NCERT Flamingo – Class 12 English Core
Poem 4: A Roadside Stand – Robert Frost
Page 97 – Think It Out
Q1. 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?
Answer:
The lines are:
“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…”
Their complaint was that the roadside stand spoiled the beauty of the countryside with its crude, poorly painted signs. They felt irritated rather than sympathetic.
Q2. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?
Answer:
Their plea was simple: they wanted some of the city people’s money. They hoped this money would expand their lives, give them dignity, and allow them to live the life of prosperity they saw in movies and urban society.
Q3. 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.
Answer:
The poet uses ironic phrases like “mercifully gathered in”, “greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey”, and “enforcing benefits that are calculated to soothe them out of their wits”. These reveal how such agencies exploit and deceive the poor instead of truly helping them.
Q4. What is the ‘childish longing’ that the poet refers to? Why is it ‘vain’?
Answer:
The “childish longing” refers to the poor villagers’ constant hope that a car will stop to buy their produce and give them money. It is “vain” because, despite their waiting all day, almost no cars stop, and if they do, it is only for selfish reasons, not to support the villagers.
Q5. Which lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of the plight of the rural poor?
Answer:
The lines are:
“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…”
These lines express the poet’s deep sorrow at the poverty, helplessness, and endless disappointments of the rural poor.
Extra Questions & Answers
Q1. How does Robert Frost criticise political leaders and social agencies in the poem?
Answer:
Frost harshly criticises the hypocrisy of political leaders and social agencies who pretend to uplift the poor but actually exploit them. He calls them “greedy good-doers” and “beneficent beasts of prey.” These reformers plan to relocate villagers to new settlements with theatres and stores, where they won’t need to think for themselves. Their so-called “benefits” only soothe the poor “out of their wits,” making them dependent rather than independent. Instead of addressing real economic issues, they rob the villagers of dignity and self-reliance. Frost’s biting irony exposes their double standards and highlights the need for genuine reforms that empower, not weaken, the rural poor.
Q2. What role does the roadside stand play as a symbol in the poem?
Answer:
The roadside stand is not just a physical shed selling produce but a symbol of rural poverty, deprivation, and unfulfilled desires. It represents the villagers’ plea for recognition, dignity, and fair economic opportunity. Each product — berries, squash, mountain views — reflects their simple yet honest way of life. However, the indifference of speeding city cars symbolises urban neglect and selfishness. The crude signs that irritate city folk show the villagers’ lack of resources, not their lack of worth. Thus, the stand symbolises the economic imbalance between cities and villages and the larger failure of society to bridge this divide.
Q3. Discuss the relevance of A Roadside Stand in the context of modern society.
Answer:
The poem remains highly relevant today as economic disparity between urban and rural areas persists worldwide. Villages often remain underdeveloped, lacking education, healthcare, and employment opportunities, while cities flourish. Like the villagers in the poem, rural people still wait for “city money” and fair treatment. Politicians continue to make empty promises, and many rural initiatives fail to address real needs. In today’s consumerist society, urban people often treat the rural poor as invisible or burdensome. Frost’s poem thus calls for empathy, balanced development, and recognition that a nation’s progress depends on both cities and villages prospering together.
Very Short Questions
Q1. What do the villagers sell at the stand?
Wild berries, golden squash, and a view of the beautiful mountains.
Q2. Why do motorists not stop at the stand?
They are too preoccupied, or they complain about the stand spoiling the scenery.
Q3. What does the “childish longing” refer to?
The villagers’ naive hope that cars will stop and bring them money.
Q4. Why is Frost sympathetic towards the villagers?
He feels their pain, helplessness, and despair at being ignored and exploited.