A Roadside stand summary

In this poem, the poet Robert Frost talks about the cold behavior shown by the
privileged people of the society towards the poor farmers and other poor
classes. For the purpose, he presents the picture of a roadside stand and the
people related to it who suffer much in their lives. 

The beginning of the poem describes an old small house near the roadside,
and a little new shed was attached to it from the outside. The shed was built in
the front part of the house which happened to be on the edge of the roadside.
There were many vehicles and motor cars which kept moving up and down the
road. The new, shed was put up as a small stand (shop) but it was not
attractive at all, it had no appeal. The poet says that the stand was put up to
earn a little cash money, not to receive some begged pieces of bread. The poet
ironically says that the flow of finances is always a good sign for any economic
system, so by purchasing something and spending some money at the poor
stand would help the flow of this money.

Beautiful and precious vehicles speedily pass by the poor roadside stand and
are always inattentive. On the contrary, if someone sitting inside those
vehicles looks at the stand his face dampens by the thought that the beauty of
the place is destroyed by the awkward pictures drawn on the stand. These
pictures or signs are painted to attract customers but the art is very badly
performed which makes the rich people angry. The signs Painted on the stand
include some wild cherries or golden squash that are meant for sale there. A
beautiful mountain is also seen. The people passing through that road have all
money in their pockets to spend, but those people would not wait and stop to
buy things at such a pitiable Stand. Going to that place would be mean to their
dignity.

According to the poet, the sad thing is not that the roadside stand is looked
down upon by the people, but the sad fact is that the suffering and mental
agony of the poor people are not fully expressed. They believe that they have
put up this stand away from the city so that they can earn some money to
improve their Iives. They hope in vain that the money would help them to
make their lives better and beautiful like what they see in the motion pictures.
The opposition party says that the party in power (the Govt) is not going to
make this possible to allow the poor to improve. But we all see that after
coming to power, the same opposition party would turn deaf to the problems
of the sufferers. At that time the other opposition will accuse this party. So,
these accusations and transfer of responsibilities will continue forever and the
plight of the poor people will remain the same.

The next lines are bitter and the poet satirizes the authorities concerned
regarding some newspaper articles he mentions the newspaper reports in
which the government declares that it pays the farmers against their land
ownership and all the people would be comfortably settled in the villages near
the cities. Every necessary facility would be made available to them, the
theatres and the big stores would be set up. The innocent poor are fooled to
think that the government would take full care of them and they would be
spared of all their hardships. But the poet says that these cunning politicians
are greedy beasts of prey, they pretend to be well-wishers, but actually, they
only stop the poor from improvement. They are horrible swarms of drones
who aim to fool the poor and ignorant. They deceive the poor and snatch away
all their hopes and happiness and themselves enjoy their luxuries.

The poor farmer on the roadside stand keeps waiting the whole day for
someone to buy their things. But their waiting goes in vain when no one comes
to their shed. The pet expresses that it is unbearable to see the sad faces of the
poor ones who sit all day in the stand, no one even notices them. The sounds
of car brakes and car doors make the poor ones hopeful, they desire that
someone might stop and come to buy something and ask the prices of things.
But nothing like this happens. When one of the vehicles stops, it is only to turn
back and not as a customer. Another man stops only to ask about the road. Yet
another man stops to ask whether petrol is sold in the stand, and on getting a
negative answer he gets irritated. Here the poet says that the man asking for
petrol at such a place away from the city is a fool, he must be able to know
from the condition of the place that petrol would not be available there. 

The last part of the poem says that the well-being and prosperity of the poor
farmers are not taken into account in the statistics and economic policies of
the nation. This is what the rural people complain about their progress and
growth are not desired and allowed by the authorities. The poet here expresses
that he would be relieved and be very happy if the pain and sufferings of these
poor farmers come to an end someday. He wishes that they be strong enough
and are able to help the poet when he is in some trouble. He wishes that the
poor farmers should be in a position to help and take care of others instead of
being helped by others or being pitied.
A roadside stand question answer
Think it out

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?
Ans: The Complaints of the city folk who drove through the countryside was
that the artless & clumsy paint painted on the roadside stand had spoiled the
landscape. They were also irritated at the part that the letter 'N' and 'S' turned
wrong.

2. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?
Ans: The folk who had put up the roadside stand pleaded pathetically for
some money or ready cash for their survival. Money city-dwellers passed
through the road and the folk expected them to stop there for buying their
goods.

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.
Ans: The two phrases that the poet uses to show their double standards and
the social service agencies are
(i) Greedy good-doers.
(ii) Beneficial beast of prey.

4. What is the 'childish longing that the poet refers to? Why is it
'vain'?
Ans: The poet has the childish longing that he could hardly bear the pain of
the farmer and wants to put the all poor people out of their pain at one stroke.
This longing of the poet is in vain because it is never possible for him to help
all the poor people out of their pain.

5. Which lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels
at the thought of the plight of the rural poor?
Ans: "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"

Previous Years Questions Solutions

1. What is in the 'news' as mentioned in 'A Roadside
Stand'? (2015, 20)
Ans: It was in the news that the innocent rural flok would be brought out with
all their belonging and settled in villages. They won't have to think for
themselves anymore as the so-called 'good-doers' will take care of them.

2. Why do the people who are running the roadside stand 'ask for
some city money'?(2015)
Ans: The people who are running the roadside stand ask for some city money
to bring some changes and prosperity in their lives.

3. 'Of the thousand selfish cars' some stop there but not for buying
something. Why do they stop there at all? (2016)
Ans: Contrary to the expectations of the poor farmers' cars never stop by their
roadside stands. If sometimes they do at all, it is only to use the yard to back
and to turn round the car. Some time cars stop only to ask their way ahead or
to ask for a gallon of gas(petrol).

4. Who will soothe the rural poor out of their wits and how? (2016)
Ans: Some cunning and selfish city people will soothe the rural poor out of
their wits. They will swarm over their lives and earn money befooling them.
They are cruel like flesh-eating wild animals and destroy the peace and sleep
of the innocent rural folk.

5. What is being sold in the Roadside stand? (2017, 12)

Ans: Wild berril̥s and crook-necked squash and such other products are sold
on the roadside stand.

6. What is the 'childish longing that the poet refers to? Why is it
'vain'? (2017, 12)
Ans: The poet has the childish longing that he could hardly bear the pain of
the farmer and wants to put the all poor people out of their pain at one stroke.
This longing of the poet is in vain because it is never possible for him to help
all the poor people out of their pain.
7. Who referred to as the 'flower of cities' in 'A Roadside
Stand'? (2018)
Ans: The best thing about the cities is referred to as 'the flower of cities'.

8. Which things irritated the passers-by who stooped at the road-

side stand? (2018, 12) 
Ans: The passers-by who stooped at the road-side stand was irritated at the
part that the letter 'N' and 'S' turned wrong.

9. How did the travellers on the highways react to the roadside

stand? (2019)
Ans: The travelers on the highway reacted very strangely to the roadside
stand. They didn't even stop and bought any goods from the poor people. If
any traveler would stop there, it is only for the turn round the car or to ask
ahead direction or ask for petrol.

10. What is the word 'Pathetic' used for the roadside stand? (2013)
Ans: The word 'Pathetic' is used for the roadside stand because it is totally
unattractive and has no appeal to passers-by.

A Roadside Stand Extra Questions and Answers Stanza For Comprehension

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.

Questions

(a) Why was the new shed put up by the villagers ?

(b) Why the word ‘pathetically1 was used ?
(c) What would not be fair and why ?
(d) How cash supports the cities ?
Answers
(a) The new shed was put up by the villagers to earn some money by selling their
products.
(b) Word ‘pathetically’ was used to show the miserable and pitiful condition of the
farmers.
(c) To say for a ‘dole of bread’ would not be fair because those farmers have their self-
respect and they do not need begging.
(d) Cash escapes the cities from sinking and withering faint.

Stanza 2

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 sturned 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,

Questions
(a) What does ‘the polished traffic’ mean ?
(b) How the landscape was marred ?
(c) What was sold there at roadside stands ?
(d) What is meant by ‘out of sorts’ ?
Answers
(a) The polished traffic means the glossy, dexterous and proudy traffic.
(b) The landscape was marred with the artless paint of signs that with N turned wrong
and S turned wrong.
(c) Wild berries in wooden quarts and crook-necked golden squash with silver warts are
sold there.
(d) ‘Out of sorts’ means complaining, bad-tempered or unhappy.

Stanza 3

You have the money, but if you want to be mean,

Why keep your money (his 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.

Questions
(a) How are the city dwellers proved to be mean ?
(b) Where have they made their roadside stands ?
(c) Why do the farmers need some city money to feel in hand ?
(d) What is the promise of the ruling party ?
Answers
(a) City dwellers have enough money but they go along without spending it.
(b) ‘They have made their roadside stands far from the city.
(c) The farmers need some city money to feel in hand to make their being expand and
to live life like their ideals/heroes.
(d) The party in power promises to give them a comfortable and luxury life without worry
and economic problem.

Stanza 4

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 any more,
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.

Questions
(a) What is in the news?
(b) What, according to the greedy good-doers, is the benefit of the farmers?
(c) ‘Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits’, explain.
(d) How their sleeping would be destroyed?
Answers
(a) It is in the news that all these pitiful kin are to be brought out and gathered
mercifully, these farmers would be settled in the villages near the theatre and the store.
(b) The farmers won’t have to think for themselves any-more.
(c) Aborie mentioned line means : Capturing the lives of the farmers by enforcing their
own benefits; using them for purposes.
(d) By teaching them how to sleep, their ancient way of sleeping would be destroyed.

Stanza 5

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); thy had none, didn’t it seel

Questions
(a) What can be hardly borne by the poet?
(b) What do they wait for?
(c) How cars are selfish?
(d) What is the reply of the farmers at last?
Answers
(a) The poet can hardly bear the thought of so much childish longing in vain:
expectations that would never be fulfilled.
(b) They (farmers) wait for the squeal Of brakes, the sound of a stopping car; actually
they wait for the real customers.
(c) Cars are said to be selfish because nobody stops there to buy anything but to inquire
only or to plow up the grass by turning their heavy vehicles.
(d) The farmers angrily reply that they have nothing as per their demand, do they not
see whatever they are selling.

Stanza 6

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 wondor how I should like you to come to me
And offer to put me gently out of my pain.

Questions
(a) What is not found in country money?
(b) Who complains and why?
(c) How poet finds himself helpless?
(d) Why was poet wondeored?
Answers
(a) The requisite lift of spirit is never found in country money, at the country scale of
gain.
(b) The voice (villagers) of the country complains because no relief is given to them
from the government or greedy good-doers.
(c) The poet finds himself helpless as he is unable to put those people out of their pain
at one stroke.
(d) The poet was wondeored because he was expecting them to come to him and put
him gently out of his pain.