A Roadside Stand | Poem 4 | Poetry | English 12th | Flamingo | Summary | Questions | Answers

 

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A Roadside Stand | Poem 4 | Poetry | English 12th | Flamingo | Summary | Questions | Answers

 
A Roadside Stand

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.

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.

 

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.

 

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?

 

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.

                    (Robert Frost)

 

Short Summary

"A Roadside Stand" by Robert Frost highlights the plight of rural people and their unfulfilled dreams in a world driven by urban development and materialism. The poem reflects on the struggles faced by poor villagers who yearn for a better life.

The poem describes a small roadside stand set up by rural folk in the hope of selling their goods to city travelers. They display simple products like berries, squash, and handmade goods, eagerly waiting for passing cars to stop and make a purchase. However, most travelers either ignore the stand or stop only to criticize its appearance or to ask for directions, leaving the villagers disheartened.

The poet expresses deep empathy for the villagers, lamenting their exploitation and neglect by urban society. Their longing for financial security and the comforts of modern life is never fulfilled, as they are often misled by false promises of development projects.

Through this poem, Frost criticizes the widening gap between the rural and urban populations and questions the insensitivity of the affluent toward the struggles of the poor. The poem concludes with a melancholic reflection on the harsh realities of life for the rural poor.

 

 

Think it Out

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 lines that highlight this are:
"Or to ask the way where it was bound, and pass on, / Or else to ask for some money, something he could part with."
City folk complain about the shabby appearance of the roadside stand, saying it spoils the scenic beauty of the countryside:
"Of signs with N turned wrong and S turned wrong."
They are dismissive and insensitive, focusing on trivial issues while ignoring the rural people's struggles.

Question 2. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?

Answer: The rural folk plea for financial help and attention from city travelers. They hope to sell their goods and earn some money to improve their lives, as they feel left behind by modern development. They long for equality and a share of the comforts enjoyed by urban people:
"For some money, some compensation for their loss."

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 refers to their actions as false promises and exploitation:
"Greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,"
"Who tear the rural poor to pieces and then leave them to despair."
These phrases expose the hypocrisy of those who pretend to help but only exploit the poor for their gain.

4. What is the ‘childish longing’ that the poet refers to? Why is it ‘vain’?

Answer: The ‘childish longing’ refers to the rural people's innocent and naive hope that city travelers will stop, buy their goods, and improve their lives. It is ‘vain’ because most travelers ignore them or treat them with disdain, leaving their hopes unfulfilled.

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: The poet’s pain is expressed in these lines:
"Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear / The thought of so much childish longing in vain."
The poet empathizes deeply with their suffering and finds it unbearable that their simple dreams remain unmet.

 

Talk about it

Discuss in small groups.

The economic well-being of a country depends on a balanced development of the villages and the cities.

Answer: The economic well-being of a country depends on a balanced development of the villages and the cities.
This statement emphasizes the need for equitable progress in urban and rural areas. Villages must have access to opportunities, education, healthcare, and infrastructure so that rural people can improve their quality of life. Neglecting rural areas leads to inequality and social unrest, whereas balanced development fosters harmony and overall prosperity. Discuss ways to reduce this gap, such as promoting rural entrepreneurship, improving connectivity, and ensuring fair distribution of resources.