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A Roadside Stand Question Solutions
Table of Contents
A Roadside Stand Notes
(HS 2nd Yr English)
– Robert Frost
A Roadside Stand Question Solutions
A Roadside Stand Notes | Question Answer
(Textual Question Solutions)
(Think it out). Each bearing 2 Marks
Q.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 complain. Which lines bring this out? What was their complaint about?
Ans: The following lines bring out the complaint of the city folk:
“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.”
The city folk complained that the artless paint of the roadside stand had spoilt the beauty of the entire place.
2. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?
Ans: The folk who had put up the stand on the roadside were poor farmers. They hoped, the people, passing by in vehicles, to stop and buy something from their items so that they could earn some money from them.
3. The Government and other social service agencies appear to help the poor but actually do them no good. Pick out the words and phrases that the poet uses to show their double standards.
Ans: The Government and the party in power were indifferent to the welfare of the poor rural people. No social service agencies were doing any good to them.
The words and phrases that the poet uses to show their double standards are:
‘While greedy good-doers, beneficient beasts of prey,
Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits
That are calculated to soothe them out their wits.’
4. What is the ‘childish longing’ that the poet refers to? Why is it vain?
Ans: Like innocent children, the poor farmers wait all day long for some vehicles to come and stop to buy some food items from their stand. But it never happens. In this way, their childish longing goes on in vain.
5. Which lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of the plight of the rural poor?
Ans: The lines that tell us about the insufferable pain of the poor are-
”I wonder how I should like you to come to me
And offer to put me gently out of my pain.”
A Roadside Stand Notes | Question Answer
(Additional Question Solutions)
Short Answer type Questions. (Each bearing 2 Marks)
Q.1. What is the news?
Ans: The news is that the poor people who live in pitiable conditions should be brought together with their belongings and they should be made to live in the village next to the theatre and the store.
Q.2. How does the traffic pass?
Ans: The traffic passes by the roadside stands without stopping there. They drive their vehicles ahead without noticing the roadside stands.
Q.3. Name some of the things that the roadside stands to offer to sell.
Ans: The names of some things that the roadside stands offer to sell are – wild berries and golden squash.
Q.4. According to the poet, what will give a relief to the poet?
Ans: The poet thinks that the release of the poor rural people from their state of sorrow and misery will give great relief to the poet. All should come out with a helping hand to the poor.
Q.5. Who has betrayed the village poor people?
Ans: The party in power has betrayed the village people.
The party in power makes promises to improve their lives but when they are in power they don’t care for the needs of the poor.
Q.7. What things irritated the passersby who stopped at the roadside stand?
Ans: The badly built houses and the artless paints of signboards in the poor areas irritated the passersby who stopped at the roadside stand.
Q.7. Why does the poet sympathise with the rural people?
Ans: The poet sympathises with the rural people because they are very poor and can hardly buy their food. The government is indifferent to their welfare. They are being exploited by greedy good-doers and crafty businessmen.
Q.8. How did the travellers on the highways react to the roadside stand? H.S. ’19
Ans: The travellers on the highways sometimes stopped at the roadside stand not to buy any food items but to make complaints that the letters on the signboard were written wrongly and the bad paintings had marred the beauty of the locality.
9. Of all the thousands of selfish cars, some stop there but not for buying something. Why do they stop there at all?
Ans: The poor people who were running the roadside stands expected that the travellers would stop there and buy something from their stands. But the travellers did not do so. Of course, some stopped only to ask about the way and some stopped to ask if they could sell a gallon of gas.
10. What will be a great relief to the poet?
Ans: The poet is very sympathetic to the plight of the poor village people. He thinks that he will get relief only if the poor people are put out of their pain and poverty with one blow. Their miserable life is not better than death. So the poet wants an immediate solution to their sufferance.
Que- Ans from the Extracts of the Poem (Each bearing 4 Marks)
Q.1. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:
(a) ‘The little old house was out with a little new shed
……………… and withering faint.’
Questions:
(i) Where was the stand situated? 1
(ii) Explain, “Too pathetically pled’. 2
(iii) Find words from the stanza that mean: (a) corner (b) becoming dry and faded? 1
Ans: (i) The stand was situated at the edge of the road.
(ii) The phrase ‘too pathetically means ‘to beg in the most modest way’.
(iii) The aim of those who ran the stand was to earn some money.
(b) ‘It is in the news that all these pitiful kin
Are to be brought out and mercifully gathered in
……………. at night the ancient way.’
Questions:
(i) Why would not these poor people have to drink for themselves? 1
(ii) How will the innocent rural people be soothed out of their wits? 2
(iii) Who are destroying sleep and how? 1
(iv) Find out the words or phrases that mean (a) generous and (b) flesh-eating animal.
Ans: (i) The poor people won’t have to drink for themselves because they would be in the grasp of cunning and selfish people.
(ii) The innocent rural people would be soothed by selfish people by means of exploitation.
(iii) The greedy good-doers are destroying their sleep. They use their tricks to make them poorer.
(iv) The words that mean, (a) generous is ‘beneficent’; and (b) ‘flesh-eating animal’ is ‘beast of prey’.
(c) “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.”
Questions :
(i) What is the childish longing’ that the poet refers to? Why is it ‘in vain’? 2
Ans: Like innocent children, the poor farmers wait all day long for some vehicles to come and stop to buy some food items from their stand. But it never happens. In this way, their childish longing goes on in vain.
(ii) Who waits near the open window? 1
Ans: The poor rural people wait near the open window.
(iii) What does the person waiting near the open window pray for? 1
Ans: The person waiting near the open window prays that the cars running through the road would stop at the roadside stand and buy some goods from them and thus the poor villagers would earn their livelihood. 0 0 0.
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A Roadside Stand Notes | Question Answer
A Road Side Stand: Summary
“A Roadside Stand” by Robert Frost is a poignant poem that captures the struggles and disappointments of rural life. The poem describes a small roadside stand set up by a farmer or villager, hoping to sell a few products to the passing city dwellers. The stand, however, fails to attract much attention or business.
The poem opens with a vivid image of the roadside stand, standing alone and almost pleading for customers. The farmer has made an effort to make the stand appealing, painting it and arranging the products neatly, yet the city folks who drive by in their cars either ignore it or show disdain. These urban passersby, who could easily afford to stop and make a purchase, remain indifferent to the humble offerings of the stand.
Frost highlights the disconnect between the rural and urban populations. The farmer’s hopes for a better life through this modest venture are dashed by the lack of interest from the city folks. The farmer had hoped that selling products at the stand would bring some financial relief and improve his family’s living conditions, but the reality is far from his expectations.
The poet expresses sympathy for the farmer, who is trapped in a cycle of poverty and unfulfilled dreams. The stand symbolizes the farmer’s desire to connect with the world outside his rural existence and to find some economic respite. However, the poem paints a bleak picture of this aspiration, as the stand remains largely unnoticed and the farmer’s hopes remain unfulfilled.
Frost also touches on the broader theme of societal neglect and the widening gap between the affluent urbanites and the struggling rural population. The poem suggests that the urbanites are too absorbed in their own lives to notice or care about the plight of the rural people. This neglect is not just economic but also emotional and moral, as the city dwellers fail to see the humanity and the struggle behind the roadside stand.
In conclusion, “A Roadside Stand” is a reflective poem that sheds light on the rural-urban divide and the simple yet profound aspirations of the rural populace. Through the image of the roadside stand, Frost conveys the themes of hope, disappointment, and societal indifference, urging readers to acknowledge and bridge the gap between different segments of society. 0 0 0
A Roadside Stand Notes | Question Answer
About the Poet: Robert Frost
Early Life and Education
Robert Lee Frost was born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco, California, to William Prescott Frost Jr. and Isabelle Moodie. His father, a journalist and editor, died of tuberculosis in 1885, when Frost was just 11 years old. Following his father’s death, the family moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts, to live with his paternal grandfather, William Frost Sr. This move to the East Coast marked a significant change in young Frost’s life, exposing him to the New England landscape that would later become a central theme in his poetry.
Frost attended Lawrence High School, where he excelled academically and was co-valedictorian of his graduating class in 1892, alongside Elinor Miriam White, whom he would later marry. Frost briefly attended Dartmouth College but left after less than a semester, feeling unfulfilled by the experience.
Early Career and Personal Life
In 1895, Frost married Elinor Miriam White. The couple had six children: Elliott, Lesley, Carol, Irma, Marjorie, and Elinor Bettina. Despite his literary aspirations, Frost initially struggled to support his family and worked various jobs, including teaching and farming.
In 1897, Frost entered Harvard University but left two years later due to health issues. He moved his family to a farm in Derry, New Hampshire, in 1900, purchased with the help of his grandfather. While farming, Frost continued to write poetry, although he found little commercial success.
Move to England and Breakthrough
In 1912, facing financial difficulties and seeking a fresh start, Frost moved his family to England. This decision proved to be a turning point in his career. In England, Frost met influential poets like Edward Thomas, Rupert Brooke, and Ezra Pound, who helped him gain recognition.
Frost published his first book of poetry, “A Boy’s Will,” in 1913, followed by “North of Boston” in 1914. These collections received critical acclaim and established him as a prominent poet. “North of Boston” included some of his most famous poems, such as “Mending Wall” and “The Death of the Hired Man.”
Return to America and Continued Success
Frost returned to the United States in 1915 at the onset of World War I. By then, his reputation as a poet had been firmly established. He bought a farm in Franconia, New Hampshire, where he continued to write and lecture. His subsequent collections, “Mountain Interval” (1916), “New Hampshire” (1923), and “West-Running Brook” (1928), further solidified his status as a leading American poet.
Frost’s poetry often explored themes of rural life, nature, and human emotion, with a deep appreciation for the New England landscape. His writing style, characterized by its simplicity and conversational tone, made his work accessible yet profound. He received four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry: for “New Hampshire” (1924), “Collected Poems” (1931), “A Further Range” (1937), and “A Witness Tree” (1943).
Later Life and Honors
Frost spent the latter part of his life teaching and lecturing at various institutions, including Amherst College and the University of Michigan. He became a prominent public figure, known for his insightful and engaging lectures on poetry and literature.
In 1961, Frost was invited to read at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, becoming the first poet to read at a presidential inauguration. He recited “The Gift Outright” from memory after being unable to read the poem he had written for the occasion, “Dedication,” due to the glare of the sun on the snow.
Frost received numerous honors and accolades throughout his life, including honorary degrees from prestigious universities and awards such as the Congressional Gold Medal.
Personal Tragedies
Despite his professional success, Frost’s personal life was marked by tragedy. He experienced the loss of his children Elliott, Carol, Marjorie, and Elinor Bettina. His wife, Elinor, died in 1938. These personal losses deeply affected him and are often reflected in the somber and introspective tones of his later poetry.
Robert Frost died on January 29, 1963, in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 88. He was buried in the Old Bennington Cemetery in Bennington, Vermont.
Robert Frost remains one of America’s most beloved and influential poets. His work continues to be studied and admired for its depth, accessibility, and insight into the human condition. Frost’s ability to capture the essence of rural life and the complexities of human emotion in a deceptively simple style has ensured his place as a central figure in American literature.
His poems, such as “The Road Not Taken,” “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” “Mending Wall,” and “Birches,” are considered classics and continue to resonate with readers worldwide. Through his poetry, Frost has left an enduring legacy that reflects the beauty and challenges of life in the American landscape. 0 0 00
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