A Roadside Stand is a poignant poem by the celebrated poet Robert Frost, which is included in the Class 12 curriculum. This poem beautifully captures the struggles and aspirations of people living in rural areas, particularly focusing on their roadside stands meant for selling produce.
The poem, Roadside Stand, evokes a sense of empathy and understanding for the rural folk who set up these stands, hoping for a better life through the small earnings they might make. Frost's vivid descriptions and heartfelt empathy shine through his words, making this poem an engaging and thought-provoking read.
For students in Class 12, understanding this poem is made easier through various resources. A Roadside Stand Class 12th resources provide detailed explanations and insights into the poem, helping students grasp the underlying themes and poetic devices used by Frost.
The A Roadside Stand explanation offers a comprehensive look at the poem, providing a line-by-line analysis that delves deep into its meaning. This in-depth exploration is vital for students to appreciate the nuances of Frost's language and the social commentary he presents.
For a quick and effective summary, The Roadside Stand summary gives a concise overview of the poem's main ideas. This summary is useful for students who need to revise the poem's themes and concepts quickly.
Additionally, A Roadside Stand questions and answers provide a great way for students to test their understanding and prepare for exams. These resources often include a wide range of questions along with detailed answers, covering various aspects of the poem.
For a more focused approach, Roadside Stand Class 12 question answer resources are specifically tailored to meet the requirements of the Class 12 curriculum, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their assessments.
In conclusion, Robert Frost's A Roadside Stand is not just a poem but a mirror reflecting the struggles and hopes of rural life. The poem serves as a significant educational tool for Class 12 students, offering rich material for study through various explanations, summaries, and question-answer resources. It remains a relevant and touching piece, resonating with readers for its empathy and insight into human aspirations and challenges.
CHAPTER 4: A ROADSIDE STAND
A ROADSIDE STAND
SUMMARY OF THE POEM
-by Robert Frost
Stanza- 1
The
little old house was out with a little new shed
In
front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A
roadside stand that too pathetically pled,
It
would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But
for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The
flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
The
polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,
Or
if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts
At
having the landscape marred with the artless paint
Of
signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrong
Offered
for sale wild berries in wooden quarts,
Or
crook-necked golden squash with silver warts,
Or
beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene,
You
have the money, but if you want to be mean,
Why
keep your money (this crossly) and go along.
Explanation: On the roadside there is an old house which has an extended shed.
This shed is towards the edge of the road. The owners have made this towards
the edge so that the fast-moving vehicles speeding by may notice and stop there
to buy the food and refreshments sold there.
This shed
made a pitiable sight, it almost seemed as if it was begging for food but that
was not so. Rather it was made so that the rich people who passed by the shed
in their beautiful cars would stop there and buy something, so that some cash
would flow into the hands of the owners, who then would be able to buy some of
the things that are sold in the city.
The poor feel
that the money the rich spend to adorn their gardens with flowers can be used
to better the lot of the less privileged. But, the rich people passed by
without paying any attention to the shed. If anyone cared to stop, it was only
due to the irritation at the paint and decor in poor taste that was marring the
picturesque scenery of the area. Also, the shed had a board on which the word
STAND was painted such that the letters S and N in it were written in reverse,
displaying the carelessness of the local people. This shed sold wild berries in
wooden boxes and gourds with twisted necks and silver lumps on them
Besides these
things, the place also offered a stay in the scenic surroundings. However, the
travellers felt that these poorly kept stands spoiled the pristine beauty of
the landscape. The rich who passed by the place had the money but had no desire
to spend it. According to them, persons who looked after the roadside stand,
they were mean and miserly. They wanted to keep the money with themselves.
Stanza- 2
The
hurt to the scenery wouldn't be my complaint
So
much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:
Here
far from the city we make our roadside stand
And
ask for some city money to feel in hand To try if it will not make our being
expand, And give us the life of the moving-pictures' promise
That
the party in power is said to be keeping from us.
Explanation: The poet does not want to accuse the rustics
of marring the beauty of the landscape. He is more worried about the untold
pain that unsaid words cause to the faith of the people belonging to the
countryside. The rustics have installed a roadside stand so far away in the
countryside just to earn some hard cash.
They long to have a comfortable lifestyle as
depicted in movies. They hope against hope that the city citizens may fulfil
the promise of giving them economic independence although it was within the
purview of the party in power to do so.
Stanza- 3
It
is in the news that all these pitiful kin Are to be bought out and mercifully
gathered in To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,
Where
they won't have to think for themselves anymore,
While
greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,
Swarm
over their lives enforcing benefits
That
are calculated to soothe them out of their wits,
And
by teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day,
Destroy
their sleeping at night the ancient way.
Explanation: It is in the
news that these countryside folk are to be relocated in the villages where they
will have all comforts. They will enjoy privileges of the theatre and the local
store just like their urban counterparts So busy will be these people in
enjoying these comforts that they will have no time to think about themselves
or fight for their rights. The 'haves' are called 'beasts of prey' because, in
the garb of benefits that they will provide to the rustics, they will exploit
them no end. Later the privileged ones will easily forget their promises they
made, leaving these poor people more impoverished.
Stanza- 4
Sometimes
I feel myself I can hardly bear
The
thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The
sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That
waits all day in almost open prayer
For
the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,
Of
all the thousand selfish cars that pass, Just one to inquire what a farmer's
prices are.
And
one did stop, but only to plow up grass
In
using the yard to back and turn around;
And
another to ask the way to where it was bound;
And
another to ask could they sell it a gallon of gas
They couldn't (this crossly); they had none, didn't it see?
Explanation:
The poet is very disturbed and feels very helpless when he sees
their childish longing for money which is never fulfilled. These people keep
their windows open all day as if in prayer waiting desperately and uselessly
for someone to stop at the stand. Sadness at their disappointment can be
noticed all around the place when no one stops there. Out of thousands of cars
passing by. just one stopped only to inquire the prices of things sold there.
Another stopped just to use the backyard of the place to reverse their car. Yet
another stopped just to inquire about the directions for where it wanted to go.
The fourth stopped to knew if they could sell them a gallon of gas (petrol).
The farmer grumbles in an angry manner that they could see for themselves that
it was not sold there. Actually, the country people are upset over the callous
attitude of city dwellers. Moreover, it shows the contrast between the thinking
of the city denizens and the stark reality of the rural people.
Stanza- 5
No,
in country money, the country scale of gain,
The
requisite lift of spirit has never been found,
Or
so the voice of the country seems to complain,
I
can't help owning the great relief it would be
To
put these people at one stroke out of their pain.
And
then next day as I come back into the sane,
I
wonder how I should like you to come to me
And
offer to put me gently out of my pain.
Explanation: Finally the poet bemoans that the spirit to scale new heights to break the shackles of economic dependency is not present in the rustics. That is why they do not stop complaining against the economic inequalities. The poet strongly feels that the countryside people should be freed from the pain of poverty and deprivation. Next morning when the poet gains his senses, he wonders what if someone else thinks in the same manner for him so that he is gently relieved from his pain and agony of seeing the miserable condition of these people.
NCERT SOLUTIONS FOR CLASS 12th ENGLISH POEM 4
Questions (Page No. 102)
(Think It Out)
A Roadside Stand Question Answers
Question 1. The city
folk who drove through the countryside hardly paid any heed to the roadside
stand or to the people who ran it. If at all they did, it was to complain.
Which lines bring this out? What was their complaint about?
Answer: “The polished
traffic passed with a mind ahead,
Or if ever aside a
moment, then out of sorts
At having the
landscape marred with the artless paint.
Of signs that with N
turned wrong and S turned wrong”
According to the city
folk, the stalls having inartistic signboards blemish the landscape with scenic
beauty.
Question 2. What was
the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?
Answer: The rural
folks pathetically pleaded for customers to stop and buy their goods. City
folks passed by on this road and therefore the rural folks set up the stand on
the roadside to grab their attention and sell the goods.
Question 3. The
government and other social service agencies appear to help the poor rural
people, but actually do them no good. Pick out the words and phrases that the
poet uses to show their double standards.
Answer: The poet
criticizes the government for the double standards and the social service
agencies, which promise to improve the living standards of the farmers and
guide them to the right side of life. But when it comes to delivering the
promise, they forget them or fulfill them by keeping in mind their own
benefits. The poet calls them as “beneficent beasts of prey” and “greedy
good-doers”, who “swarm over their lives”. The poet says that these people make
well thought out and calculated shrewd moves, to which farmers who are unaware
and innocent fall prey. These clever people rob off the peace of mind of these
simple and humble farmers. The poet says,
“…… enforcing benefits
That are calculated to
soothe them out of their wits,
And by teaching them
how to sleep they sleep all day,
Destroy their sleeping
at night the ancient way.”
Question 4. What is
the ‘childish longing’ that the poet refers to? Why is it ‘vain’?
Answer: According to
Robert Frost, the people running the roadside stand suffer from ‘childish
longing’. They always expect customers and wait for them. Their windows are
always kept open to attract them. When no one turns up, they become sad. They
always wait to listen to the squeal of brakes and the sound of a car stopping
but all their efforts go in vain.
Question 5. Which
lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of
the plight of the rural poor?
Answer: Being filled
with empathy, the poet is not able to bear the plight of the innocent and
unassuming rural people. The lines which tell us about the insufferable pain
is:
“Sometimes I feel
myself I can hardly bear
The thought of so much
childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks
near the open window there,
That waits all day in
almost open prayer”
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