The city folk who drove through the countryside hardly paid any heed to the roadside stand or the people who ran it. If at all they did, it was to complain. Which lines bring this out ? What was their complaint about ?
The following lines show the complaint of the city folk : ‘....out of sorts At having the landscape marred with the artless paint Of signs....’ The city people thought that the artless paint of signs made at the stand spoiled the beauty of the landscape. On seeing it, they felt irritated.
What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stands ?
Those who had put up the roadside stands were poor farmers. They hoped to earn some money from the rich city people who kept going up and down in their cars all day. They did not want any charity from them. They wanted only some money in return for the things they had to sell.
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.
The poet calls such people greedy good-doers and beneficent beast of prey. They soothe the poor out of their wits. They teach them how to sleep, but in fact, destroy their sleep at night. And they themselves sleep all day.
What is the ‘childish longing’ that the poet refers to ? Why is it ‘vain’ ?
The poor farmer keeps waiting all day for some car to stop at his stand. But hardly any car stops there. With a longing heart, he keeps sitting by the open window and waits all day. His longing proves vain when no one comes to buy the things he has put up for sale.
Which lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of the plight of the rural poor ?
The poet says :
‘Sometimes, I feel myself I can hardly bearWhere was the roadside stand put up and what for ?
The stand was in the shape of a little new shed. It was built in front of an old little house. It was at the edge of the road. A lot of traffic went that way. The poor owner of the stand had some little things to sell. He hoped to earn a little money by selling these things.
What does the poet say about the polished traffic ?
The rich people drive in expensive cars. They drove with their eyes fixed forward. If ever they looked aside, they felt irritated. They were irritated to see the artless way in which the shed had been painted. They would feel that the artless paint marred the beauty of the landscape.
What were the various things put up at the stand for sale ?
The stand offered for sale wild berries. They were put in wooden quarts. Then there were crook-necked golden squash which had silvery warts. They also had some picture of a beautiful mountain scene.
Why did no one stop to buy at the roadside stand ?
People in the car had money in their pockets. Yet they did not stop at the stand to buy anything. They thought it low to stop at such a place and shop there. So they kept the money in their pockets and moved away.
What was it that pained the poet ?
The poet saw how the poor man kept waiting for some car to stop at his stand. Thousands of cars passed that way but none stopped there to buy anything. Each car left the poor man waiting in sorrow. It was this pathetic wait that pained the poet.
What was the complaint about ‘the artless paint of sign’ ?
The stand-owner had got his shed painted. He had put up a few things for sale. He had painted some signsto indicate the things he had for sale. But the rich men going in their cars would say that the beauty of the landscape had been marred by the artless paint.
What has been in the news ?
There are all sorts of false promises in the news. It is in the news that the poor farmers will be paid for their small holdings and settled in villages near the cities. They are assured that they won’t have to worry about themselves. But in fact, such assurances are just to fool the poor.
What does the poet say about the ‘greedy good-doers’ and ‘beneficent beasts of prey’ ?
The poet calls the foxy politicians ‘greedy good-doers’ and ‘beneficent beasts of prey’. These people fool the poor with their false promises. They take away all the peace and sleep of the poor while they themselves sleep even during the day.
What is it that the poet can hardly bear ?
The poor man at the roadside stand keeps sitting by the open window all day. He keeps praying for one car at least to stop there. But when each of the thousand selfish cars passes by, the poor man is left in sorrow. It is this thought that the poet can hardly bear.
How does the poet mention some of the cars that stop at the stand ?
(Or)
What are the probable causes of the passing cars to stop near the roadside stand ?
One of the cars stops there just to turn back. Another one stops to ask the way to its destination. A third one stops to ask if it can have a gallon of petrol. It goes away crossly when it is told that there is no petrol at the stand.
Why does Robert Frost sympathise with the rural poor ?
The poet sees how the poor man keeps waiting for some car to stop at his stand. Thousands of cars pass that way but none stops there to buy anything. The poor villager is left waiting in sorrow. His plight fills Robert Frost with sympathy for the helpless rural poor.
In the poem, ‘A Roadside Stand’, the poet feels empathy for the poor. Elucidate.
(Or)
Why does Robert Frost sympathise with the rural poor ?
In this poem, the poet expresses his pain and anger at the pitiable life of poor farmers and other deprived people. The sight of a roadside stand brings to his mind the miserable plight of these people. The poor owner of the stand keeps sitting by the open window all day long. Out of the thousand cars that pass that way, he keeps waiting for one at least to stop there and buy a few of the things he has for sale. But hardly any car stops there. If ever any car stops there, it is not to buy anything. It stops there either to turn back, or to ask the way or to ask if it can have a gallon of petrol from there. The rich man in the car has money in his pocket, but he thinks it below his dignity to stop and shop at such a place. The poor man at the stand is filled with sorrow to see that no car has stopped there. The poet feels pained to think that the welfare of these poor farmers is never taken into account by the rich ruling classes. He says that it would give him great relief if these poor people can be relieved of their pain and poverty.
