A Roadside Stand | Class 12 English

A Roadside Stand

Table of Contents

Very Short Answer Type Questions: (1 Marks)

1. Who is the poet the poem , “A Roadside stand”?
Ans: Robert Frost is the poet the poem, “A Roadside stand”.

2. What is the roadside stand?
Ans: The roadside stand is a shop or market which is situated by the side of the main road.

3. Where is the little new shed built?
Ans: The little new shed is built in front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped.

4. What is the purpose of the newly built shed?
Ans: The purpose of the newly built shed is for some of the money or the cash from the city people.

5. Why is the word ‘pathetic’ used for the roadside stand?
Ans: The word ‘pathetic’ is used to express the miserable condition or poor situation of the roadside stand owners.

6. What does the Robert Frost write about in his poems.
Ans: Robert Frost writes about characters, people and landscapes in his poems.

7. Name two of his well-known poems.
Ans: Two well-known poems of Robert Frost are- Birches and Mending walls.

8. ‘The little old house was out with a little new shed….’ What does the poet mean by the phrase ‘old house was out with…’?
Ans: By the phrase, ‘old house was out with’, the poet means that the little old house was out with a little new shed’ to getting some more cash or money than before.

9. ‘A roadside stand that too pathetically pled…’
(i) What is the figure of speech used?
Ans: The figure of personification is used in this speech.

(ii) What is meant by the quoted line?
Ans: By the quoted line, the poet means the miserable condition or poor situation of the roadside stand owners.

10. ‘It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread’
(i) What is meant by ‘a dole of bread?
Ans: ‘A dole of bread’ means a share of money, food, or clothing that has been charitably (free of cost) given or donated.

(ii) What is ‘not fair’ as pointed in the quoted line.
Ans: The roadside stand is not established for a dole of bread. This is ‘not fair’ to say as pointed in the quoted line.

11. Why is the traffic described as ‘polished’?
Ans: The traffic is described as ‘polished’ because it refers the urban city-dwellers who have insensitive attitude and gentlemanly appearances.

12. It’s is in the news that all these pitiful kin’ Who are the ‘pitiful kin’ mentioned here?
Ans: The ‘pitiful kin’ are the owners of the roadside stands and the poor villagers mentioned here.

13. Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass
Gist 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…

(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’s things.

14. “The little old house 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 shed put up?
Ans: The shed was put up in front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped.

(ii) What was its purpose?
Ans: Its purpose was to getting some extra money or cash.

(iii) Why does the poet use the word pathetic?
Ans: The poet uses the word ‘pathetic’ to refer the roadside stands which would not be fair to say for a dole of bread.

(iv) Who are referred as the flower of cities?
Ans: The best things avail in the cities is referred as the flower of cities.

15. “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 stopped 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.

16. ”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. But, they 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 by their works and pressures. Thus, the innocent rural folk are to be soothed out of their wits end.

17. 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?
Ans: These lines occur in the poem, “The Roadside Stand written by Robert Frost.

(ii) Why has the requisite sprit never been found?
Ans: the requisite sprit has never been found for the party in power and the greedy good-doers who swarm over the lives of poor people and enforcing benefits.

(iii) What does the voice of the country people seem to say?
Ans: The voice of the country people seem to say about his complains of injustice and the requisite lift of spirit.

(iv) What will be of great relief for the poet?
Ans: The great relief for the poet will be if he would relief the poor people at one stroke out of their pain.”

Short Answer Questions: Type-A (2 Marks)

1. Who are referred to as the ‘flower of cities’?
Ans: The best things of the city are referred to as the ‘flower of cities’. Among the best things, the best facilities, the best companies, the best living conditions, the best educations, and other else are indicated as the ‘flower of cities’.

2. How does the traffic pass?
Ans: The polished traffic pass with a mind ahead. They often do not stop in the roadside stand for buying anything nor do they take attention for the foods.

3. Why does one turn ‘out of sorts’?
Ans: A traffic turns ‘out of sorts’ when the traffic observes/attentions the landscape that marred with the artless paint. Also, he or she turns at signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrong.

4. What are being sold in that roadside stand?
Ans: Wild berries in wooden quarts and crook-necked golden squash with silver warts are being sold in that roadside stand.

5. Why do the people running the roadside stand ask for some city money’?
OR: Why do the people who are running the roadside stand ‘ask for some city money’?
Ans: The people who are running the roadside stand ask for some city money’ to feel in hand the city money and to give them the life of the moving-pictures’ promise alike. They also expect the city money to flow supports some facilities like the city people from their sinking and withering faint condition.

6. Who has betrayed the village people? How?
Ans: The parties in power or the greedy good-doers have betrayed the village people. They swarm over their lives enforcing benefits and soothe them out of their wits. Also, they destroy their sleeping at night by their works and pressures.

7. What is ‘in the news’?
OR: What was in the news as has been portrayed in the poem “The Roadside Stand”?
Ans: It is in the news in the poem “The Roadside Stand” that all the pitiful kin or the owners of the roadside stands or the poor village people won’t have to think for themselves anymore. The parties in power or the greedy good-doers buy out them and swarm over their lives for enforcing benefits and also soothe them out of their wits.

8. Why won’t these poor people ‘have to think for themselves anymore’?
Ans: These poor people won’t ‘have to think for themselves anymore because the parties in power or the greedy good-doers buy out them and swarm over their lives for enforcing benefits. They soothe them out of their wits and destroy their sleeping at night for their works and pressures.

9. What is the place of the folk who have put up the roadside stand?
Ans: The folk have put up the roadside stand in far from the city.

10. What do the people wait all they long for?
Ans: The people wait all long for the squeal of brakes and the sound of a stopping car. They expect on all the thousand selfish cars for stop there and buy some foods from them.

11. What will be of great relief to the poet?
Ans: The great relief will be to the poet to put the poor and exploited people at one stroke out of their pain. Also, the poet wishes to put him gently out of his pain by the great relief of the poor or exploited people.

12. ‘And by teaching them how to sleep the all day, destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way’. Explain in brief.
Ans: In this statement, the poet mentions about the parties in power or the greedy good-doers who sleep all the day and destroy the poor or working people’s sleeping at night by their works.

13. What did the roadside stand offers the customers ? Why were the city people critical of the stand?
Ans: The roadside stand offered the customers wild berries in wooden quarts and crook-necked golden squash with silver warts.
The city people were critical of the stand for the landscape that marred with the artless paint. Also, they criticised the wrong turn of N and S.

14. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand ?
Ans: The folk who had put up the roadside stand pled for some of the money, the cash from the passers-by. They wished them to stop at that place for buying/shopping some things from them.

15. Did ‘the polished traffic’ stop at the roadside stand and if at all they stopped, what were their reactions?
Ans: The polished traffic’ often did not stop at the roadside stand.
If at all they stopped, their reactions were against the artless paint that marred with the landscape. Also, they criticized the signs of S and N that turned wrong.

16. What things irritated the passer-by who stopped at the roadside stand?
Ans: The passers-by who stopped at the roadside stand were irritated at the artless paint that marred with the beautiful landscape. Also, they were irritated at the signs of S and N which were turned wrong.

17. Who will soothe the rural poor out of their wits and how?
Ans: The greedy good-doers or the selfish powerful people will soothe the rural poor out of their wits.
The good doer’s are alike beneficent beasts of prey. They calculate to soothe the poor or working people out of their wits. They swarm over the poor or working people’s lives and enforcing benefits by their powers and works. Also, they sleep all the day and destroy the poor or working people’s sleeping at night by their works.

18. What was the complain of the poet in ‘A Roadside Stand’?
Ans: The complain of the poet in ‘A Roadside Stand’ was against the greedy good-doers or the parties in power who do not provide the requisite lift of sprit or the essential facilities for the poor people. He also wishes to complain against the injustice and expects a great relief for them.”

Short Answer Questions: Type-B (2 Marks)

1. How does the poet describe the good doer’s?
Ans: The poet describes that the good doer’s are alike beneficent beasts of prey. They swarm over the poor or working people’s lives and enforcing benefits. They calculate to soothe them out of their wits. They sleep all the day and destroy the poor or working people’s sleeping at night by their works.

2. How will the innocent rural folk be soothed ‘out of their wits’?
Ans: The poet describes that the good doer’s are alike beneficent beasts of prey. They calculate to soothe the poor or working people out of their wits. They swarm over the poor or working people’s lives and enforcing benefits by their powers. Also, they sleep all the day and destroy the poor or working people’s sleeping at night by their works.

3. What is the poet’s childish longing? Why is it in vain?
Ans: The poet’s childish longing is that he can hardly bear the thought of the poor people or the roadside owners’ miserable conditions. It is in vain for the parties in power or the greedy good-doers or the selfish people as they do not think for the poor people or the roadside owners.

4. Why do cars stop’s by, if they do stop at all at the roadside stand?
Ans: The first car stops to back and turn around his or her car by the roadside stand. The second car stops to ask about the way where it was bound. The third car stops to ask if they can sell a gallon of gas. The poet annoys with the selfish cars because they does not purchase any product from the shop or the road side stand.

5. Why has the ‘requisite life of spirit never been found’?
Ans: The ‘requisite life of spirit has never been found for the parties in power or the greedy good-doers. They destroy the poor or working people’s sleeping and dreams of life. They use them for their works. Also, they swarm over the poor or working people’s lives and enforcing benefits by their powers by soothe them.

6. What does ‘the voice of the country’ seem to complain about?
Ans: ‘The voice of the country’ seems to complain about the requisite life of spirit or the essential things and about their rights. They also wish to complain against their injustices by the parties in power or the greedy good-doers.

7. Show how the poet feels insufferable pain at the thought of the plight of the rural poor.
Ans: The poet feels himself that he can hardly bear the thought of the poor people or the roadside owners’ miserable conditions. It is in vain for the parties in power or the greedy good-doers. They destroy the poor or working people’s sleeping and dreams of life. They use them for their works. Also, they swarm over the poor or working people’s lives and enforcing benefits by their powers.

8. Explain the following:
(i)…But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
the flower of cities, from sinking and withering faint.
Ans: By this phrase, the poet, Robert Frost mentions that the roadside stands are established for some of the money or the cash to flow support the flower of cities that means the best things of the cities to remove their sinking and withering faint.

(ii) And give us the life of the moving picture promised.
Ans: By this statement, the poet, Robert Frost expresses the promises of the parties in power or the greedy good-doers. He mentions that the promises are given to them like the life of the moving picture promised but unfortunately totally meaningless because the selfish persons do not give them any facilities of help to live better.