5. A ROADSIDE STAND BY ROBERT FROST

COMPLETE SOLUTION IF THE POEM 'A ROADSIDE STAND'

          (A) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

                            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.

Q1. Name the poem and the poet.

Ans:- The poem is ‘A Roadside Stand’ and the poet is Robert Frost.

Q2. What does the poet view beside the road?

Ans:- The poet sees many shops beside the road under the shed selling goods for their bread and butter.

Q3. Do people buy anything from the roadside shops?

Ans:- No, they don’t buy anything from there only because of vanity. They feel it is against their dignity.

Q4. What is the mean by ‘pathetically pled’?

Ans:- Pathetically pled, it means those village people who sell their goods beside the road are economically poor, their condition is miserable. They hope to earn some money cash by selling but nothing comes up.

(B) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

                “ The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,

                     Or if ever aside moment, then out of sorts

          At having the landscape marred with the artless paint

          Of sign that with N turned wrong and S turned wrong

               Offered for sale wild berries in wooden quarts”

Q1. What is the hope of the people beside the road from the traffic?

Ans:- The people beside the road hope to be bought something by the traffic but it doesn’t stay even for a moment.

Q2. What does S and N show in the poem?

Ans:- S and N shows direction but it has turned wrong due to poor paint out.

Q3. What do the village people sale beside the road?

Ans:- They sale wild berries in wooden quarts.

           (C) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

                          “The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complain

                           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”

Q1. What doesn’t the poet complain about?

Ans:- The poet doesn’t complain about the scenery that looks beautiful.

Q2. Why do the village people want money of the city?

Ans:- They want people beside the road buy some of their products so that they could earn bread and butter to run their homes.

    FROM OUT OF THE STANZA

Q1. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?

Ans:- The plea of the countryside people who ran the, roadside stand was that the people who passed by their stands should buy something from them whenever possible. Because for these poor people, needed money.

Q2. What is ‘childish longing’ that the poet refers to? Why is it ‘vain’?

Ans:- The childish longing of the poet Robert Frost is that at least one of the selfish cars that pass by these shops would be interested in buying something from them. Though it is in vain because even when some cars stop,  they do so to turn back or to ask the way where the car wants to reach.

Q3. Which lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of the rural poor?

Ans:- These lines which have been taken from the poem ‘ A Roadside Stand’ tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of the plight of the rural poor.

                 “ I can’t help owning the great relief it would be

                To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.”