A ROADSIDE STAND_______BY ROBERT FROST
ABOUT THE POEM--
In this poem the poet says about the behaviour of the previledged class to th epoor peple.Here the roadside stand belongs to a poor family.The family members waits hopefully to get customers from the city. The shop (roadside stand) that they have is to draw attention of the city people, but their efforts are in vain.The city people do not pay attention to the shop and if herdly paid then they do not buy anything from the stand. The poet shows sympathy to them and hopes to help them as well. This great poet died on 29 january
ABOUT THE POET--
Robert Lee Frost was born on 26 march, 1874 in America. He was a realistic as well as nature poet.An important subject matter of his poem is rural life. He was also famous as a playwright. Frost was the poet who received four Pulitzer Prizes for poetry. This great poet died on 29 january, 1963.
SUMMARY OF THE POEM--
This poem deals with a roadside stand (shop). It brings a contrast between the difficulties of rural life and its people and the indifference shown by the city dwellers. The poet also criticises the exploitation of the hypocrite politicians who just keep on promising with such rural folks. These poor people always come across perpetual poverty which is unbearable for the poet Frost.
TEXTUAL QUESTION ANSWERS-
1.The city folk who drove through the counrtyside hardly paid any heed to the roadside stand or to the peoplewho ran it. If at all they did, it was to complain.Which lines bring this out. What was their complain about ?
Answer- The city folks who drove and passed the shade complain about the roadside stand. The lines in this context are as follows--
A) 'At having the landcsapemarred with the artless paint.'
B) of signs that with 'N' turned wrong and 'S' turned wrong.
Their complaint was about the roadside stand which destroyed the charm of the entire landscape.
2. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand ?
Answer-The folk who had put up the roadside stabnd pleaded fromthe city customers. They wish for the city money. They are very hopeful to welcome the cty people as their custoers and sell their goods stocked in the stand or shop.
3. The government and other social agencies appear to help the poor rural people, but do them no good.Pick out the words and phrases that the poet usage to show their double standard.
Answer- The government and other social service agencies seem to help the poor people fo the village, but in reality, they did not do good to them. The words and phrases are --
A) 'Grredy good-doers, beneficent beast of prey.'
B) 'That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits.'
4. What is the 'childish longing' that the poet refer to ? Why is it in 'vain'.
Answer- The expression 'childish longing' refers to meaningless waiting of the people associated with the roadside stand.It is quite childish and meaningless that they eagerly wait for city customers
Their longing is in vain because in spite of their curious solicitation,a few customers turn up.
5.Which lines tell us about the insufferable painthat the poet feels at the thought of the plight of the rural poor ?
Answer- The poet is very much concerned about the plight of the rural poor. He feels pain at theirultimate fate or luck. He even wants to remove their pain and solve their continuous financial problem at one stroke.
1/2 MARKS QUESTION AND ANSWERS.
1. Who composed the poem A Roadside Stand ?
Answer- Robert Frost
2. Where was the new shed put ?
Answer- The new shed was put by the side of the road.
3.why is the shed put there ?
Answer- To sell some vegetables, guards etc.
4. What is meant by 'but for some money' ?
Answer- The roadside stand was put to earn some money from city customers.
5.What is 'polished traffic'?
Answer- Polished traffic refers to the luxurious vehicles that pass by the roadside stand.
6.What do you mean by N and S turned wrong ?
Answer- This means the singboard of the roadside stand has alphabet N and S. Both N and S are wrongly painted.
7.What is sold in the roadside stand ?
Answer- wild berries.
8.What is in the news regarding the people of roadside stand ?
Answer- It is in the news that the government will be merciful to these people and settle them somwhere.
9.Who are called 'greedy good doers,and beast of prey'?
Answer- The poet called the authorities and the rulling class people as greedy good-doers and beast of prey.
10.What is meant by 'childish longing'?
Answer- Here 'childish longing' refers to the eaerly waiting people related to the roadside stand. In fact, they eagerly wait for the city customers and their money.
11.What is open prayer in the poem ?
Answer- here open prayer means the poor wait and pray at the roadside stand in the hope of getting rich customers from the city.
12.Why does the poet call 'selfish cars'?
Answer- The cars are regareded as selfish because they hardly wait in front of the stand, When they stand, they donot buy anything from the shop.
13.Why is the country scale of gain not counted ?
Answer- The country (village) scale of gain is not counted, because their gain and happiness is nominal that can be neglected.
14.What is the complaint of the country people ?
Answer- The complaint of these rural or country people is that their fate or luck has never changed.
15. What sadness lurks near the open window ?
Answer- According to the poet a number of vehicle pass by the open window but not a single one stops there to buy anything frm the shop.