A Roadside Stand

Robert Frost

Mukthananda

Robert Frost

Robert Frost’s Profile

Robert Frost was born on 26 January 1874 in San Francisco, California. His father William Frost, was a journalist. His Scottish mother, Isabelle Moody, resumed her career as a schoolteacher to support her family. In 1892 Frost graduated from a high school and attended Darthmouth College for a few months. Frost worked among others in a textile mill and taught Latin at his mother’s school.

Robert Frost’s Profile

In1895 he married a former schoolmate, Elinor White and had six children. From 1897 to 1899 Frost studied at Harvard University, but left without receiving a degree. He worked as a cobbler, farmer and teacher. In 1912 Frost sold his farm and took his wife and four young children to England. After a period of time he came back to the USA with his family. He died on January 21, 1963 at the age 88, at Boston, Massachusettes, USA.

Robert Frost in his young age

Robert Frost as a child and with his son

Robert Frost with his family and his farm house in Derry Farm, USA.

Robert Frost with his wife Elinor White

Robert Frost is reading his controversial poem in the presence of John Kennedy, the American President

Robert Frost in American postal stamp and in his Derry Farm

A view of Sanfancisco city, USA where he was born

A view of Boston, USA where he died

A view of San Francisco University where Robert Frost was a student

A view of Darmouth College, USA where studied

A view of Harvard University, Cambridge USA where he studied and left without degree

Other Works

1. Stopping by the Woods by the Snowy Evening2. Birches3. Mending Walls4. Road Not Taken5. Fire and Ice6. Desert Places7. A Patch of Old Snow8. A Soldier

Style of his writing

1. Simple2. Insightful3. Symbolic4. Narrative5. Art of visual forming6. Use of simple words and short stanzas

Background

The poet, Robert Frost is the witness of the pathetic living condition of the poor in rural areas of America. The sight of the roadside stand and its owner’s unattended prayer for help from their city brethren and the apathy of the authority towards them drew the attention of the poet. The poet wishes to say that the poor can progress only when the rich don’t exploit them. Through this poem, he requests the government and the rich to take responsibility to improve the condition of the poor.

Theme

The existing divide between the richand the poor in society.

Sub - Theme

The poet’s sympathy towards the poorand his complaints on the authority.

Suitable Quotations

1. ‘If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin’.

- Charles Darwin

2. ‘The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems’.

- Gandhiji 3. ‘Hungry not only for bread–but hungry for love Naked not only for

clothing-but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks–but homeless because of rejection’.

- Mother Teresa4. Hunger is the greatest human sin.

Summery of the poem

A Roadside Stand - Reading

The little old house was out with a little new shedIn 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 supportsThe 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 sortsAt having the landscape marred with the artless paintOf signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrongOffered for sale wild berries in wooden quarts,Or crook-necked golden squash with silver warts,Or beauty rest in a mountain scene,

A roadside Stand - Reading

You have the money, but if you want to be mean,Why keep your money (this crossly) and go along.The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaintSo much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:Here far from the city we make our roadside standAnd ask for some city money to feel in handTo try if it will not make our being expand,And give us the life of the moving-pictures’ promiseThat the party in power is said to be keeping from us.

A roadside Stand - Reading

It is in the news that all these pitiful kinAre to be bought out and mercifully gathered inTo 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 benefitsThat 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.

A roadside Stand - Reading

Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bearThe thought of so much childish longing in vain,The sadness that lurks near the open window there,That waits all day in almost open prayerFor 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 grassIn 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 gasThey couldn’t (this crossly); they had none, didn’t it see?

A roadside Stand - Reading

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 beTo put these people at one stroke out of their pain.And then next day I come back into the sane,I wonder how I should like you to come to meAnd offer to put me gently out of my pain.

Pronunciation

1. Pathetically 11. swarm2. Withering 12. enforcing 3. Marred 13. soothe4. Berries 14. longing5. Warts 15. lurks6. Crook-necked 16. squeal7. Squash 17. inquire8. Pitiful 18. gallon9. Good-doers 19. requisite10. Beneficent 20. sane

Rhyme Words

shed – sped – pled – bread – ahead - unsaid stand – hand – expand around – bound – foundsupports – sorts – quarts – wartsfaint – paint – complaintwrong – alongscene – mean - kin – in vain - gain – complain – pain – sane – painstore – anymore - bear - there – prayer – car – areprey – day – waybenefits – witspass – grass - gassee – be - me

Stanza - I

The little old house was out with a little new shedIn 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 supportsThe flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.

Rhyming Words - Stanza I

shed – sped – pled - bread

Stanza I Synonyms

1. shed - hut, shack2. edge - border, end, periphery3. traffic - vehicles4. pathetically - sadly, pitifully5. pled - begged, appealed6. fair - just7. dole of bread - donations8. flow - run, pour9. sinking - falling, dropping10. withering - dying

Stanza I Antonyms

1. edge x centre2. fair x unfair3. sinking x rising4. Withering x thriving

A Roadside Stand

A Roadside Stand

A Roadside Stand

Stanza I Questions

1. Where was the new shed located?

2. Why did the roadside stand plead pathetically?

3. What help did the owner of the stand look for?

4. What did the money of the urban area support?

Stanza I Answers

1. The new shed was located close to the edge of the road.

2. The roadside stand pled pathetically because its owner was financially weak and could not maintain its upkeep.

3. He was not looking for some alms but some financial support from his city brethren by buying his wares.

4. The money of the urban area was collected in the form of taxes. It is used to maintain parks and flowers in the gardens.

Stanza - II

The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,Or if ever aside a moment, then out of sortsAt having the landscape marred with the artless paintOf signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrongOffered for sale wild berries in wooden quarts,Or crook-necked golden squash with silver warts,Or beauty rest in a mountain scene,

Rhyming Words - Stanza II

sorts – quarts - warts

Stanza II Synonyms

1. polished - refined, elegant2. ahead - forward, advance3. out or sorts - annoyed4. landscape - scenery, background5. marred - spoiled, blemished6. artless - simple, ordinary, tasteless7. signs - signboard

1. offered - present2. wild berries - type of fruit3. wooden quarts - wooden containers4. crook necked - bent5. golden squash - gold coloured pumpkin6. silver warts - white lump or marks7. rest - relax, lies

Stanza II Synonyms

Stanza II Antonyms

1. polished x coarse, unrefined2. instant x age3. ahead x backward4. ever x never5. marred x unspoiled6. artless x artful7. wild x tamed

Polished Traffic on the Highway

Polished Traffic on the Highway

A scene of beautiful landscape

Wild Berries kept for sale

Wooden Quarts in which fruits are kept for sale

Crook-necked golden squash

Crook-necked golden Squash (Pumpkin)

Vegetable with Silver warts (lines)

A beautiful mountain scene

Stanza II Questions

1. What is the polished traffic?

2. Why is the traffic out of sorts?

3. What sights disturbed the city dwellers?

4. Explain ‘beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene’.

5. What were the things displayed for sale?

Stanza II Answers

1. It is the costly and beautiful cars which come from cities toward rural areas.

2. It is out of sorts because the people travel in the cars are irritated or unhappy at the bad side of the country side.

3. The spoiled landscape with its artless sign board and the unaesthetic display of fruits and vegetables in wooden quarts disturbed the city dwellers.

4. The city people feel that mountains are a beautiful place where they can relax and enjoy, but the roadside stand marred its beauty.

5. They displayed wild berries and golden squash for sale.

Stanza - III

You have the money, but if you want to be mean,Why keep your money (this crossly) and go along.The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaintSo much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:Here far from the city we make our roadside standAnd ask for some city money to feel in handTo try if it will not make our being expand,

Rhyming Words - Stanza III

unsaid – stand – hand - expand

Stanza III Synonyms

1. mean - selfish, cheap, low standard2. crossly - angrily, irritably3. hurt - harm, damage4. complaint - grievance, objection5. trusting - trust, gullible6. sorrow - grief, sadness7. unsaid - unspoken, unstated8. far - distant, remote9. feel - sense, experience10. expand - develop, enlarge

Stanza III Antonyms

1. mean x high standard2. crossly x good-naturally3. trusting x suspicious4. sorrow x joy5. unsaid x spoken6. far x close by, near

Stanza III Questions

1. Why is the farmer unhappy with the city dwellers?

2. What does the farmer feel the city dwellers should not have felt?

3. What do the poor expect from the their city brethren?

4. How would the money have helped the rural folk?

Stanza III Answers

1. The farmer is unhappy with the condescending(humiliating) attitude of the city dwellers, who feel that the rural people have marred the beauty of the countryside.

2. The farmer feels that the city dwellers should not have complained for the marring of beauty of the mountains by them.

3. They expect some financial help from their city brethren by selling their wares to them.

4. The money would have helped the rural folk in improving their lifestyle.

Stanza - IV

And give us the life of the moving-pictures’ promiseThat the party in power is said to be keeping from us.It is in the news that all these pitiful kinAre to be bought out and mercifully gathered inTo live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore,

Rhyming Words - Stanza IV

promise – us

kin – in

store – anymore

Stanza IV Synonyms

1. moving picture - cinema, movies2. assure - swear, assurance3. party - ruling politicians4. pitiful - deplorable, pathetic5. kin - relatives, people with same problems

6. mercifully - fortunately, thankfully7. theatre - cinema theater8. store - market, shopping centre

Stanza IV Antonyms

1. moving x still, unmoving2. pitiful x admirable3. mercifully x unfortunately4. gathered x scattered5. anymore x no more

Stanza IV Questions

1. What life do the moving pictures promise?

2. What is the party in power?

3. Who are the pitiful kin?

4. What has been in the news?

5. How will they benefit by living here?

Stanza IV Answers

1. Films do not reveal the reality of life. The life in the movie appear to be comfortable and free of all difficulties of life. This is the life the poor country people are promised.

2. The party in power refers to the political party who rule over the people.

3. Pitiful kin refers to all those people of the rural areas who are in the same hopeless situation.

4. It has been in the news that all these poor folk are to be resettled in areas with amenities like the cinema hall and the stores.

5. The country people will benefit because they will be taken care of in their new homes. They need not struggle for survival.

Stanza V

While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,Swarm over their lives enforcing benefitsThat 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.

Rhyming Words - Stanza V

prey – day – way

benefits - wits

Stanza V Synonyms

1. greedy - hungry, gluttonous2. beneficent - generous3. swarm - gather in large number4. enforcing - impose, implement5. Benefits - benefit, settlement6. prey - victim, kill7. calculated - designed, planned8. soothe - pacify, alleviate, calm9. wits - mind, sense10. ancient way - the old way

Stanza V Antonyms

1. greedy x moderate2. beneficent x tightfisted, stingy3. swarm x disperse, scatter4. calculated x ingenious5. soothe x excite6. sleep x wake7. destroy x build8. ancient x modern

Stanza V Questions

1. Who are the greedy good-doers?

2. Why are they referred to as beneficent beasts of prey?

3. How do these rich city people sleep?

4. How has the sleeping of the country people been destroyed?

5. What is the ancient way?

Stanza - V Answers

1. The greedy good doers are those people who pretend to do good for the poor rural people only to extract the maximum benefit by misleading them.

2. They are just like predatory animal. They grabbed their land and numbed their senses by bribing them through so many benefits.

3. The rich people sleep peacefully as they have managed to befool the poor people by enforcing so many benefits. The rich are free to do all these things as they do not face any opposition from the poor.

4. Earlier, the poor rural people had little sleep at night. Now their sleep pattern is changed as they worry about their unsure future. Instead of giving them peaceful sleep, the rich destroyed their sleep.

5. The ancient way of getting any work done is through bribery. The land grabbers too have managed to bribe the poor by promising benefit and getting their work done.

Stanza - VI

Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bearThe thought of so much childish longing in vain,The sadness that lurks near the open window there,That waits all day in almost open prayerFor the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,

Rhyming Words – Stanza VI

bear – there – prayer - car

Stanza VI Synonyms

1. hardly - barely, scarcely2. bear - accept, tolerate3. childish - immature4. longing - desire, wish, yearning5. vain - unsuccessful, ineffective6. lurks - waits7. open prayer - the prayer broadly exposed8. squeal - sound

Stanza VI Antonyms

1. hardly x often, frequently2. Sadness x joy3. stopping x starting

Stanza VI Questions

1. Explain ‘childish longing in vain’?

2. Why does sadness lurk near the open window?

3. What does this verse, reveal about the mental state of the farmer?

Stanza VI Answers

1. It is childish because just like children do not accept the gesture of refusal easily, so does the farmer. He keeps waiting, but only to be disappointed.

2. The farmer waits in his old house looking out of his window, hoping for someone to stop by and buy his wares. When no one does, he is left sad and disappointed.

3. The farmer is obviously distraught and in despair. He is immensely disturbed because his city brethren do not buy anything from his shop..

Stanza - VII

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 grassIn 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 gasThey couldn’t (this crossly); they had none, didn’t it see?

Rhyming Words – Stanza VII

pass – grass – gas

around – bound

Stanza VII Synonyms

1. selfish - self-centred, self-seeking2. enquire - ask for information, request

3. prices - cost, value4. plow up - throw up5. yard - an area6. bound - inquire7. gallon - a measure8. crossly - angrily, irritably

Stanza VII Antonyms

1. selfish x altruistic2. pass x pause 3. crossly x good-naturedly

Stanza VII Questions

1. Did any car stop by to enquire about the farmer’s price?

2. Why did the other car drivers stop?

3. Why do you thinks the farmer was annoyed?

Stanza VII Answers

1. No, no car stopped to enquire about the farmer’s price.

2. One car stopped only to take reverse. Another stopped to enquire about the route. The third one stopped only to ask if the farmer sold petrol.

3. The farmer was annoyed at the insensitivity of the car drivers because they asked many unintelligent questions in stead of buying his goods.

Stanza - VIII

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 beTo put these people at one stroke out of their pain.And then next day I come back into the sane,I wonder how I should like you to come to meAnd offer to put me gently out of my pain.

Rhyming Words – Stanza VIII

gain – complain – pain – pain

be - me

Stanza VIII Synonyms

1. scale - range, degree2. requisite - required, essential, adequate3. spirit - courage, strength of mind4. complain - protest, grumble5. owning - possessing, having6. stroke - blow, knock7. sane - rational, sensible, normal8. wonder - doubt, be unsure9. offer - present, tender10. gently - softly, lightly11. pain - ache, hurt

Stanza VIII Antonyms

1. requisite x inadequate2. sane x irrational, insane3. gently x harshly

Stanza VIII Questions

1. Explain ‘country money’.

2. Explain ’the country scale of gain’.

3. What is the requisite lift of spirit?

4. Why has it never been found?

Stanza VIII Answers

1. It refers to the money earned through farming.

2. It means that agriculture is the only source of income through which they can benefit.

3. It refers to the spirit and desire of the poor to improve their condition.

4. It has never been found because of the negligence of the government, greedy politicians and the meek nature of the poor.

Stanza VIII Questions

5. What is ‘the voice of the country’?

6. What does the poet wish to do?

7. What does ‘coming back into the sane’ mean’?

Stanza VIII Answers

5. It is the voice of the poor and the poor condition of the country side.

6. The poet wishes to remove all the miseries, difficulties of the poor.

7. It means thinking rationally without any emotions as he has become mad by seeing the misery of the poor.

Figure of Speech

1. Personification

2. Alliteration

3. Couplet

4. Imagery

Figure of Speech - Answer

1. A roadside stand that too pathetically pled The poet has given human qualities to the lifeless roadside stand which pleads the car

owners for some kind of help.

2. Greedy good, beneficent beast, pathetically pled The first letter of the two words are same.

3. It is in the news that all these pitiful kin Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in The last sound of these two lines are same.

4. A roadside stand that too pathetically pled The poet imagined that the roadside stand itself pleads pathetically

Assignments

1. How does the poet comment on the divide between the rich and the poor through this poem?

2. ‘The government and the other social service agencies are responsible for the poverty of the village folk’. Explain this statement through this poem.

Thank You