The Road Not Taken
Two roads **diverged** in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the **undergrowth**;
Then took the other, as 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**
Somewhere ages and ages **hence**:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the **difference**.
Vocabulary List
Here are important words from the poem that can help you understand it better. Try to guess their meaning from the context first, then check the definitions.
-
DivergedSeparated from another route and went in a different direction.IPA: /daɪˈvɜːrdʒd/ | Chinese: 分岔 (fēn chà) | Spanish: divergido
-
UndergrowthA dense growth of shrubs and other plants, especially under trees in a forest.IPA: /ˈʌndərˌɡroʊθ/ | Chinese: 灌木丛 (guànmùcóng) | Spanish: maleza
-
ClaimA demand or request for something considered one's due; a right.IPA: /kleɪm/ | Chinese: 权利 (quánlì) | Spanish: reclamo
-
TroddenWalked on or crushed with the feet.IPA: /ˈtrɒdən/ | Chinese: 踩踏 (cǎità) | Spanish: pisado
-
SighA long, deep audible exhalation expressing sadness, relief, or tiredness.IPA: /saɪ/ | Chinese: 叹息 (tànxī) | Spanish: suspiro
-
HenceFrom this time; in the future.IPA: /hɛns/ | Chinese: 今后 (jīnhòu) | Spanish: de aquí a
-
DifferenceA point or way in which people or things are not the same.IPA: /ˈdɪfrəns/ | Chinese: 差异 (chāyì) | Spanish: diferencia
Comprehension Questions
Answer these questions about the poem, "The Road Not Taken."
- What is the central decision the speaker has to make?
- How does the speaker describe the two roads in the first three stanzas? Are they really different?
- In the last stanza, how does the speaker reflect on their choice?
- What does the phrase "the one less traveled by" imply about the choice the speaker made?
- What is the main theme of the poem?