Question

In Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken," the speaker faces a hard choice in deciding which road to take. When he says that he kept the first road for another day, he means that he chose one path but intends to revisit the other path at a later time, suggesting that he will have the opportunity to make different choices in the future.

a. What does the speaker mean when he says he kept the first road for another day?

a)He intends to revisit the first road later.
b)He regrets not choosing the first road.
c)He has permanently chosen the first road.
d)He will never return to the first road.

Answer 1

The speaker in Frost's 'The Road Not Taken' suggests an intention to revisit the first road, but also doubts if he ever will due to the way decisions lead to new paths in life. Option number a is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the speaker in Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken' mentions keeping the first road for another day, he expresses the intent to revisit the first road later. However, the line 'Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back' reveals a level of doubt about the possibility of returning.

This suggests a contemplation of life's choices, and the recognition that each decision leads us further along a unique path, often preventing us from retreading old options. Therefore, the correct answer is (a) He intends to revisit the first road later, though there is an implied understanding that such return may not be possible.