A Roadside stand by Robert Frost - Explanation - NCERT 12TH
The poem "A Roadside Stand" is written by Robert Frost, a prolific American writer. The poem raises the issue of disparity between rich and rural poor people who lead a deplorable life in search of money. Frost is personally anguished by their state and wonders if he gets a chance to change their fate, he would do it but later he changes his mind.
In a rural area, a little old house stands at the edge of a high traffic road. Attached to that house, a shed has been built to form a temporary shop to sell modest stuffs. Frost doesn't find it respectable to say that the shop is meant to get just "a dole of bread", he intends to say that it is a little step to earn some money from rich people. The hut-owner wants to earn a little bit of money which supports the city life.
The road is busy with fast-moving vehicles passing without stopping or looking at the little shop. If any of them stops there, it is only to look at the signboard which tells the direction of the place ahead. The small shop owner has offered wild berries and "golden squash (a vegetable)" but the passers take no notice of it. The narrator expresses his anger at their apathetic attitude. In his sarcastic way, he says that if they have money and to be a mean person, they should keep their money and go on in their journey without buying something from that small thatched-shop.
The poet doesn't complain about the lack of attention given to the beautiful scenery nearby but the "unsaid" and ungrateful act committed by indifferent passers-by. Poor rural people build their little shop away from the big cities hoping that they might be successful in earning a meagre from the urban people. They try to change their fortune and dream the life full of all luxuries and pleasures. The Political party in power which should act in the welfare of the people seems to make their life difficult.
The narrator gets the news in which there is a settlement plan of these people to villages which has all sorts of recreational engagements like theatre and stores. The infrastructure and material things are created to engage the people to themselves. The "greedy good-doers" i.e. people who promise to do good try to cash in by providing people decent yet distractive opportunities and making them unsuitable and out-of-wits. They intend to interfere in their normal lives and teach them to lead a much comforted and lazy life where they sleep even during noon time which is a time for work. This causes disruption in their usual lives which they are following since ancient times.
The narrator is very lamented by the thoughts of the poor souls waiting for a customer to their little shop near the road. It seems to him as a "childish longing in vain" and the sadness which is "lurking" near the open windows. Here the poet uses a personification (give life to non-living things) for sadness. They wait and pray for when a stopping car or the vehicles passing, one of them visit them to inquire about prices of an agricultural produce.
When one of them stop there but to use the yard to turn their vehicle back. Others ask about the route of the road or if they sell gas. They don't have it as they are not able to offer it. In a rural area, the amount of money or finance is meagre and "lift of spirit" i.e. fulfilled life is not present there.The narrator feels that the people of villages will always complain because of lack of money there. He is emotionally moved by their piteous condition, it would be relieving to him to strike off all these people problems at one stroke. But after a day, when he thinks rationally he found that this is not a wise thought because it would cause others trouble.
In a rural area, a little old house stands at the edge of a high traffic road. Attached to that house, a shed has been built to form a temporary shop to sell modest stuffs. Frost doesn't find it respectable to say that the shop is meant to get just "a dole of bread", he intends to say that it is a little step to earn some money from rich people. The hut-owner wants to earn a little bit of money which supports the city life.
The road is busy with fast-moving vehicles passing without stopping or looking at the little shop. If any of them stops there, it is only to look at the signboard which tells the direction of the place ahead. The small shop owner has offered wild berries and "golden squash (a vegetable)" but the passers take no notice of it. The narrator expresses his anger at their apathetic attitude. In his sarcastic way, he says that if they have money and to be a mean person, they should keep their money and go on in their journey without buying something from that small thatched-shop.
The poet doesn't complain about the lack of attention given to the beautiful scenery nearby but the "unsaid" and ungrateful act committed by indifferent passers-by. Poor rural people build their little shop away from the big cities hoping that they might be successful in earning a meagre from the urban people. They try to change their fortune and dream the life full of all luxuries and pleasures. The Political party in power which should act in the welfare of the people seems to make their life difficult.
The narrator gets the news in which there is a settlement plan of these people to villages which has all sorts of recreational engagements like theatre and stores. The infrastructure and material things are created to engage the people to themselves. The "greedy good-doers" i.e. people who promise to do good try to cash in by providing people decent yet distractive opportunities and making them unsuitable and out-of-wits. They intend to interfere in their normal lives and teach them to lead a much comforted and lazy life where they sleep even during noon time which is a time for work. This causes disruption in their usual lives which they are following since ancient times.
The narrator is very lamented by the thoughts of the poor souls waiting for a customer to their little shop near the road. It seems to him as a "childish longing in vain" and the sadness which is "lurking" near the open windows. Here the poet uses a personification (give life to non-living things) for sadness. They wait and pray for when a stopping car or the vehicles passing, one of them visit them to inquire about prices of an agricultural produce.
When one of them stop there but to use the yard to turn their vehicle back. Others ask about the route of the road or if they sell gas. They don't have it as they are not able to offer it. In a rural area, the amount of money or finance is meagre and "lift of spirit" i.e. fulfilled life is not present there.The narrator feels that the people of villages will always complain because of lack of money there. He is emotionally moved by their piteous condition, it would be relieving to him to strike off all these people problems at one stroke. But after a day, when he thinks rationally he found that this is not a wise thought because it would cause others trouble.