Class 12 English Notes Poetry 3 (A Roadside Stand) – Flamingo Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Robert Frost's poignant poem, 'A Roadside Stand' from your Flamingo textbook. This poem is significant, not just for its literary merit, but also for the social commentary it offers, making it relevant for various examinations. Pay close attention to the details.

A Roadside Stand by Robert Frost: Detailed Notes

1. About the Poet:
Robert Frost (1874-1963) was a celebrated American poet, known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. Though often associated with New England, his poems explore universal themes of human struggle, isolation, and the complexities of nature and society. 'A Roadside Stand' reflects his deep empathy for the marginalized and his critique of societal inequalities.

2. Introduction to the Poem:
The poem presents a stark picture of the lives of poor rural people who set up a roadside stand hoping to sell their produce (berries, squash, etc.) to the affluent city dwellers driving past in their cars. It contrasts the desperate hope of the rural poor with the indifference, and sometimes contempt, of the urban rich. Frost uses the stand as a symbol to explore themes of poverty, hope, disappointment, and the widening gap between rural and urban life.

3. Summary:

• Setting the Scene: The poem begins by describing a small, dilapidated house with a newly added shed – the roadside stand. It stands out awkwardly against the backdrop of the scenic landscape, almost pleading ("pathetically pled") for attention from the passing city traffic.
• The Purpose: The stand owner doesn't want charity ("dole of bread"). They desire to earn some "city money" – the cash that fuels urban prosperity – to experience a little bit of the better life they see portrayed in movies and promised by political parties ("the party in power"). They long for economic improvement, not just subsistence.
• Urban Indifference: The "polished traffic" (wealthy city people in shiny cars) rushes past, focused on their destinations ("with a mind ahead"). If they do stop, it's often with annoyance – to complain about the poorly painted signs marring the scenery, to ask for directions, or to inquire about fuel, completely ignoring the goods offered for sale (wild berries, squash). They are depicted as "selfish cars."
• The Farmer's Plea: The poet emphasizes the farmer's unspoken pain ("trusting sorrow of what is unsaid"). They feel hurt not just by the lack of sales, but by the lack of acknowledgement and empathy from the city folk. They have set up the stand far from the city, hoping to attract some of its wealth.
• Critique of 'Good-Doers': Frost criticizes the so-called benefactors – politicians, social workers, or capitalists ("greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey"). These figures promise relocation and development ("moving pictures' promise"), supposedly to help the rural poor. However, their actions are self-serving and ultimately destructive. They plan to resettle these people in villages near theatres and stores, ostensibly for their benefit, but Frost implies this is a way to control them, exploit their land, or make them dependent, ultimately robbing them of their independence and critical thinking ("soothe them out of their wits," "teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day").
• Poet's Empathy and Despair: The poet expresses deep personal anguish observing this "childish longing in vain." He feels the sadness emanating from the stand ("The sadness that lurks near the open window there"). The constant disappointment is almost unbearable. In a moment of extreme empathy and frustration, the poet contemplates a drastic end to their suffering, wondering how he would feel if someone offered to put him "gently out of my pain," highlighting the depth of the farmers' misery.

4. Key Themes:

• Rural Poverty vs. Urban Wealth: The central theme is the stark contrast between the lives of the struggling rural poor and the affluent, indifferent city dwellers.
• Insensitivity and Lack of Empathy: The poem strongly criticizes the callousness of the wealthy towards the plight of the poor.
• Hope and Disappointment: The roadside stand symbolizes the faint hope of the rural people for economic betterment, a hope that is constantly crushed by indifference.
• Critique of Modernization and Development: Frost questions the nature of progress that ignores or exploits the rural population. He is wary of schemes that promise upliftment but often lead to loss of autonomy and dignity.
• The Desire for Dignity: The farmers don't want charity; they want the opportunity to earn money and improve their lives through their own efforts.
• Exploitation: The poem exposes how vulnerable populations can be exploited by those in power or those feigning benevolence ("greedy good-doers").

5. Literary Devices:

• Personification:
  • "The roadside stand that too pathetically pled" (The stand is given the human quality of pleading)
  • "The sadness that lurks near the open window there" (Sadness is given the ability to lurk)
• Transferred Epithet: An adjective usually used to describe a person is applied to an object.
  • "polished traffic" (The traffic/cars are polished, implying the people inside are sophisticated/wealthy, but also perhaps superficial)
  • "selfish cars" (The cars themselves aren't selfish, but the people driving them are)
• Oxymoron: Combining contradictory terms.
  • "greedy good-doers" (People who pretend to do good but are motivated by greed)
  • "beneficent beasts of prey" (Creatures that seem helpful but are actually predatory)
• Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds.
  • "beneficent beasts"
  • "greedy good-doers"
• Metaphor:
  • "flower of cities" (Comparing city prosperity/money to a delicate flower that needs support)
• Imagery: Vivid descriptions appealing to senses.
  • Visual: "little old house," "little new shed," "wild berries," "crook-necked golden squash," "polished traffic."
  • Auditory: Implied sounds of cars passing, potential "squeal of brakes."
• Symbolism:
  • Roadside Stand: Hope, desperation, rural poverty, the plea for connection.
  • City Money/Cash: Prosperity, urban life, the object of the farmers' longing.
  • Cars/Polished Traffic: Urban wealth, speed, indifference, modernity.
• Irony: The stand is meant to attract, but often repels or annoys; the 'good-doers' cause harm.
• Tone: Sympathetic, critical, melancholic, frustrated, indignant.

6. Important Lines for Explanation:

• "The little old house was out with a little new shed / In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped," - Establishes the setting and the contrast between the humble stand and the fast-moving, modern traffic.
• "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." - Clarifies the farmers' desire: not charity, but a share in the cash economy that sustains city life.
• "The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead," - Highlights the self-absorption and indifference of the city dwellers.
• "the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:" - Refers to the deep, unspoken disappointment and hurt felt by the stand owners due to the lack of customers and empathy.
• "Or beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene," - The city people appreciate nature's beauty but ignore the human element (the stand and its owners) within that scene.
• "...greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey, / Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits..." - Powerful oxymorons exposing the exploitative nature of those claiming to help the poor.
• "Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear / The thought of so much childish longing in vain," - Shows the poet's intense empathy and frustration with the perpetual disappointment faced by the farmers.
• "I wonder how I should like you to come to me / And offer to put me gently out of my pain." - A shocking expression of the poet's despair, suggesting that the farmers' suffering is so profound that death might seem like a relief. This reflects the depth of their perceived pain.

7. Conclusion:
'A Roadside Stand' is a powerful critique of the imbalance in society and the human cost of indifference. Frost voices the silent suffering of the rural poor and condemns the apathy of the urban rich and the exploitative nature of false benefactors. He makes a plea for genuine understanding, empathy, and economic justice.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What do the owners of the roadside stand primarily desire from the city folk?
   a) Charity and food
   b) Directions to the city
   c) Some cash by selling their goods
   d) Appreciation for the landscape

2. The phrase "polished traffic" is an example of:
   a) Metaphor
   b) Simile
   c) Personification
   d) Transferred Epithet

3. According to the poet, why do the city dwellers sometimes stop at the roadside stand?
   a) To buy wild berries and squash
   b) To complain, ask for directions, or inquire about gas
   c) To admire the artless paint of the signs
   d) To offer help to the poor farmers

4. What does the poet call the people who promise to improve the lives of the rural poor?
   a) Selfless philanthropists
   b) Government officials
   c) Greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey
   d) The party in power

5. The "flower of cities" in the poem refers to:
   a) Gardens in the city
   b) The beauty of urban architecture
   c) The economic prosperity and vibrancy of cities
   d) The refined city people

6. What is the "childish longing" that the poet finds hard to bear?
   a) The children of the farmers playing near the stand
   b) The farmers' naive and persistent hope for customers and a better life
   c) The poet's own desire to return to childhood
   d) The city dwellers' desire for scenic beauty

7. The tone of the poem can be best described as:
   a) Joyful and celebratory
   b) Humorous and light-hearted
   c) Sympathetic and critical
   d) Detached and objective

8. What is meant by "teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day"?
   a) Providing comfortable beds for the poor
   b) Making the poor lazy and dependent
   c) Lulling the poor into a false sense of security, destroying their ability to think for themselves
   d) Educating them about the importance of rest

9. The roadside stand is described as pleading "pathetically". This is an instance of:
   a) Oxymoron
   b) Personification
   c) Alliteration
   d) Symbolism

10. What intense feeling does the poet express at the end of the poem due to his empathy for the farmers' plight?
    a) A desire to help them financially
    b) Anger towards the government
    c) A wish that someone could end their suffering, even if drastically
    d) Hope that things will eventually improve

Answer Key:

1. c) Some cash by selling their goods
2. d) Transferred Epithet
3. b) To complain, ask for directions, or inquire about gas
4. c) Greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey
5. c) The economic prosperity and vibrancy of cities
6. b) The farmers' naive and persistent hope for customers and a better life
7. c) Sympathetic and critical
8. c) Lulling the poor into a false sense of security, destroying their ability to think for themselves
9. b) Personification
10. c) A wish that someone could end their suffering, even if drastically

Study these notes carefully. Understand the nuances of Frost's language and the depth of his social critique. Good luck with your preparation.