A Roadside Stand
1. Why do the people who run the roadside stand wait for the squeal of brakes so eagerly?
Answer:
The “squealing of brakes” means when a car stops in front of roadside stand, it
raises their hopes that the city-folk have stopped there to buy something from
their roadside stand and some city money will come into their hands.
2.
Explain: “soothe them out of them wits” with reference to the poem The Roadside
Stand’.
Answer:
The powerful men have the wits to convince the country folk with false promises
of providing a better life. These innocent and simple rustics repose blind
faith in their false claims and feel soothed and satisfied.
3.
Why does Robert Frost sympathize with the rural poor?
Answer:
Robert Frost feels an unbearable agony at the plight of the rural poor who are
ignored and neglected by the rich. The party in power fool them by making false
promises and then fully exploit them to suit their own selfish interests.
4.
What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?
Answer:
The folk who had put up the roadside stand pleaded to the city dwellers to stop
and buy their wares so as to enable them to earn some extra money for a decent
living. The money that these folks would earn from the rich people would help
them to lead a better life.
5.
What is the ‘childish longing’ of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?
Why is it ‘in vain’?
Answer:
The ‘childish longing’, is the dreams and desires of the rural folk who have a
child-like longing for a better life that they hope from the city dwellers.
Their longing is in vain because the city folk are not willing to help them and
so their ‘childish longings’ are not likely to be fulfilled.
6.
Why didn’t the ‘polished traffic’ stop at the roadside stand?
Answer:
The ‘polished traffic’ conveniently overlooks the roadside stand and do not
stop there as their mind is focused only on their destination. Moreover, they
were critical of the poor decor of the stand, its artless interior and paint.
7.
What news in the poem ‘A Roadside Stand’ is making its round in the village?
Answer:
The news making its round is about the resettlement of the poor, rural people
who will be resettled in the villages, next to the theatre and the store. They
would be close to the cities and will not have to worry about themselves any
more.
8.
Why do people at the roadside stand ask for city money?
Answer:
The rural people running the roadside stand are poor and deprived. They thus
ask for city money so that they too can lead a life of happiness and
prosperity.
9.
What does Frost himself feel about the roadside stand?
Answer:
The poet is distressed to see the interminable wait on the part of the shed
owners for their prospective buyers. He is agonized at the ‘childish longing in
vain’ of the people who have put up the roadside stand.
10.
What is sold in a roadside stand?
Answer:
Wild berries and crook-necked golden
squash with silver warts and similar other products are being sold in that
roadside stand.
1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
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.
(i)
Where was the new shed put up? What was its purpose?
Answer:
The shed was put up in front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped.
Its purpose was to get some money or cash.
(ii)
Why does the poet use the word ‘pathetic’?
Answer:
The word 'pathetic' is used to show the miserable living condition of the roadside
stand owners. The Roadside stand was poorly built. By using the word 'pathetic’,
the poet emphasizes on the fact that the condition of the shed owner was
pitiful and helpless.
(iii)
Explain: ‘too pathetically pled’
Answer:
It was as if by putting up the shed the owner was desperately pleading to the
rich city folks to stop by at his roadside stand and buy things from there so
that they could earn some extra money.
(iv)
Who are referred to as ‘the flower of cities’?
Answer:
‘The flower of the cities’ here refers to the rich and wealthy city-dwellers.
2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
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,
(i)
What does the poet mean by ‘with a mind ahead?
Answer:
The phrase ‘with a mind ahead’ suggests that the people who pass the roadside
stand in their polished cars conveniently overlook the roadside stand as their
mind is focused only on their destination.
(ii)
What are N and S signs?
Answer:
The N and S signs stand for the North and the South direction.
(iii)
Why have these sings turned wrong?
Answer:
These signs have turned wrong because they
have been painted in the wrong way and so these signboards are wrongly
presented.
(iv)
What was the poet’s real worry?
Answer:
The poet’s real worry is the unexpressed sorrow of the people who have put up
the roadside stand.
3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
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
hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint
So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid
(i)
What attraction does the place offer?
Answer:
The place offers a scenic view of the beautiful mountains.
(ii)
What should one do if one wants to be mean?
Answer:
If one wants to be mean he can keep his money and move on ahead.
(iii)
What does the poet not complain about?
Answer: The poet does not complain about the landscape which has been spoilt.
4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
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,
(i)
Name the poem and the poet.
Answer:
The poem is ‘A Roadside Stand’ by Robert Frost.
(ii)
Explain why merciful have been called ‘greedy good-doers’ and ‘beneficent
beasts of prey’?
Answer:
The merciful are the crooked politicians, greedy people pretending to be good,
who only pose as beneficiaries. These powerful men are actually beasts of prey
in the guise of beneficiaries who ruthlessly exploit the common people.
(iii)
Why won’t these poor people have to think for themselves anymore?
Answer:
These poor people are now in the hands of the so-called ‘merciful
beneficiaries’, who promises them to have numerous benefits, so they will not
have to think about themselves any more.
5.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
Sometimes
1 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.
(i)
What cannot be borne by the poet and why?
Answer:
The poet cannot bear the thought of how these country folks are lured with
false promises which are never going to be fulfilled because he feels genuinely
sad about so much deprivation to these innocent people.
(ii)
What is the ‘childish longing?
Answer:
Like children, these country folk have many unfulfilled wishes and desires. So,
they keep their windows open expecting some prospective customers to turn up so
that some good fortune can fall into their share.
(iii)
Why the longing has been termed as ‘vain’?
Answer:
The longing has been termed as ‘vain’ because it never gets fulfilled.
(iv)
Why do the people driving in the cars stop sometimes?
Answer:
The people driving in the car stop sometimes either to just enquire prices of
the goods or about the way that was bound, either to turn around or to ask for
a gallon of gas.
6.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
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,
(i) Why is the longing called childish?
Answer:
Like children, these rural folk nurture many unfulfilled dreams and desires
which might never be satisfied. They crave in vain like children waiting for
their wishes to be fulfilled.
(ii)
Where is the window?
Answer:
The window is a part of their roadside
stand where they wait expectantly.
(iii) Why does sadness lurk there?
Answer:
Sadness lurks there because no car halts there to buy anything from their
roadside stand and the rural folk are unable to earn some money.
7.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
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 a farmer’s prices are.
(i)
Which open window is referred to? Why does sadness lurk there?
Answer:
The open window is that of the roadside stand where they wait expectantly for a
car to stop by. Sadness lurks there because no city dweller halts there and
thus the hopes of the country folk are belied as no customer stops there.
(ii)
What does the farmer pray for?
Answer:
The farmer prays that the city folks apply the brakes of the car and halt at
their roadside stand to buy something from there.
(iii)
Is the farmer’s prayer ever granted? How do you know?
Answer: The farmers’
prayers are not granted. The poet tells us that even if city folk do stop at
the roadside stand it is only to enquire about the prices of the goods.
8.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
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?
(i) Why did the
first car stop by the roadside stand?
Ans:
The first car stopped to back and turn around his or her car by the roadside
stand.
(ii) Why did the
second car stop?
Ans:
The second car stopped to ask about the way where it was bound.
(iii) Why did the
third car stop?
Ans: The
third car stopped to ask if they could sell a gallon of gas.
(iv) Why is the
poet annoyed with the last car?
Ans:
The poet annoyed with the last car because they did not purchase any product
from the shop. Also, the shop or the roadside stand was not belonging to the
gas type things.
9.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“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 sings hat with N Corned
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.”
(i)
How did the traffic pass?
Ans:
The traffic passed with a mind ahead or without stopping there.
(ii)
Why did one turn out of sorts?
Ans:
One turned out of sorts because the landscape had marred/not so well with the
artless paint. Secondly, the signs of N and S turned wrong.
(iii)
What are the two things that were sold in that stand?
Ans:
The two things that were sold in that stand are wild berries and crook-necked
golden squash.
(iv)
What should one do if one wants to be mean?
Ans:
One should keep one’s money and moves ahead.
10.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“It
is in the news that all these pitiful kin
Are
to be fought out and mercifully gathered in
To
live in villagers, next to the theatre and the store, Where they won’t have to
think for themselves anymore, Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits. That
are calculated to soothe them out if their wits, And by teaching them how to
sleep all day, Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way.”
(i)
Why won’t these poor people have to think about themselves anymore?
Ans:
These poor people won’t have to think about themselves anymore because they are
swarmed over their lives and enforcing benefits by the party in power and the
greedy good-doers.
(ii)
How does the poet describe the good doers?
Ans:
According to the poet, the good doers are pretending to be doing good works or
things. They promised to swarm over the lives of poor people and enforcing
benefits.
(iii)
How will the innocent rural folk be soothed out of their wits end?
Ans:
The party in power and the greedy
good-doers will fool them the innocent rural folk by their wits and power. They will teach them for their works and
destroy their sleeping at night. Thus, the innocent rural folk are to be
soothed out of their wits end.
11.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
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.
(i)
Where do these lines occur?
Answer:
These lines occur in the poem, “The Roadside Stand”, written by Robert Frost.
(ii)Why
has the requisite spirit never been found?
Answer:
The line, "The requisite lift of spirit has never been found" means
that the people living in a county never found the required growth needed to
live a fulfilled life because the city folk never bought things.
(iii)
What does the voice of the country people seem to say?
Answer:
The voice of the country people seems to say about his complains of injustice
and the requisite lift of spirit.
(iv) What will be of great relief for the poet?
Answer:
The great relief for the poet will be if he would relief the poor people at one
stroke out of their pain.
2014
1.
Which things irritated the passersby who stopped at the roadside stand?
Ans:
The passers-by who stopped at the roadside
stand were irritated at the artless paint that marred the beautiful landscape
as well as was irritated at the part where the letter ‘N’ and ‘S’ turned wrong.
2015
1.
What is 'in the news' as mentioned in 'A Roadside Stand?
Ans:
The news in the poem is that the villagers
will be mercifully brought up and be provided with homes near theatres and store;
that they will be taken care of; and that they have to worry no more.
2.
Why do the people who are running the roadside stand 'ask for some city money'?
Ans:
See question no-8 from page-1.
2016
1.
'Of all the thousand selfish cars' some stop there but not for buying
something. Why do they stop there at all?
Ans:
People are so selfish that they do not pay
much attention to that small shop. Few people stop by, but they do not stop to
buy something, rather they stop to ask directions, to ask prices of goods, to
ask for gas or sometimes just to turn their cars.
2.
Who will soothe the rural poor out of their wits and how?
Ans:
See question 2.
2017
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."
Questions:
a) Where
was the shed put up?
b) What
was its purpose?
c) Why
does the poet use the word pathetic?
d) Who
are referred to as the flower as cities?
Ans:
See stanza 1.
2.
What is the 'Childish longing' that the poet
refers to ? Why is it 'in vain'?
Ans:
See question no-5 from page-1
2018
1.
Who are referred to as the flower of cities' in 'A Roadside Stand?
Ans:
Already answered.
2.
Which things irritated the passers-by who stopped at the road-side stand?
Ans:
See solved paper 2014.
2019
1.
How did the travellers on the highways react to the roadside stand?
Ans:
The passers-by who stopped at the roadside
stand were irritated at the artless paint that marred the beautiful landscape
as well as was irritated at the part where the letter ‘N’ and ‘S’ turned wrong.
They didn't even stop and bought any goods from the poor people. If anyone stop
there, it is only for the turn round the car or to ask ahead direction, prices
or ask for petrol.
2020
'Sometimes
I feel myself I can bear , The
thought of so much childish longing in vain,, The sadness that lurks near tro
Open window there,, That waits all day in almost prayer, For the
squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,"
Questions:
1. What is the 'childish long' that the poet refers to? Why is it 'in vain'?
Ans:
See question no-5 from page-1
(ii)
What does the person waiting near the open window pray for?
Ans:
The person prays that the city folks apply
the brakes of the car and halt at their roadside stand to buy something from
there.
(iii)
What is 'in the news' as mentioned in the poem
"A Roadside Stand" ?
Ans:
See solved paper 2015.
2022
1.
'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 sell quarts,, Or crook-necked golden squash with silver warts, cow 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."
Questions
:
a)
How did the traffic pass?
Ans:
See stanza 9 and question no 1.
b)
Why did one turn out of sorts?
Ans:
One turned out of sorts because the
landscape had marred with the artless paint. Secondly, the signs of N and S
turned wrong.
c)
What are the two things that were sold in that stand?
Ans:
The two things that were sold in that
stand are wild berries and crook-necked golden squash.
d)
What should one do if one wants to be mean?
Ans:
See stanza 3 and question no 2.
2.
Why do the people who are running the roadside stand ask for some city money?
Ans:
See question no-8 from page-1.
2023
1.
Why was the roadside stand built?
Ans:
See stanza 1 and question no 1.
2.
How did the travellers on the highways react to the roadside stand?
Ans:
See solved paper 2019.
2024
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.
(i) Where was the new shed put up?
What was its purpose?
Ans: See
stanza 1 and question no 1.
(ii) Why does the poet use the word
‘pathetic’?
Ans: See
stanza 1 and question no 2.
(iii) Explain: ‘too pathetically
pled’
Ans: See
stanza 1 and question no 3.
2. Why is the longing of the roadside
stand people called childish?
Ans:
See question no-5 from page-1
2025
How
did the travellers on the highways react to the roadside stand?
Ans: See solved paper 2019.
What
does the expression 'polished traffic' refer to? What does it reveal about city
people?
Ans:
The expression "polished
traffic" refers to the smooth flow of traffic in a city and the wealthier
people who live there. It reveals that they are insensitive and self-centered,
and pay no attention to roadside stands. They value thier efficiency and
organization in their daily lives, and have become accustomed to a fast-paced
lifestyle.
Additional:
Extract: No, in
country money, the country scale of gain,
Interpretation:
This line highlights the
economic disparity between rural and urban life. The speaker asserts that, in
the rural economy (country money), there is no real profit or fair reward (no
country scale of gain) for the hard work of the people running the roadside
stand. Simply, in the rural economy, there’s no real profit or fair chance to
succeed.
Extract: While,
greedy good doers, beneficent beasts of prey.
Interpretation:
Frost is attacking fake
helpers—people/organizations (government, charities) who claim to assist the
rural poor but actually exploit them under the guise of kindness.
Greedy good-doers
Hypocrites who pose as
saviors but have selfish motives (control, profit, or political gain).
Beneficent beasts
of prey
Oxymoron: Combines beneficent
(kind) + beasts of prey (predators).
These helpers are wolves
in sheep’s clothing—their benefits (like forcing villagers into towns) are
really traps.
In short:
Fake helpers who exploit the poor while calling it kindness.
Extract: The
little old house was out with a little new shed.
Interpretation: The phrase suggests the old house produced or put out or added or constructed with a new shed probably to attract customers or to counter modernization.
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