moment? How would you react to both Situations?
Q3 Her heart was throbbing with new hope and a new life. What were the new hope and new life?
A1 Bishamber had a grocer’s shop, a house of his own and had a bank balance of several thousand rupees.
A2 Bholi refused to marry Bishamber, as he asked for five thousand rupees. She felt he was taking advantage of a bad situation and was being greedy, mean, and contemptible. I would do the same as Bholi and refuse to marry the groom.
A3 Bholi’s teacher told her that she would be able to stop stammering and speak like others. People would respectfully listen to her. She would be able to read longer books and would be most educated than everyone else in the village. At these encouraging words, Bholi felt that her life would be entirely changed. No one would make fun of her.