A Roadside Stand

A roadside stand is a poem written by the highly-acclaimed poet, Robert Frost who is
regarded for his realistic depiction of rural life using which he touched several difficult social
themes of the time.
In this poem, the poet highlights the plight of the deprived villagers who are aching for some
money to lead a prosperous life. The poet is also very critical of the way the city folks treat
these villagers who are selling their locally produced goods and whizzing past them without a
sense of empathy.

1. The occupants of the little old house have extended the shed in front,
2. around the edge of the road where traffic passes by.
3.
4. Though it would be unfair to state that the shack-owners wanted a charity of bread,
but nevertheless they seemed to implore the passers-by to stop and buy something
from the shack. He only wants to earn a living, he is not begging for money.
5. These deprived people long for the feel of the currency, the circulation of which
flourishes the city folks.
6. A small time farmer builds a vegetable stand at the edge of the highway outside his
house in the hope that passing cars would buy the produce and earn a bit of the money
that supports cities from falling into ruin. The glamour of cities is maintained by the
money that flourishes in the cities that it blooms like flowers( fragrance)

Theme- It was a small counter selling small berries or squash to make little money to keep
their bread and butter. Their lives have not progressed at all as they merely earn to survive..
Poet is upset about the sorrow of those who had set up the roadside stall in the hope that
people would stop by and some money would trickle into their palms.
7. Some cars passed along the highway, but only a few stopped to buy something. But
unfortunately, the refined traffic whizzed past, unmindful of the shack. However, no
cars ever stop and the ones that even glance in the direction of the stand
8. without any feeling of compassion or relatedness (out of sorts) only comment about
how the Or, if by chance, any stopped, it would be with a feeling of reproach at this
blot on the picturesque landscape.
9. construction spoils the view of the surroundings or how badly painted the wrongly
pointed Sometimes didn’t even notice them and if by fluke the traffic stops they are
much disappointed with unattractive way they have painted their shacks.
According to the poet, this place offers a haven( refuge) for only those who can afford it, so
he advised the traffic to move on.
10. Here the poet says that as the people living in these sheds are poor their surroundings
are not well-maintained. The signboards indicating directions of north and south are
pointing towards the wrong directions. They are very perturbed to see the
unimpressive and toppled up signboards. North and South signs are or to notice
without interest the wild berries and squash for sale in the stand or the beautiful
mountain scene.

11. The sheds have farm produce on sale – wild berries, golden squash fruit with silver-
coloured marks on it, kept in wooden baskets.
12. The shack offered for sale wild berries in a wooden quart (quarter of a gallon). The
 unqualitative local produce is highlighted with the usage of words like "crook-
necked", "squash with silver warts".
13. The place is beautiful and people should stop here and enjoy the mountain scenery.
The place also offered a blissful stay in the lap of nature for the ones who had money.
14. If they have money then they should buy some things but if they are selfish then they
should keep their money with themselves and not stop there.
15. Angry at the callous attitude of the so-called ‘polished traffic‘, the poet commands
them to move ahead oblivious of the road-side stand.
16. The poet says that he does not complain that the sheds have spoiled the scenery of the
place. The poet’s concern is not about the blemish on the landscape but regarding the
suppressed sorrow of the shed-owners.
17. The country folk trust the rich brethren in the city to come to their help but they feel
sad when their trust is breached by the city people through the indifference. Although
the city people have said nothing but the silence speaks volumes about the cold and
indifferent attitude to the rural poor, who feel hurt by it. The poet says that these
people who have opened the shed are keeping faith in a promise which was never
done to them.
18. Here, the promise is their expectation that the cars passing by will stop at the shed
and buy some stuff from them.
19. The shed owner wants to feel the money on his hands.
20. They have built this shed far from the city and they expect that the city people will
flow some money out of their pockets into the hands of the shed owner. He only
wishes for some (city) money so that he may experience the plush life (make our
beings expand)
21. Just like they see in pictures that the one who works hard achieves quick success and
money, they have laid their trust on these ideas and expect to get some money.
22. Frost adds that the political party in power has stopped the flow of cash from the city
dwellers to the rural people. The political party in power actually deprive them of a
prosperous life.
23. The poet quotes the news which highlights the evacuation and relocation of the poor
villagers to the vicinity of the theaters and the shops.
24. It is in news that soon all these sheds and huts will be bought by the government and
these people will be relocated to the villages.
25. Near their houses there will be movie theatre and grocery store.
26. They will be so happy there that they will not worry about their future.
27. The poet says greedy good-doers and beneficient beasts i.e. such people who show to
be doing good deeds but are actually greedy and are animals of prey who show that
they are benefitting the other persons but in reality, they destroy them. The rich
people and politicians are described as greedy good-doers and beneficient beasts
because they show that they are helping the poor shed owners but in reality nothing
like that is done. Actually, they are encircling their lives and forcefully giving them
such benefits which have been well planned and will put these poor people in a
confusion. These people cannot decide what is good for them and what is harmful.
28. Frost goes on to say that even though these people have benefactors (good-doers),
who plan to relocate them, where they can have easy access to the cinema and the
store, they are actually selfish (‘greedy good-doers’ and ‘beasts of prey’) and only
help these "pitiful kin" to indirectly advantage themselves.
29. The altruists wish to make these villagers completely dependent on them for all their
benefits and comforts, thus robbing them of the ability to think for themselves and be
independent.
30. These selfish people tell to the poor that now they can relax but in reality, they
themselves sleep all day long.
31. Also, they destroy their sleep at night too as has been happening since the past. They
are unable to sleep at night because they haven't worked during day time or because
they are troubled by their new lifestyle.
   
Central idea from- 23 t0 31The poet quotes the news which highlights the evacuation
and relocation of the poor villagers to the vicinity of the theaters and the shops. Tall
promises have been made to take good care of them. Outraged at the negligent
attitude of the civic authorities, government and even social service agencies, the poet
addresses them as "greedy good-doers" apparently benefactors but actually "beasts of
prey" who exploit the innocent village folk by giving them a short term sense of
security, the villagers are not being helped but harmed.

They pay a heavy price by losing their land. These developers, civic authorities, with
a calculative strategy "soothe" (silence) and befool the complete heart and minds of
these villagers. By ensuring them a better life and hence good sleep, they actually
sleep peacefully themselves and destroy their slumber with anxiety. In the ancient
way, people used to work during day and sleep in nights which has been reversed here
where they are not able to sleep at night because they haven’t worked in the day.
32. poet is distressed to note the endless wait on the part of the shed owners for their
prospective (future) buyers, he calls it almost a "childish longing in vain". Frost then
talks about his personal feelings, saying that he can hardly bear the thought of the
farmer's dashed hopes. The poet says that this kiddish desire in the hearts of these
shed owners is useless. He cannot tolerate their sadness which they go through when
they open the window of the shed, waiting for a car to stop and buy something.
33. The shop window is blanketed with an ambience of sadness that surrounds
expectancy.
34. It seems these people yearn for the sound of the car brakes near the shack. open
windows of the farmer's house seem to wait all day just to hear the sound of a car
stopping to make a purchase.
35. One of the "selfish cars" that pass by the shed has perhaps halted to enquire the
"farmer’s price"The poet says that this kiddish desire in the hearts of these shed
owners is useless. He cannot tolerate their sadness which they go through when they
open the window of the shed, waiting for a car to stop and buy something. They wait
there the whole day and it seems that they are doing a prayer seeking a buyer for their
goods. They pray for the vehicles to step on the brakes and want to hear a car stop by
36. while the other just wanted to use the backyard to turn. However they are always
disappointed, as vehicles only stop to enquire the price, to ask their way ahead, to
reverse or ask for a gallon of gas. plow
37 To 41 It’s indeed a satire that one of the occupants of the car stops at the shed to
get a gallon of gas.
38 It highlights a sense of alienation that exists between the rural and urban life.
39 Unaware of the villagers plights and engrossed with the pleasure of the material
world, these people are unable to gauge the glaring difference in city and rural
life.
40 Some stop by to ask directions of their destination.
41 Some cars stop by to buy fuel for their cars.
42 Poet gets annoyed and says that do they not have any idea that these poor people
cannot afford to sell fuel.
43 He adds that the kind of work these villagers do and the kind of things they sell,
44 it cannot lead to the required upliftment.
45 According to the poet, the progress required has not been found by these country
folk (“the requisite lift of spirit").
46 Money he feels elevates spirits and the lack of it dampens the villagers’
perspective towards life. They tend to express their grievance about a life bereft of
money.Their lifestyles provide ample evidence to support this fact. The resources
are too less to help them get rid of their problem.
47 At this point of time, the poet is overwhelmed with emotions and contemplates
their pain at one go by changing their lives.He sometimes feels that it might be to
simply put these people out of their pain and hardships of existence.
48 Their situation demands such a solution which would be a relief to put them out of
their problems in one go.
49 However, once rational thinking returns to his mind and later logical thought and a
poised state of mind tells him the futility of this rash act.
50 It might compel him to seek purgation of pain from others for his thoughtless
decision.