About the Poet
Robert Frost (1874–1963) was a renowned American poet known for his deep connection with rural life and profound reflections on human struggles. His poetry often explores themes of nature, isolation, and social realities. Frost’s works are characterized by simple yet powerful language, rich imagery, and deep philosophical insights. In A Roadside Stand, he highlights the economic disparity between rural and urban life, showcasing his empathy for the underprivileged.
Theme of the Poem
The poem A Roadside Stand reflects the stark contrast between the wealthy city dwellers and the struggling rural poor. Frost portrays the hardships of villagers who depend on a small roadside stall to earn a living, only to face neglect and indifference from passing motorists. The poem critiques economic inequality and urban apathy while emphasizing the unfulfilled dreams of the rural poor. Through vivid imagery and emotional depth, Frost conveys the harsh reality of those who seek financial stability but remain trapped in poverty, longing for kindness and fairness from society.
Poem
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 theater and 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 buy gas,
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.
Questions-Answers
1. What is the central idea of the poem A Roadside Stand?
Answer: The poem highlights the struggles of rural people trying to earn a livelihood through a small roadside stand. It reflects their hope for financial stability and better living conditions while exposing the neglect and indifference of wealthy city dwellers. Frost critiques the widening gap between the rich and the poor, showing how economic disparities crush the dreams of rural folk.
2. How does the poet describe the roadside stand?
Answer: The poet describes the roadside stand as a small, simple structure put up by poor villagers beside a highway. It is meant to attract passing city travellers in the hope that they will stop and buy something. The stand is modest, with a few items for sale, but its owners have high hopes for better earnings.
3. What emotions does the poet express in the poem?
Answer: The poet expresses deep sympathy for the rural people who struggle to survive. He conveys their hope, disappointment, and helplessness as they wait for customers who never stop. Frost also expresses frustration at the selfishness of city dwellers and the false promises given to the poor.
4. What is the significance of the location of the roadside stand?
Answer: The stand is placed beside a busy highway where wealthy travellers pass by. The villagers hope that these travellers will buy their goods, providing them with some financial relief. However, the location also symbolizes the economic divide, as city people ignore the stand, treating it as a mere distraction.
5. What does the poet mean by “out of sorts” when describing the roadside stand?
Answer: “Out of sorts” suggests that the stand looks unattractive or unappealing compared to the smooth and well-maintained highway. It reflects the rural people’s struggle to present their goods in a way that will attract city customers.
6. How do the passing city people react to the roadside stand?
Answer: The city people react with indifference or irritation. Some complain about the stand being an eyesore, others feel annoyed by the poorly written signs, and some only stop to ask for directions without purchasing anything. Their actions highlight their lack of concern for rural struggles.
7. What does the poet criticize about modern society in the poem?
Answer: Frost criticizes the selfishness and insensitivity of modern, wealthy society. He highlights how the rich ignore the poor, failing to support their small efforts to improve their lives. The poem also criticizes false promises made by politicians and authorities who claim to help the poor but never truly uplift them.
8. Why do the villagers feel disappointed?
Answer: The villagers feel disappointed because they wait in hope for customers who never come. Despite their efforts to attract buyers, travellers either ignore the stand or treat it with disdain. Their struggle remains unnoticed, leaving them in despair.
9. What is the poet’s tone in the poem?
Answer: The poet’s tone is sympathetic and sorrowful, showing deep concern for the poor. At times, it becomes critical of city dwellers and politicians who fail to support rural communities. By the end, the tone shifts to one of despair, as the poet wishes for an end to the villagers’ suffering.
10. What role do political and social systems play in the poem?
Answer: The poem suggests that political and social systems fail to support the rural poor. Politicians promise economic relief but do nothing meaningful to change their conditions. Society, especially the wealthy, remains indifferent, widening the economic gap between the rich and the poor.
11. What does the phrase “greedy good-doers” mean?
Answer: The phrase refers to people who pretend to help the poor but are actually driven by selfish motives. Politicians and rich philanthropists often make promises to improve rural life, but their actions only benefit themselves, leaving the poor in the same miserable state.
12. How does Frost highlight the struggles of the rural poor?
Answer: Frost highlights their struggles by describing their desperate attempts to earn a living, their disappointment when no one stops at their stand, and their helplessness against the false promises of those in power. Their small stand symbolizes their constant fight for survival.
13. What is the significance of the phrase “childish longing”?
Answer: The phrase refers to the simple yet deep desire of the villagers to be noticed and helped. Like children who hope for small joys, they wait for customers with innocent expectations, only to be repeatedly disappointed.
14. Why does the poet wish for an end to the villagers’ suffering?
Answer: The poet feels deep sympathy for the villagers and is overwhelmed by their helplessness. Seeing them suffer continuously, he expresses a desperate wish for a way to free them from their misery, even if it means putting them to sleep forever.
15. How does Frost use imagery to describe the villagers’ plight?
Answer: Frost uses vivid imagery to depict the rural landscape, the stand, and the expressions of disappointment on the villagers’ faces. He describes the empty road, the hopeful yet tired eyes of the sellers, and the contrast between the moving cars and the stillness of the stand.
16. What message does the poem convey about economic disparity?
Answer: The poem highlights the sharp economic divide between the rich and the poor. While city people live in comfort, the rural poor struggle for basic survival. Their small business is ignored, showing how society neglects those in need.
17. Why do the city people not stop at the roadside stand?
Answer: The city people do not stop because they are indifferent to the needs of the poor. Some are annoyed by the sight of the stand, while others are too absorbed in their own concerns to notice it. Their behaviour reflects their lack of empathy.
18. How does the poet contrast rural and urban life?
Answer: Rural life is shown as simple yet full of hardships, while urban life is portrayed as fast-paced, wealthy, and indifferent. The villagers struggle to make ends meet, while city people travel in comfort without caring about the poor.
19. How does the poem reflect Robert Frost’s humanistic concerns?
Answer: Frost’s deep concern for human suffering is evident in the poem. He sympathizes with the villagers, criticizes social inequality, and expresses frustration at the lack of real support for the poor. His compassion for the rural poor makes this poem a powerful social critique.
20. How does the ending of the poem leave an impact on the reader?
Answer: The ending, where the poet wishes for the villagers’ suffering to end, is deeply emotional. It highlights the intensity of their struggle and the hopelessness of their situation, leaving the reader with a sense of sadness and reflection on social injustices.
Poetic Devices Questions and Answers
1. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Answer: The poem follows a free verse structure, meaning it does not have a fixed rhyme scheme.
2. Identify the metaphor in “A Roadside Stand.”
Answer: The roadside stand itself is a metaphor for the struggles of the rural poor, representing their small hopes and efforts to improve their lives.
3. What is the effect of personification in the poem?
Answer: Frost personifies the stand, giving it human-like emotions such as longing and disappointment, which emphasize the villagers’ struggles.
4. How does alliteration enhance the poem?
Answer: The use of alliteration, such as in “polished traffic passed,” creates a rhythmic effect and draws attention to the contrast between the rich travellers and the poor sellers.
5. What poetic device is used in “greedy good-doers”?
Answer: This is an example of oxymoron, where opposite ideas (greedy and good) are combined to highlight the hypocrisy of so-called benefactors.
6. How does Frost use contrast in the poem?
Answer: Frost contrasts rural poverty with urban wealth, showing the indifference of the rich towards the poor.
7. Identify the symbolism in the poem.
Answer: The roadside stand symbolizes the economic struggles of the rural poor and their hope for a better future.
8. How does repetition affect the poem?
Answer: The repeated emphasis on waiting and longing highlights the villagers’ unfulfilled dreams.
9. What type of imagery is used in the poem?
Answer: Frost uses visual imagery, describing the landscape, the stand, and the passing cars vividly.
10. How does irony play a role in the poem?
Answer: The irony lies in the city people’s ignorance—they complain about the stand but never help the villagers.
Other Poems:
| My Mother at Sixty-six |
| An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum |
| Keeping Quiet |
| A thing of beauty |
| Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers |
also see:
| ONLINE GRAMMAR QUIZZES with CERTIFICATES |
| CBSE: Curriculum Aligned Competency-Based Test Items | EduDel Practice Papers for Class 3 to Class 8: 2022-23 |
| ENGLISH GRAMMAR_1 | ENGLISH GRAMMAR_2 |
| USEFUL EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH SPEAKING |
