Poem 4- Robert Frost’s ‘A Roadside Stand’ Summary, Theme, Line-by-Line Explanation, Stanza Wise Explanation, Poetic Devices, Textbook Exercises and Extract-Based Questions.
Poem 4- A Roadside Stand by Robert Frost:
Robert Frost
Robert Frost (1874-1963) , an iconic American poet, masterfully captured nature’s essence and the human experience through his verses.
Frost’s distinct style blends simplicity with profound meaning, using rural settings to delve into universal truths.
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Next on Flamingo: Poem 3-A Thing of Beauty, Poem 5-Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,
Supplementary Reader: Class 12 ‘Vistas‘
A Roadside Stand- 1936
“…As Robert Lee Frost’s fame and wealth grew during the “roaring twenties”, his poetry became increasingly enmeshed in social and political issues. Producing and selling art that embodied Yeats’s “unity of being”, though, could be as hard as making a decent income from cultivating apple trees. Frost was reminded of this during the summer of 1926 on his South Shaftsbury farm when he observed Carol and Lillian trying to sell their produce at a roadside stand. He later wrote A Roadside Stand out of sympathy for their efforts.”
‘A Roadside Stand’ was first published in Atlantic Monthly, 1936-06
-The Life of Robert Frost: A Critical Biography, First edition, Henry Hart
Vocabulary:
| Artless: Without guile or cunning; innocent or naive. Bound: Heading or moving in a particular direction. Crook-necked: Having a curved or bent neck or shape. Dole: A generous gift or portion of something, often given as relief or aid. Kin: Relatives or family members. Lingers: To remain or stay in a place longer than necessary. Lurk: To lie in wait, often with sinister intent. Marred: To impair the appearance or quality of something Plow: To turn over the soil using a plough tool, typically in preparation for planting crops. Pled: To make an earnest appeal or request. Quarts: Unit measurement for volume, equal to a quarter of a gallon. Requisite: Necessary or essential. Sane: Mentally healthy or rational. Stroke: A single, decisive action or event. Squeal: A sharp, high-pitched cry or sound. Thoroughfare: A main road or public highway. Warts: (Here) A small, hard growth or protrusion on the surface of something, such as a plant or vegetable. Wits: Mental faculties; the ability to think and reason. |
Simplified Concepts:
| Roadside Stand: A small shop by the road where people try to sell things to travellers. Pathetically: Sadly, showing a sense of hopelessness. Dole of Bread: Necessities or money for survival. Polished Traffic: Smooth, fast-moving cars. Artless Paint: Simple and unprofessional signs. Sorrow of Unsaid: Deep sadness that is not expressed. Beneficent Beasts of Prey: People who pretend to help but harm. |
Summary “A Roadside Stand”:
Robert Frost’s “The Roadside Stand” critiques urban-rural disparities, symbolised by the stand seeking urban resources amid rural struggle. It highlights societal neglect, unfulfilled promises, and rural isolation, contrasting urban affluence with rural hardship. Interactions at the stand reflect urban apathy. The poem ends with the speaker’s conflict: condemning rural suffering but empathising. It portrays societal inequality, yearning, and the urban-rural divide.
The stand, a metaphor for economic challenges, serves as a plea for support from the urban population. The speaker expresses resentment and longing for city money, controlled by those in power. The poem captures rural dwellers’ sadness and frustration, which they feel as if they are ignored by urban society. It reflects the desire for relief from difficulties, even suggesting a fantasy of someone ending their suffering. The poem evokes complex emotions, including resentment, longing, and a yearning for change.
Central Idea: A Roadside Stand:
The central idea of “A Roadside Stand” by Robert Frost revolves around rural struggle and urban neglect. The poem portrays the desperation of rural folk who run a roadside stand, hoping for city money to improve their lives but often facing indifference or exploitation from passing urbanites.
Frost criticises the societal structures widening this divide, highlighting the disparity between urban abundance and rural poverty. The poem also reflects on the longing for relief from suffering, whether the rural dwellers’ longing for economic stability or the speaker’s contemplation of the ultimate release from pain. It explores economic inequality, societal neglect, and the yearning for a better life.
Explanation of ‘A Roadside Stand’ for Auditory Learners:
Duration: 20 minutes
Chapters/time stamps and subtitles available
Stanza-Wise Analysis of ‘A Roadside Stand’:
- “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,”
The poem starts by describing a “little old house” next to a “little new shed”. This shows a mix of old and new, suggesting that things are changing. The “roadside stand” is right by the road where cars drive by quickly.
The poem describes the stand as “pathetically pled”, which means it looks quite desperate and in need of help. This highlights that the stand is struggling financially. When it says, “not fair to say for a dole of bread”, it means the stand needs more than just basic charity—it needs real financial help.
- “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”
These lines show that the stand isn’t asking for simple charity. Instead, it wants a share of the city’s wealth, which helps the cities thrive. This makes the difference between the struggling rural stand and the flourishing urban centres even clearer.
The “polished traffic” represents the busy, modern city world. The cars keep moving forward and don’t pay much attention. When the traffic gets annoyed at the “artless paint” on the signs, it shows the conflict between commercial signs and natural beauty. The signs with “N turned wrong, and S turned wrong” highlight that the stand’s signs are homemade and not perfect.
- “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 lines describe what the roadside stand sells: “wild berries in wooden quarts” and “crook-necked golden squash with silver warts”. These descriptions help us imagine the rural products being sold.
The difference between the natural, homemade items and the business side of selling shows the clash between authenticity and profit. The stand also tries to sell “beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene”, which is a way of critiquing the idea of selling something as beautiful as nature.
The speaker’s mention of being “mean” reflects their frustration because the passing cars don’t stop to buy anything.
- “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”
In this part, the speaker’s tone changes. They say that harm to the scenery is not their main concern. Instead, they feel sad about the rural community’s silent pain and unspoken longing.
The phrase “trusting sorrow of what is unsaid” shows the villagers’ hidden struggles. “City money” points out the big difference between the city and the countryside. The villagers want a share of the city’s wealth to improve their lives.
- “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.
- 23. It is in the news that all these pitiful ki
- 24. Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in”
The speaker talks about what the villagers want. They hope for economic improvement that will help their lives expand and get better. They dream of a better life, similar to what they see in “moving pictures” (movies) and modern media.
However, this wish for progress is different from the political reality. The “party in power” is thought to be not giving the promised benefits. The idea that the “pitiful kin” (the villagers) will be “bought out” and moved suggests that they feel displaced and powerless.
25. “To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,
26. Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore,
27. While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,
28. Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits
29. That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits,
30. And by teaching them how to sleep, they sleep all day,
31. Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way.”
These lines describe the villagers’ future. Living “next to the theatre and the store” means they are forced to adapt to modern city life. The idea of not having to “think for themselves anymore” shows that they will lose their independence.
The terms “greedy good-doers” and “beneficent beasts of prey” describe people who pretend to help but actually harm. These people offer superficial “benefits” that make the villagers lose their individuality. The line “by teaching them how to sleep, they sleep all day” shows how this change makes them less aware and less active.
The phrase “destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way” suggests that their traditional ways of life and values are being lost.
32. “Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear
33. The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
34. The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
35. That waits all day in almost open prayer
36. For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,
37. Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass,
38. Just one to inquire what a farmer’s prices are.“
The speaker talks about their emotional pain. They are deeply moved by the villagers’ unfulfilled wishes, which they call “childish longing in vain”.
The sadness that “waits all day in almost open prayer” shows how the villagers hope for attention from passing cars. They wait for the “squeal of brakes” and the “sound of a stopping car,” which symbolises their desire for recognition and customers.
The phrase “selfish cars that pass” emphasises how urban traffic is self-centred and doesn’t care about the stand. The hope that just one car will ask about the farmer’s prices shows the villagers’ need for both economic support and human interaction.
39. “And one did stop, but only to plow up grass
40. In using the yard to back and turn around;
41. And another to ask the way to where it was bound;
42. And another to ask could they sell it a gallon of gas
43. They couldn’t (this crossly); they had none, didn’t it see?”
The speaker describes brief interactions with the passing cars. One car stops only to “disrupt the grass” while turning around. This shows a lack of respect for the stand’s purpose.
Another car stops to ask for directions, showing that the city people are more concerned with practical matters. The request to “sell it a gallon of gas” shows how detached the city people are from the stand’s needs.
44. “No, in country money, the country scale of gain,
45. The requisite lift of spirit has never been found,
46. Or so the voice of the country seems to complain,
47. I can’t help owning the great relief it would be
48. To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.
49. And then next day as I come back into the sane,
50. I wonder how I should like you to come to me
51. And offer to put me gently out of my pain.”
In this final stanza, the speaker considers the insufficiency of “country money” and the lack of economic progress in rural life. The phrase “requisite lift of spirit” refers to the countryside’s lack of improvement or success.
The “voice of the country” represents the collective dissatisfaction and the desire for change. The speaker then considers a drastic idea: “putting them at one stroke out of their pain” to end the villagers’ suffering quickly. This shows their earlier frustration with the villagers’ situation.
But then, the speaker reflects on this idea and starts to doubt it. They imagine what it would be like if someone tried to “put [them] gently out of [their] pain.” This thought makes them reconsider their earlier idea, showing that they understand how complex and serious such decisions are.
In the poem’s ending, Robert Frost shows the speaker’s inner struggle, moving from frustration to deep thinking and empathy. The final stanza highlights the complexity of social problems and moral choices and how people can understand the struggles of others.
“A Roadside Stand” powerfully conveys the conflict between city and country life, economic differences, and the desire for understanding and help. To make these points, the poem uses vivid images, contrasting themes, and a thoughtful voice.
Theme ‘A Roadside Stand’:
- Urbanisation and Modernization:
The poem portrays the encroachment of urban life upon the rural setting. The “polished traffic” and the “flower of cities” represent the bustling modern world that contrasts with the simplicity of the countryside. “moving pictures promise” alludes to the allure of urban life and technological progress.
- Economic Struggles:
The “roadside stand” is a poignant symbol of the economic difficulties faced by the rural population. The stand’s plea for money and the depiction of signs offering goods for sale highlight the struggle for financial stability.
- Loss of Authenticity:
The “artless paint” on the signs and the commodification of nature through the sale of berries and squash suggest a loss of authenticity and commercialisation of the natural world.
- Trust and Disappointment:
The poem explores the themes of trust and disappointment resulting from unfulfilled expectations. The residents hope for city money to “make our being expand” and for the promises of the “party in power” to be fulfilled, but their disappointment is palpable.
- Desire for Relief:
The poem touches on the desire for release from suffering, both economic and emotional. At times, the speaker considers the relief it would be to put the struggling rural people “out of their pain.” This theme reflects the speaker’s internal conflict.
Why is “A Roadside stand” a multi-layered poem?
1. Irony and Critique of Urbanization:
Frost uses irony to criticise the effects of urbanisation. The “polished traffic” (the busy city cars) moves quickly and without care. In contrast, the “artless paint” on the commercial signs looks simple and out of place.
While the traffic ignores the signs, the signs disrupt the natural landscape and show how rural beauty is being commercialised. This irony shows the loss of authenticity and connection to the land due to commercial interests.
2. Economic Struggle and Power Dynamics:
The poem talks about the economic problems that rural communities face due to urban influences. The phrase “flower of cities” means the wealth and success of urban areas supported by money.
The stand’s request for “some of the money” shows the big economic difference between city and country areas. The idea that the “party in power” keeps promises of wealth from the rural people criticises political manipulation and economic inequality.
3. Critique of Well-Intentioned Intervention:
Frost criticizes people who try to help with good intentions but end up imposing their ideas. The terms “greedy good-doers” and “beneficent beasts of prey” describe these people as forcing their ideas of progress on the rural community.
This imposition reduces the villagers’ independence and self-sufficiency, as shown by the phrase “teaching them how to sleep.” Thus, the helpers are making the villagers dependent and less active.
Frost’s critique relates to the larger discussion about how urban influence affects traditional ways of life.
4. Inner Conflict and Moral Dilemma:
The speaker’s internal conflict is a vital part of the poem. Their wish to quickly end the villagers’ suffering shows their compassion. However, taking such a drastic step also shows how morally complex the decision is. This conflict adds depth to the speaker’s character and reflects the challenges of solving social problems.
In summary, “The Roadside Stand” is a deep poem that explores:
- Economic struggle
- The effects of urbanisation
- The conflict between tradition and progress
- The difficulties of social intervention
Frost explores these themes using vivid imagery, irony, and deep thinking. The poem shows the complex relationships between people, their environment, and progress and encourages readers to think about how these factors affect individual lives and society as a whole.
Line-by-Line Explanation of ‘A Roadside Stand’:
- The little old house was out with a little new shed
The poem describes a small, old house with a newly built shed.
- In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
The shed is at the front of the property, near the road where fast-moving traffic passes.
- A roadside stand that too pathetically pled,
The shed is a roadside stand, a small business structure that appears pleading or appealing for attention.
- It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
The speaker suggests that it wouldn’t be accurate to say that the stand is there merely begging for a handout or charity.
- But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The purpose of the stand is not to beg for food but to earn some of the money that comes from the flow of traffic passing by.
- The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
The money earned at the stand contributes to the well-being of cities, preventing them from deteriorating or becoming weak.
- The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,
The traffic passing by focuses on its destination and continues with little attention to the stand.
- Or if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts
If the traffic does pay attention, it is impatient or annoyed by the interruption.
- At having the landscape marred with the artless paint
The drivers dislike the unsophisticated appearance of the stand, which disrupts the natural landscape.
- Of signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrong
The signs on the stand need to point north and south correctly.
- Offered for sale wild berries in wooden quarts,
The stand provides wild berries for sale, measured in wooden quarts.
- Or crook-necked golden squash with silver warts,
It also sells crook-necked golden squash with silver-coloured warts.
- Or beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene,
The stand even sells scenes of natural beauty, perhaps paintings or photographs.
- You have the money, but if you want to be mean,
The speaker acknowledges that the passersby have money but might choose not to buy from the stand.
- Why keep your money (this crossly) and go along.
In a somewhat annoyed tone, the speaker questions why the drivers would keep their money and continue driving without making a
purchase.
- The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint
The negative impact on the landscape is not the speaker’s primary concern.
- So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:
The speaker is more concerned about the unspoken sadness and disappointment experienced by the people running the stand.
- Here far from the city we make our roadside stand
The stand is situated far from the city, emphasising its rural location.
- And ask for some city money to feel in hand
The stand owners hope to conduct little business and earn money from city-dwellers who pass by.
- To try if it will not make our being expand,
They hope the money will help improve their livelihoods and expand their possibilities.
- And give us the life of the moving-pictures’ promise
The money could bring them a life akin to the promises portrayed in movies.
- That the party in power is said to be keeping from us.
The ruling political party withholds this promised life, often portrayed in movies.
- It is in the news that all these pitiful kin
The news reports that these less fortunate individuals…
- Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
…are being offered compensation to be relocated.
- To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,
They (roadside stands) are to be resettled in villages near entertainment venues and stores.
- Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore,
They (roadside stands) will be resettled in villages near entertainment venues and stores.
- While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,
Like predatory animals, the “good” people offering help are also portrayed as taking advantage.
- Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits
They control these people’s lives by enforcing so-called benefits.
- That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits,
These benefits are designed to manipulate and placate them.
- And by teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day,
People (greedy good-doers) who give them false promises and benefits are lying and keeping them ignorant (sleep) of what is happening around them.
- Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way.
Their peace, livelihood, and comfort are destroyed the ancient way (the rich and powerful have always taken advantage of the people of less fortunate means)
- Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear
The speaker expresses a sense of empathy and understanding.
- The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The idea of people’s innocent desires going unfulfilled, saddens the speaker.
- The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
The sadness is personified as something that lingers near an open window.
- That waits all day in almost open prayer
The sadness seems to wait like a prayer nearly answered.
- For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,
The longing is for the sound of a car stopping at the stand.
- Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass,
Many cars pass by, but only one stop is hoped for.
- Just one to inquire what a farmer’s prices are.
The speaker hopes for a driver who will ask about the prices of the products.
- And one did stop, but only to plow up grass.
One car did stop, but it was just to damage the grass by turning around.
- In using the yard to back and turn around;
The car used the yard to reverse and change direction.
- And another to ask the way to where it was bound;
Another car stopped to ask for directions to its destination.
- And another to ask could they sell it a gallon of gas
Yet another car inquired about buying gas.
- They couldn’t (this crossly); they had none, didn’t it see?
In a cross or irritated tone, the response is that the stand doesn’t sell gas.
- No, in country money, the country scale of gain,
The speaker explains that the country’s way of earning and valuing money differs.
- The requisite lift of spirit has never been found,
The necessary boost in spirit or enthusiasm has never been attained.
- Or so the voice of the country seems to complain,
The country’s sentiment expresses dissatisfaction.
- I can’t help owning the great relief it would be
The speaker admits to having a sense of relief at the idea…
- To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.
…of ending the pain and difficulties these people face.
- And then next day as I come back into the sane,
The speaker acknowledges that these thoughts are fleeting and not entirely sane.
- I wonder how I should like you to come to me
The speaker reflects on how they would feel if someone approached them…
- And offer to put me gently out of my pain.
…and offered a kind way to end their pain. This line expresses empathy and self-awareness.
Question and Answers ‘A Roadside Stand’:
Textbook Questions/Answers ‘A Roadside Stand’:
Q1: 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?
A1: The lines that bring out the city folk’s lack of attention and their complaints about the roadside stand 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
Of signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrong”
The city folk’s complaint is directed at the perceived lack of aesthetic appeal in the countryside due to the presence of the roadside stand and its signs. The signs, offering products like wild berries and golden squash, are viewed as an unwelcome intrusion, and the city folk express their dissatisfaction with this apparent disruption to the natural scenery.
Q2: What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?
A2: The speaker conveys that the rural inhabitants who have set up the roadside stand are pleading for financial support. They seek “city money” to improve their economic conditions, hoping it will expand their lives. The plea reflects a desire for a better quality of life, echoing the promises seen in “moving-pictures,” and suggests a frustration with the party in power, which is believed to withhold these promised benefits from the rural community.
Q3: The government and other social service agencies appear to help the poor rural people but do them no good. Pick out the words and phrases that the poet uses to show their double standards.
A3: The poet uses the following words and phrases to highlight the double standards of the government and social service agencies in their supposed assistance to the poor rural people:
- “greedy good-doers”
- “beneficent beasts of prey”
- “enforcing benefits”
- “calculated to soothe them out of their wits.”
- “destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way”
These expressions convey a sense of irony and scepticism, suggesting that the assistance provided by these entities may not genuinely benefit the rural people.
Instead, the poet implies that the aid is driven by self-interest, portraying the government and social service agencies as both exploitative (“greedy good-doers” and “beneficent beasts of prey”) and deceptive (“calculated to soothe them out of their wits”). The phrase “destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way” implies that the purported help disrupts traditional lifestyles and practices without offering genuine improvements.
Q4: What is the ‘childish longing’ the poet refers to? Why is it ‘vain’?
A4: The “childish longing” referred to by the poet is the deep and sincere yearning of the rural inhabitants for acknowledgement, attention, and support from the passing city folk.
However, the poet describes this longing as “vain” because it often goes unanswered or unfulfilled. Despite the almost open prayer near the open window, the city cars, described as “thousand selfish cars that pass,” rarely stop or show genuine interest.
The term “vain” implies that the rural inhabitants’ yearning for attention and support is often futile, unmet, and seemingly disregarded by the busy urban world. The sadness stems from the unfulfilled hope and persistent longing that remains unaddressed.
Q5: Which lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of the plight of the rural poor?
A5: The lines that express the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of the plight of the rural poor 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
For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,”
In these lines, the poet conveys a deep emotional burden, describing the pain felt at the realisation of the rural poor’s unfulfilled yearning. The use of phrases like “hardly bear” and “the sadness that lurks” suggests a profound emotional impact on the poet. The insufferable pain arises from the contrast between the hopeful longing of the rural poor, symbolised by the open window and their almost prayerful wait for a stopping car, and the reality of their unmet expectations.
Extract Based Questions “A Roadside Stand”:
Extract 1:
“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: What is the setting described in the extract?
A1: The setting described in the extract is a little old house with a new shed in front, located at the edge of a road where traffic speeds by.
Q2: What is the purpose of the roadside stand mentioned in the poem?
A2: The purpose of the roadside stand is to sell goods and earn money from passing motorists, not for mere survival but to gain a share of the wealth that supports the flourishing cities.
Q3: How does the poet describe the plea of the roadside stand?
A3: The poet describes the roadside stand’s plea as “pathetically pled,” indicating a desperate but humble request for financial assistance.
Q4: What does the phrase “it would not be fair to say for a dole of bread” imply?
A4: This phrase implies that the roadside stand is not asking for charity or mere sustenance but is seeking a fair share of the money that flows through the economy, which supports urban prosperity.
Q5: What metaphor does the poet use to describe the economic support of cities?
A5: The poet uses the metaphor “the flower of cities from sinking and withering faint” to describe how the flow of money helps cities thrive and prevents them from declining.
Q6: According to the poet, how does the passing traffic react to the roadside stand?
A6: The passing traffic is described as being focused ahead, with little regard for the roadside stand. When they notice it, they are often irritated by the stand’s presence, feeling it mars the landscape.
Q7: What criticism does the poet make about the signs at the roadside stand?
A7: The poet criticises the signs for their “artless paint,” mentioning how the letters ‘N’ and ‘S’ are turned wrong, indicating a lack of sophistication and professional presentation.
Q8: What items are being offered for sale at the roadside stand?
A8: The items offered for sale include wild berries in wooden quarts and crook-necked golden squash with silver warts.
Q9: How does the poet convey the frustration of the people running the roadside stand?
A9: The poet conveys their frustration by highlighting their exasperated plea for people to either buy something or leave, reflecting their disappointment with the lack of patronage.
Q10: What broader social or economic theme does this extract from the poem suggest?
A10: The extract suggests a broader theme of economic disparity and the struggle of rural people to share in the wealth that flows through urban centres. It highlights their marginalisation and the futility of their efforts to connect with the affluent, fast-paced urban world.
Extract 2:
“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.”
Q1: How does the poet describe the traffic passing by the roadside stand?
A1: The poet describes the traffic as “polished,” suggesting modern, sleek cars that pass by with their drivers’ minds focused ahead, barely noticing the roadside stand.
Q2: How do the motorists react when they notice the roadside stand?
A2: When motorists notice the roadside stand, they often feel irritated or “out of sorts” as they perceive the stand and its signs as marring the landscape.
Q3: What are some of the items being offered for sale at the roadside stand?
A3: The items offered for sale include wild berries in wooden quarts and crook-necked golden squash with silver warts.
Q4: How does the poet describe the signs at the roadside stand?
A4: The signs are described as having “artless paint,” with the letters ‘N’ and ‘S’ turned wrong, indicating a lack of professionalism and refinement.
Q5: What does the poet imply by mentioning “beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene”?
A5: The poet is likely referring to the picturesque setting of the roadside stand, suggesting that it offers a peaceful and scenic break from the hustle and bustle of urban life.
Q6: What message is conveyed by the line, “You have the money, but if you want to be mean, Why keep your money (this crossly) and go along”?
A6: The line mentioned conveys a sense of frustration and bitterness toward motorists who have money but choose not to spend it at the stand, implying that their refusal to do so is mean-spirited.
Extract 3:
“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.”
Q1: What does the speaker suggest is not the main complaint about the roadside stand?
A1: The speaker suggests that the main complaint is not the harm to the scenery caused by the roadside stand.
Q2: What does “trusting sorrow of what is unsaid” imply?
A2: This phrase implies a deep, unspoken sadness and disappointment felt by the people running the roadside stand, rooted in their unfulfilled hopes and trust.
Q3: Where is the roadside stand located in the city?
A3: The roadside stand is located far from the city.
Q4: What are the people at the roadside stand asking for?
A4: They are asking for some city money to feel in hand, meaning they seek financial support from the urban population.
Q5: What do the people hope to achieve with the money they earn from the roadside stand?
A5: They hope the money will help expand their existence and provide them with the life promised by the movies.
Q6: What does the phrase “the life of the moving pictures promise” refer to?
A6: This phrase refers to the idealised and glamorous lifestyle depicted in movies, which the people aspire to attain.
Q7: Who does the poet suggest is keeping this promised life from the people?
A7: The poet suggests that the party in power is said to keep this promised life from the people.
Extract 4:
“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 theatre and the 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.”
Q1: What does the news report mentioned in the extract say about the “pitiful kin”?
A1: The news report says that the “pitiful kin” will be bought out and gathered into villages, where they will live next to theatres and stores.
Q2: What does the poet suggest will happen to the “pitiful kin” once they are moved to these villages?
A2: The poet suggests that the “pitiful kin” will no longer have to think for themselves, implying a loss of independence and self-reliance.
Q3: How does the poet describe the people managing the lives of the “pitiful kin”?
A3: The poet describes them as “greedy good-doers” and “beneficent beasts of prey,” indicating a negative view of their intentions and actions.
Q4: What is the poet’s opinion of the benefits being enforced on the “pitiful kin”?
A4: The poet believes these benefits are calculated to soothe the “pitiful kin” out of their wits, suggesting that they are meant to appease/alleviate and control rather than genuinely help.
Q5: What impact does the poet suggest these enforced benefits will have on the “pitiful kin’s” daily lives?
A5: The poet suggests that these benefits will teach them to sleep during the day and disrupt their natural sleeping patterns at night.
Extract 5:
“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 plow up grass
In using the yard to back and turn around;
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?”
Q1: What does the poet struggle to bear at the beginning of this extract?
A1: The poet struggles to bear the thought of so much “childish longing in vain,” referring to the unfulfilled hopes and dreams of the roadside stand owners.
Q2: What emotion does the poet describe as lurking near the open window?
A2: The poet describes a sadness that lurks near the open window, representing the constant and lingering disappointment felt by the stand owners.
Q3: What are the roadside stand owners waiting and hoping for all day?
A3: They are waiting and hoping for the squeal of brakes and the sound of a stopping car, indicating a potential customer.
Q4: How does the poet describe the passing cars?
A4: The poet describes the passing cars as “thousand selfish cars,” highlighting the motorists’ indifference to the roadside stand.
Q5: What happened when one car did stop at the roadside stand?
A5: One car stopped only to plough the grass in the yard while using it to back up and turn around.
Q6: What did another motorist stop to ask for at the stand?
A6: Another motorist stopped to ask for directions to where it was bound.
Q7: What did the final motorist in the extract stop to inquire about?
A7: The final motorist stopped to ask if they could sell a gallon of gas.
Q8: How did the roadside stand owners respond to the inquiry about selling gas?
A8: The owners responded crossly, saying they had none and asking rhetorically if the motorist couldn’t see that they didn’t sell gas.
Extract 6:
“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.”
Q1: What does the poet mean by “country money” and “country scale of gain”?
A1: “Country money” and “country scale of gain” refer to the economic system and the measure of financial success in rural areas, which are different and often less than in urban areas.
Q2: What is the “requisite lift of spirit” mentioned in the extract?
A2: The “requisite lift of spirit” refers to the morale and hope boost that rural people need but have not found in their current economic situation.
Q3: How does the voice of the country seem to feel about their economic condition?
A3: The country’s voice seems to complain about its economic condition, indicating dissatisfaction and frustration with its financial struggles.
Q4: What does the poet admit to feeling when considering the relief of putting people out of their pain?
A4: The poet admits to feeling great relief at the thought of ending the suffering of the rural people, albeit drastically.
Q5: How does the poet’s perspective change the next day?
A5: The next day, as the poet returns to a more rational state of mind (“come back into the sane”), he questions the morality and implications of ending the rural people’s suffering.
Q6: What does the poet wonder about in the final lines of the extract?
A6: The poet wonders how he would feel if someone came to him and offered to gently relieve his pain, reflecting on the gravity of such an action.
Archive Article Supporting Robert Frost’s Concerns About Urbanization
https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/ipd/localfoods/exhibits/show/stands-and-markets/roadside-stands
