INDEX

S.NO. CONTENTS PAGE REMARKS

1. COVER PAGE
2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
3. CERTIFICATE
4. INDEX
5. ABOUT THE POETESS
6. POEM
7. CENTRAL IDEA
8. SUMMARY
9. VOCABULARY
10. POETIC DEVICES
11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
ROBERT FROST
 ABOUT THE POET
Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an
American poet. His work was initially published in England
before it was published in the United States. Known for his
realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American
colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from
rural life in New England in the early 20th century, using them
to examine complex social and philosophical themes.
Frequently honored during his lifetime, Frost is the only poet to
receive four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He became one of
America's rare "public literary figures, almost an artistic
institution".[3] He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in
1960 for his poetic works. On July 22, 1961, Frost was named
poet laureate of Vermont

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

Frost was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 31 times.
In June 1922, the Vermont State League of Women's Clubs
elected Frost as Poet Laureate of Vermont. When a New York
Times editorial strongly criticised the decision of the Women's
Clubs, Sarah Cleghorn and other women wrote to the
newspaper defending Frost. Frost was elected to the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1931 and the American
Philosophical Society in 1937.
On July 22, 1961, Frost was named Poet Laureate of Vermont
by the state legislature through Joint Resolution R-59 of the
Acts of 1961, which also created the position.
Robert Frost won the 1963 Bollingen Prize.
Pulitzer Prizes

 1924 for New Hampshire: A Poem With Notes and Grace

Notes
 1931 for Collected Poems
 1937 for A Further Range
 1943 for A Witness Tree
 POEM
A ROADSIDE STAND
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.
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,
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.
The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint

So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:

Here far from the city we make our roadside stand
And ask for some city money to feel in hand
To try if it will not make our being expand,
And give us the life of the moving-pictures’ promise
That the party in power is said to be keeping from us.

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,
Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits
That 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.
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,
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 what a farmer’s prices are.
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?
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
 CENTRAL IDEA
Poor people do not have enough clothing, food, education and healthcare.
Being poor means deprived economically, politically and socially. They hardly
get opportunities. They have inadequate nutrition, higher risk of diseases and
lack access to healthcare and basic essentials for living resulting in low
achievement.

One cannot make such people opulent but can at least help them achieve the
essentials of life and lead a prosperous life. Helping the poor and needy
people is a good deed. Caring for the poor and needy people and helping
them is a noble endeavor. The more you give to poor and needy people, the
more you strengthen their dependency. If you give them the chance or
opportunity, you’ll see an effective and long-lasting improvement in their lives.
Create a new system built on inter-dependency which motivates them to work
and move forward and their dignity is maintained. Tossing out money or other
kinds of donation do help the poor and needy people but the need is to direct
your energies and efforts in raising them, building relationship, teaching them
and moreover, regaining their self-confidence and self-esteem to work for
themselves.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO HELP THE NEEDY:

 Education
 Better understanding
 Donate old belonging
 Group involvement
 Collection drive
 Donate eatables
 Fund raising
 Personal financial
 SUMMARY
There has been an extension of the shed in front by the
occupants of the little old house. Furthermore, this extension is
around the edge of the road where the passage of traffic takes
place. It seems like the shack-owners want to implore the
passers-by to purchase something from the shack. These
deprived people have a huge desire for the currency.

Unfortunately, the traffic goes past ignoring the shack. If by

chance the traffic does stop, it would come with a feeling of
disappointment. They are very disturbed to see the poor
unattractive signboards. There is an offer of wild berries shack
for sale in a wooden quart (a quarter of a gallon). This place
offers a peaceful natural stay for those who can afford it. The
poet becomes angry at this attitude of the ‘polished traffic’ and
asks them to move ahead.

The poet shows more concern for the sadness of the shed-
owners than he does for the landscape blemish. He believes that
these people have a longing to handle some city money. This
money can reduce their suffering as one can see in movies. The
political party that enjoys power is the one that deprives them of
a happy life.

The poet makes mention of the news which points out the
relocation of the poor villagers to the vicinity of shops and
theatres. There were big promises to ensure good care for them.
However, the government authorities became negligent of these
promises. Furthermore, the poet is angry at this behavior and
calls them “greedy good-doers”. He calls them “beasts of prey”
who indulge in the exploitation of the poor villagers.

The villagers pay a heavy price as they had to lose their land. The
civic authorities are successful in fooling these naïve villagers.
They promise them a better life and a good sleep. However,
these civic authorities are the ones who sleep peacefully while
making the lives of villagers miserable. Work during the day and
sleep at night was the norm in ancient times. However, there has
been a reversal of this norm as the villagers are not able to sleep
at night.

The poet expresses his distress while explaining the endless wait
of shed owners for buyers. There is an ambiance of sadness all
over the place. Sometimes a car stops but that is to enquire
about the farmer’s price. Furthermore, others who stop just
want to make use of the backyard. One of the cars stops for a
gallon of gas. Moreover, this demonstrates the sense of
alienation between urban and rural life.

The poet regrets that money is not abundant in the country-side.

Furthermore, money can raise spirits while a lack of it dampens
it. The villagers have a tendency to express their grievance about
a life which has a lack of money. Moreover, the poet becomes
very emotional and contemplates their pain. He certainly wants
to change their lives in one go but understands that this will be a
futile act.
Conclusion of A Roadside Stand
A Roadside Stand summary shows us the great contrast between
the comfortable life of city dwellers and the harshness faced by
the impoverished rural people.

VOCABULARY
QUARTS : Bottles or containers

SQUASH : a kind of vegetables (gourd)

 POETIC DEVICES USED
The rhyme scheme of the poem is abab. A number of poetic devices have
been used to emphasize the poem’s theme.

Transferred Epithet:

There are two examples of transferred epithet in “A Roadside Stand.”

1. ‘polished traffic’ referring to the city dwellers who pass by the countryside
and sometimes they take out a moment to scrutinize the surroundings around
them.
2. ‘Selfish cars’ is yet another use of a transferred epithet. This refers to the
car owners who do stop at the roadside stand but to ask about the police or
the gas stations.

Personification:

“the sadness that lurks behind the open window there…” where sadness is an
example of personification. Sadness dwells in the windows of the farmers
because they wait for cars to stop and make a purchase.

Alliteration and Oxymoron:

‘Greedy good doers’ and ‘beneficent beasts of prey’ are examples of both
alliteration and oxymoron.

BIBLIOGRAPY
 www.wikipedia.com
 www.google.com
 www.quora.com
 NCERT English (flamingo) class 12