CBSE Class 12 English The Roadside Stand Worksheet

 

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. A popular and often-quoted poet, Frost was honoured frequently during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.

 

Robert Frost contrasts the lives of the poor with that of the rich in this poem, “A Roadside Stand.” The poor people had constructed a roadside stand to sell their goodies and earn a living but the rich do not even bother to take a look at it. Frost tells the sad plight of economically underfed people who are often fooled by the cunning people who are responsible for their pathetic existence. The poet cannot bear their sadness so he sympathizes with them. He deals with the lives of poor deprived people of the villages with a clarity that is perceptive and at the same time portrays his deepest sympathies and his feelings of humanity.The poem also brings in to focus the unfortunate fact that progress and development are unequal between the cities and the villages leading to feelings of distress and unhappiness among the dwellers of the latter. In the poem, the poet describes the feelings of the owners of a roadside shed who seem to wait interminably for those whizzing past their house in their shiny cars, to stop and buy something from the shack-some fruit, some humble vegetables, or even stop and rest in the beautiful mountain scape.

 

They long for the feel of hard currency that is a symbol of poverty alleviation in their lives of deprivation. It appears to be a vain hope, however, that those who do glance their way are either reproachful of the blot on the landscape, their shed, that seems to mar the beauty of the landscape, or stop to ask for directions. Some use the space to turn their cars around unmindful of the damage to their turf. The poet is outraged at the callous attitude of the government, the civic authorities and the social service agencies who appear to help them but actually end up harming them.

 

The news says that these poor people are to be relocated to the vicinity of the towns near the theatre and the shops. There they will be well looked after and will have nothing worrisome to think about.The poet, however, regards this as a great disservice to the people who will be thus robbed of their voices and their freedom and ability to find solutions to their problems. Lulled into oblivion by this false and perhaps short-lived sense of security, the villagers will forever lose their abilities to make calculated decisions for themselves and become pawns in the hands of their so-called benefactors who are waiting to take over their land. This will finally culminate in a futile sense of dissatisfaction for the villagers. The poet is filled with sadness to see the almost childish longing that seems to emanate from the roadside shed, for a life that is described in the movies, a life so far removed from their life in the village.The unthinking occupants of a car who stop at the shed to buy a gallon of gas, speaks of the disconnect that exists in the perceptions of town people with regard to the villagers.They are unable to comprehend that the lives of the villagers are far removed from theirs, so replete with the comforts that the material world offers. The poet is saddened at the thought that the rural poor have not been able to experience the satisfaction that comes from a feeling of well-being and contentment. He feels that it would be easy to still these complaining voices once and for all by changing the lives of the villagers but he questions the wisdom of this rash act.

 

Poetic Devices: The rhyme scheme of the poem is abab.

 

Transferred-Epithet: 

1. „polished traffic‟ referring to the city dwellers who pass by the countryside and sometimes they take out a moment to scrutinize the surroundings around them. 

2. „Selfish cars‟ This refers to the car owners who do stop at the roadside stand but to ask about the police or the gas stations.

 

Personification: 

“the sadness that lurks behind the open window there…” where sadness is an example of personification. Sadness dwells in the windows of the farmers because they wait for cars to stop and make a purchase. Alliteration and Oxymoron: „Greedy good doers‟ and „beneficent beasts of prey‟ are examples of both alliteration and oxymoron.

 

i) 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…

Gist of the lesson

• Roadside stand by Robert Frost is concerned with human tragedies and fears. He focuses on the rural-urban divide and presents the lives of the poor deprived people with pitiless clarity and with the deepest sympathy and humanity.
• The dwellers of the little house by the roadside put up a little shed in front of their house as they wanted to earn a little extra-money but not for making their living.
• The rural people wish to feel some real money that supports the commerce of the cities.
• The shed was painted artlessly and stood out which made the passers-by irritated at having the beauty of the landscape spoilt.
• The traffic flowed ceaselessly or if ever they stopped, they felt out of sorts on seeing 'N' and 'S' written as their mirror images.
• The Stand sold wild berries and golden squash for sale.
• The owners of the shed felt cross when nobody wanted to buy anything · The poet feels that the implications of the unstated facts are more pathetic.
• The government announces schemes to allure such people and house them in villages that are near to the theatre and the store, to reap benefits for their own selfish needs.
• And the social workers and politicians enforce their decisions by alluring them and destroy their ability to earn their living, thus stripping them of all dignity and their voice
• The poet is overcome with pain at the thought of the people waiting in vain for the vehicles. If ever any vehicle stops, it will be to ask for directions, take a u-turn, and enquire about the price or to ask if they sell gas.
• But the country people have never felt the extra-money in their hands and they complain about it.
The poet wonders if it wouldn't be better if they were put out of their agony at one stroke but then wonders if someone offers the same solution to his pain, how he would feel. Killing is not the solution to the problem.

Solved Questions:

1. "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 stone,
Where 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 to sleep all day,
Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way".

Question. What is in the news?
Answer: It is in the news that the poor are to be relocated to better surroundings near the theatre and the shops.

Question. Which word in the verse means the same as 'generous' in the above lines?
Answer: 'Beneficent '

Question. Who is going to exploit the rural people and how?
Answer: The politicians and the Government exploit the poor by offering them benefits that are supposed to solve their problems but in reality only add or pose problems of a different nature thereby making them feel cheated.

Question. How will the greedy good-doers soothe the rural poor out of their wits?
Answer: By offering them free benefits like housing and other facilities, they rob the poor of their voice to protest and lull them into a feeling of false security.

Question. Who is referred to as beasts of prey and why?
Answer: The politicians in power and in opposition and they make no difference in the conditions of the rural poor.

Short answer questions

Question. Why did the country folk put up the roadside stand?
Answer: They put out a stand to earn some extra money to improve their lives.

Question. Why are the good-doers said to be greedy?
Answer: The good-doers work not for the real welfare of the poor but to further their own greed.
Offering false promises to the poor people , they are feeding on them.

Question. Why do cars stop at the roadside Stand?
Answer: The car-owners stop at the roadside stand to inquire about the prices, to turn the car around, ask for directions or ask for gas.

Question. What was the attitude of the city folk who passed by the 'Roadside Stand'?
Answer: The city folk were indifferent and callous towards the plight of the rural folk., never sympathized or helped them , but accused them of spoiling the beauty of the country side.

Answer : The little old house, the roadside stand, existed on the roadside to make a living out of the city money. The owners of the roadside stand expected to attract the rich city men by extending the stand closer to the road.

 

Answer : The traffic referred to here is the cars and other vehicles of the rich people from and to various cities. These rich city men are in great hurry to make money by doing business in the city.

 

Answer : The roadside stand‟s sole expectation is the flow of city-money into their hands. But their expectations are never fulfilled as the rich men are not considerate about them and hence a pathetic existence for the roadside stand. 

ii) It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread

    But for some of the city money, the cash, whose flow supports

    The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint…

 

Answer : One may think that the poor people at the roadside stand are beggars. But they are not. Unlike the beggars, the people of the roadside stand have something to sell.

 

Answer : The poor people expect a small share of the money from the rich people.

 

Answer : For the poor people at the roadside stand money is very essential for growth and survival. It boosts the growth of the city and the city people.

 

Answer : Prosperity/growth is the flower of the cities. As the flower is the crowning glory of a plant,growth becomes the flower of a city.

 

iii) 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 with S turned wrong and N turned wrong…

 

Answer : Polished traffic portrays the insensitive attitude and gentlemanly appearances of the city-men.They appear to be „polished‟ outside but their minds do not understand the sufferings of the poor people.

 

Answer : The city people who passed by the roadside stand were self-centred and their minds were restless with greed for money and ambitions for great profits in their business.

 

Answer : Having failed to see the wretchedness of the poor, they complain that the roadside stand, with its artless paint, ruined the beauty of the nature. Another complaint is that the letters are wrongly written.

 

Answer : The poor people mar/ruin the beauty of the landscape by putting up on the roadside. Their houses are painted in the most unprofessional manner with the most mismatching paint.

 

Answer : The Roadside STAND has an S and an N in Stand. The owner of the stand is illiterate so he has erected the board with wrong spelling with S and N inverted.

 

Stanza 5
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?

Question. Why did the first of the cars stop at the stand?
(a) to buy wild berries
(b) to buy some petrol
(c) to buy some flowers
(d) to use the yard in order to turn back

Answer : D

Question. Why did the second car stop there?
(a) to ask the way
(b) to buy wild berries
(c) to buy some flower
(d) none of the above

Answer : A

Question. Why did the third car stop there?
(a) to take turn back
(b) to have some drinking water
(c) to ask the way
(d) to ask if they could give him a gallon of gas

Answer : D

Question. Who is the poet of this poem?
(a) Walt Whitman
(b) Stephen Spender
(c) Robert Frost
(d) John Keats

Answer : C

Question. Find the words in the stanza which mean the same as
(a) tear up
(b) Petrol

Answer : (i) plow up (ii) gas.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

Question. Who has written the poem ‘A Roadside Stand’?
(a) Walt Whitman
(b) John Keats
(c) Robert Frost
(d) Stephen Spender

Answer : C

Question. Where was little house situated as per poem?
(a) in the city
(b) near the mall
(c) on the roadside
(d) none of the above

Answer : C

Question. Where is the money flowing?
(a) towards the Village
(b) towards the city
(c) towards the capital of the country
(d) all of the above

Answer : B

Question. What are flowers compared to?
(a) the beauty of the city
(b) the rich
(c) both (a) & (b)
(d) none of the above

Answer : B

Question. What did the polished traffic pass by?
(a) a village school
(b) a village hospital
(c) a roadside stand
(d) a village inn

Answer : C

Question. How did one who looked ‘aside a moment’ feel?
(a) irritated
(b) exited
(c) overjoyed
(d) none of the above

Answer : A

Question. What did the ‘artless paint’ do to the landscape?
(a) increased its attraction
(b) spoiled the beauty
(c) made it complicated
(d) increased beauty

Answer : B

Question. What was offered for sale there?
(a) wooden toys
(b) wild flowers
(c) wild berries
(d) wild mangoes

Answer : C

Question. What was the intention of “greedy good doers”?
(a) to help the poor people
(b) to make fun of them
(c) to exploit the poor
(d) to tease them

Answer : C

Question. What is meant by ‘The ancient way’?
(a) since time immemorial
(b) in the old fashioned way
(c) in recent past
(d) all the above

Answer : B

Question. What do the rich city people do the poor?
(a) help the poor
(b) exploit the poor
(c) work for the poor
(d) all the above

Answer : B

Question. What can the poet not bear?
(a) the rich helping the poor
(b) the poor serving the rich
(c) the poor man waiting all day for some car to stop at his stand
(d) the sight of the roadside stand

Answer : C

Question. According to poet, what is meant by ‘childish longing’?
(a) the longing of a child to have some joy
(b) the longing of the rich to help the poor
(c) the waiting of the poor for some car to stop at his stand
(d) none of the above

Answer : C

Question. What does the poor man wait for?
(a) for some car to stop at his stand
(b) to get the dole for bread
(c) both (a) & (b)
(d) for some help from God

Answer : A

Question. What should be a great relief to the poet?
(a) if people stand getting charity
(b) if people are immediately relieved of pain
(c) both (a) & (b)
(d) none of the above

Answer : C

Question. Why did the cars stop there?
(a) to ask the way
(b) to take turn
(c) to ask if they could give him a gallon of gas
(d) all the above

Answer : A

Question. Choose the option that correctly categorizes the given literary devices as per the given analogy.
selfish cars : …............. :: …................ : metaphor
(a) personification; polished traffic
(b) transferred epithet; trusting sorrow
(c) metaphor; pitiful kin
(d) oxymoron; greedy good-doers

Answer: B

Question. Choose the option that correctly mentions the complaints made by the poet through this poem.
1. The rich people drive carelessly on the road hitting the poor people on purpose.
2. The city-dwellers remain highly insensitive and offhand towards the poor people.
3. The urban people are unable to understand the struggles of the impoverished people.
4. The goods are not being bought by the wealthy people even at discounted rates.
(a) 1, 2
(b) 2, 3
(c) 3, 4
(d) 1, 4

Answer: B

Question. “I wonder how I should like you to come to me And offer to put me gently out of my pain.”
The tone of the poem by the end, as depicted by the given lines is
(a) frustrated.
(b) commanding.
(c) Introspective.
(d) emotional.

Answer: D

Question. Pick the option with the slogan that is likely to be used by a person selling at the roadside stand.
Slogan 1 Men and women in equality; a road to dignity.
Slogan 2 By the people and for the people.
Slogan 3 I see humans but no humanity. 
Slogan 4 Corruption, corruption, you leave my country. That’s all I pray!
(a) Slogan 1
(b) Slogan 2
(c) Slogan 3
(d) Slogan 4

Answer: C

Extract Based Questions:

A. 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.

Question. Choose the correct option with respect to the two statements given below.
Statement 1: The poet is agitated and depressed.
Statement 2: The poet realizes the futility of his thought about giving up.
(a) Statement 1 can be inferred but Statement 2 cannot be inferred.
(b) Statement 1 cannot be inferred but Statement 2 can be inferred.
(c) Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred.
(d) Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.

Answer: B

Question. Choose the option that correctly paraphrases the given lines from the above extract.
“I can’t help owning the great relief it would be To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.”
(a) The poet wants to kill the impoverished people.
(b) The poet feels that death is better than living such a miserable life.
(c) The poet wants to eliminate poverty from the society.
(d) The poet states that it is important that these people become rich.

Answer: B

Question. The ‘country money’ contextually here refers to
(a) money kept aside for the rural development.
(b) wealth accumulated by the whole country.
(c) meagre income earned by the countryside people.
(d) riches collected by the ancestral farmers over time.

Answer: C

Question. Pick the option that mentions elements justifying monetary aspect as the ‘requisite lift of spirit’.
1. confidence
2. ego
3. self-esteem
4. status
5. fame
(a) 1, 2, 4
(b) 2, 4, 5
(c) 1, 3, 4
(d) 1, 3, 5

Answer: D

B. 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…

Question. The passers-by find the sign artless but the landscape ___________.
(a) animated
(b) aesthetic
(c) amusing
(d) ancient

Answer: D

Question. The polished traffic in particular refers to the
(a) sophisticated city dwellers in their vehicles.
(b) shiny cars that the poet sees on the road.
(c) extremely affluent people living in the neighbourhood.
(d) civilized manner in which traffic is coordinated.

Answer: A

Question. What do the urban rich feel about the S and N signs that have been painted wrong?
(a) Tolerant
(b) Amused
(c) Sympathetic
(d) Annoyed

Answer: D