CBSE Sure-Shot Questions A Roadside Stand Class 12 English

CBSE Sure-Shot Questions A Roadside Stand Class 12 English will provide you with a rudimentary understanding of the poem. In CBSE Sure-Shot Questions A Roadside Stand Class 12 English, we will discuss the poet, a summary, a critical analysis of stanzas, the central idea of A Roadside Stand, and questions and answers. The poet discusses the human apathy and complexities of poor people in the poem “A Roadside Stand.” The synopsis of Robert Frost’s A Roadside Stand will show how the underprivileged are denied access to the amenities provided by city shops.

CBSE Sure-Shot Questions A Roadside Stand Class 12 English

About the Poet: A Roadside Stand

The poet discusses the human apathy and complexities of poor people in the poem ‘A Roadside Stand’. Robert Frost was born in 1874 and died in 1963. He belongs to the modern era of poets. He is the most highly admired American poet of the twentieth century. Robert Frost used to write about characters, people, and landscapes. His poems are highly concerned with human tragedies and fears. He has discussed the human complexities of life and the burdens of life. Some of his best-known poems are “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening,” “Birches”, and “Mending Walls.” Robert Frost, in his poem, The Roadside Stand, describes the lives of poor people with pitiless clarity and shows great sympathy and humanity.

Reading the poem in the classroom: A Roadside Stand Class 12 English

Important Words and Phrases : A Roadside Stand Complete NCERT Solution Class 12 English

new shed: Roadside stand

In front at the edge of the road: roadside stand on the edge of the road

A roadside stand that too pathetically pled: poor condition of shed शेड की खराब स्थिति

But for some of the money, the cash: farmer, waiting for money. लेकिन कुछ पैसे के लिए, नकद:

The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead: costly cars passing महंगी कारें गुजर रही हैं

Offered for sale wild berries in wooden quarts: farmer selling wild berries
Or crook-necked golden squash with silver warts: selling yellow squash पीला स्क्वैश बेचना

Here far from the city, we make our roadside stand: stand is away from the city  स्टैंड शहर से दूर है
And ask for some city money to feel in the hand, the life of the moving pictures’ promise: farmer wants some share from city money किसान शहर के पैसे से कुछ हिस्सा चाहता है

To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store: politicians promise to open shops for farmers in developed areas राजनेताओं ने विकसित क्षेत्र में किसानों के लिए दुकानें खोलने का किया वादा

greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey: city people are greedy and farmers are their prey शहर के लोग लालची हैं और किसान उनके शिकार हैं

I feel myself I can hardly bear it: the poet was unable to bear the farmer’s pain किसान का दर्द सह नहीं पा रहे कवि
The thought of so much childish longing in vain: It will be like a child wish to get something easily यह ऐसा होगा जैसे बच्चा आसानी से कुछ पाना चाहता है
The sadness that lurks near the open window: sadness in the stand स्टैंड में उदासी

the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car: cars turn and go back without purchasing anything कारें मुड़ती हैं और बिना कुछ खरीदे वापस चली जाती हैं

Just one to inquire what a farmer’s prices are. ask if could they sell a gallon of gas: one asks for gas and another asks for the price of fruits, nobody purchased(कोई मांगता है गैस और दूसरा मांगता है फलों का दाम, किसी ने नहीं खरीदा)

the voice of the country seems to complain: villagers complain but no solution(ग्रामीणों ने की शिकायत लेकिन समाधान नहीं)

I can’t help owning the great relief it would be
To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.: the poet wants the farmers’ pain should be finished forever.(कवि चाहता है कि किसानों का दर्द हमेशा के लिए खत्म हो जाए।)

A Roadside Stand Summary in English: Complete NCERT Solution Class 12 English

Introduction 

The poet, Robert Frost, discusses the human apathy and complexities of poor people in the poem ‘A Roadside Stand’.

The Main Points

The synopsis of Robert Frost’s A Roadside Stand will show how the underprivileged are denied access to the amenities provided by city shops. In this poem, the poet describes the deplorable circumstances of the poor people who set up a little booth on the side of the road to sell their agricultural goods to motorists who pass by. The passersby don’t even care what they sell in their booths. People don’t even look at the roadside stand. These roadside stands lack the basic amenities of a city shop. In his poem, “A Roadside Stand,” Robert Frost explains the struggles of roadside stand dwellers. City people just cross the stand, and they never care what has been there in the booth.

The poet depicts the indifferent attitudes of people towards the roadside dwellers. The dwellers expect some money from the ‘polished traffic passed with a mind ahead’. People just turn their vehicles without looking at the booth. These small farmers just sell “wild berries” in small homemade wooden boxes. They want a small share of their money to manage their families. Unfortunately, these assurances were never kept.

Conclusion

The poet feels pity for such roadside dwellers, but he is helpless. The booth owner ‘waits all day in almost open prayer’ to hear the sound of brakes, but all in vain, and nobody stops there to enquire about the products in the stand. They just ask the way, turn vehicles, and enquire about a gallon of gas. The poet wishes for the problems of such people to be solved in “one stroke”, but that never happens.

A final word on A Roadside Stand Summary

A Roadside Stand summary reflects the poet Robert Frost’s apathy toward the dwellers on the roadside stand and the indifferent attitude of rich people towards them. Regardless of what politicians say, the misery of such booth owners continues.

A Roadside Stand Poetic Devices of Stanzas Complete NCERT Solution Class 12 English

Q.1. What is the theme of the poem, ‘A Roadside Stand’?

OR

Q.2. What is the central idea of the poem, ‘A Roadside Stand’, Discuss?

The poem “A Roadside Stand” portrays Robert Frost’s apathy toward the roadside stand dwellers and the attitude of wealthy people toward them. Despite what politicians claim, the plight of these booth owners endures.

These small farmers only sell “wild berries” in small wooden boxes. They want a small portion of their earnings to manage their families. The poem starts with the miserable condition of the poor booth owners at a roadside stand where they expect people to stop and buy some berries from their field. Their hopes are never fulfilled as most of the motorists, ‘The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead’ just turn their vehicles around and enquire about a gallon of gas. The poet wishes for the problems of such people to be solved in “one stroke,” and ‘asks city money to feel in hand’, but that never happens.

In his poem “The Roadside Stand,” Robert Frost shows how hard life is for the poor with a lot of humanity and compassion.

A Roadside Stand Textual Questions Complete NCERT Solution Class 12 English

Think it out

Q.1. The city folk who drove through the countryside hardly paid any heed to the roadside stand or to the people who ran it. If at all they did, it was to complain. Which lines bring this out? What was their complaint about?

“The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead.” This line depicts the indifferent attitude of city people towards the poor roadside dwellers. They just ask for a gallon of gas but never buy anything from their booth.

Q.2. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand? (Most Imp.)

These small farmers only sell “wild berries” in small wooden boxes. They want a small portion of their earnings to manage their families. The booth owner ‘waits all day in almost open prayer’ to hear the sound of brakes, but all in vain, and nobody stops there to enquire about the products in the stand. ‘The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead’ just turn their vehicles around and enquire about a gallon of gas.

Q.3. The government and other social service agencies appear to help the poor rural people but do them no good. Pick out the words and phrases that the poet uses to show their double standards.

Ans.’ this pitiful kin..next to the theatre and the store. Where they won’t have to think for themselves..’ are the words and phrases to show the double standards of the people.

Q.4. What is the ‘childish longing’ that the poet refers to? Why is it ‘vain’?( Most Imp.)

The poet wishes that these roadside dwellers’ problems would go away forever and that people would come and start buying their products so they could feel some of the “money” in their hands. This is the poet’s childish wish because nobody stops there, and politicians never fulfill their commitment to allot shops to them in the city.

Q.5. Which lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the thought of the plight of the rural poor?

The lines which reveal the poet’s insufferable pain are: “That sadness that lurks near the open window..that waits all day in almost open prayer.”

Talk about it

Group Discussion Question: The economic well-being of a country depends on the balanced development of the villages and the cities.

The development of any country cannot be considered the responsibility of cities alone; it is also the sole responsibility of any society to make the villages self-reliant. In a country like India, where two-thirds of people live in villages, it’s vital to have equivalent development in both cities and villages if we claim to be developed. The Indian economy has a major part in its agricultural products, which are produced by the farmers in villages. Even in the crisis of COVID-19, Indian agriculture showed positive growth when other sectors were poorly performed. Hence, the village economy of any country is vital for its development.

On the other hand, industries produce a lot of products and create a lot of employment for people. It means industries have a big hand in the development of any country. In this poem, ‘A Roadside Stand’, Robert Frost describes the imbalanced economy between the rural and urban areas of the country. Here, farmers are in pity because of the imbalanced growth of their village due to the petty interests of politicians who promise a lot but never fulfill it. Such fake development claims are responsible for the apathy of farmers who are unable to sell their products to make ends meet. The poet has clear ideas that the rural economy is equally responsible for the development of the country and that the problems of the peasants should be addressed. In this way, the economic well-being of the country can be strengthened.

Note: The students can have different points of view in this discussion.

Practice for students of class 12: Try this out with the help of the poem’s Roadside Stand'( Important for learning the language)

You could stop at a Dhaba or a roadside eatery on the outskirts of your town or city to see:

1. how many travelers stop there to eat?
2. how many travelers stop for other reasons?
3. how the shopkeepers are treated?
4. the kind of life do they lead?

A Roadside Stand CBSE/HBSE Questions(2017,18,19,20) Complete NCERT Solution Class 12 English

Q.1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels? (2020C)

Ans. The poet feels that the situation of the poor dwellers in the city will never improve due to fake promises made by politicians. “The sadness” will remain there.

Q.2. What does the poet say about polished traffic? (2020B)

Ans. ‘The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead’ just turn their vehicles around and enquire about a gallon of gas. The poet wishes for the problems of such people to be solved in “one stroke,” and ‘asks city money to feel in hand’, but that never happens.

Q.3. Where was the roadside stand put up and what for? (2017A, 2020A)

Ans. The poet explains the miserable plea of the farmers who put their stand on the roadside to sell their farm’s berries. Unfortunately, they are unable to sell the products of the farms.

Q.4. What is the man at the stall waiting for all day? (2017B)

Ans. ‘A Roadside Stand’ describes the pathetic conditions of poor farmers who stand at their roadside stalls. They waited there the whole day, expecting that some city people would come and buy their berries, but all in vain. They just come and inquire about a gallon of gas or turning their vehicle.

Q.5. What do the rich people who drive past the stall feel about it? (2017C)

Ans. “The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead.” This line depicts the indifferent attitude of city people towards the poor roadside dwellers. They just ask for a gallon of gas but never buy anything from their booth. They just ask for the price or the way, but never worry about the existence of these poor people.

Q.6. What were the various things put up for sale at the roadside stand? (2018 B)

Ans. The poor farmers put their stands on the roadside to sell wild berries and yellow squash. They hope to sell these products to the people who drive through there.

A Roadside Stand Comprehension of stanzas Complete NCERT Solution Class 12 English

Stanza 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 : 1 × 5 = 5
(i) Name the poem and the poet.
(ii) Where was the new shed situated?
(iii) What was the intention of the house owner in putting up the shed?
(iv) What are flowers compared to?
(v) Find words from the stanza which mean the same as :
(a) Verge
(b) Pitiably

Answers:

1. The title of the poem is “A Roadside Stand”, and the name of the poet is Robert Frost.
2. The new shed was on the roadside.
3. The house owner wanted to sell the fruits to make his ends meet.
4. The flowers are compared to the city’s money, which helps the city people manage their lives.
5. roadside, pled

Stanza 2.
The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,
Or if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts
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,

Questions:

1. What is the name of the poet and poem?
2. Who is driving polished vehicles?
3. Find words from the stanza which mean the same as shining, and rough.
4. Who is present on the stand?
5. What are farmers selling?

Answers:

1. The name of the poet is Robert Frost, and the poem’s name is “A Roadside Stand.”

2. The rich people of the city drive polished vehicles.

3. polished and artless paint.

4. A farmer is selling fruits on the stand.

5. They are selling wild berries and yellow squash.

Stanza 3.

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 the hand
To try if it will not make our expanding,
And give us the life of the moving pictures’ promise
That the party in power is said to be keeping from us.

Questions:

1. What is the unsaid sorrow discussed?
2. Is the roadside stand near the city?
3. What does the stand owner want from city people?
4. What are the promises made by the party in power?
5. What words are similar in this stanza: pain, commitment?

Answers:

1. The apathy of farmers is discussed.
2. No, the roadside stand is away from the city.
3. He wants the city people to buy something from his stand.
4. The party in power promised that the stand owner would get shops in a developed area.
5. Pain: sorrow; commitment: promise.

Stanza 4.

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 is 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.

Questions

1. What is in the newspaper?
2. Where will the stand owner get shops?
3. Why are the city people called “greedy good-doers”?
4. Who are the beneficient beasts of prey?
5. Write the antonyms of the following words: beast, greedy.
6. Explain, ‘Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way’?

Answers:

1. The newspaper said that stand holders would get shops near the theatre.
2. The stand owners will get shops in a developed area.
3. They are called greedy as they never care about poor people. They ensure a good life for poor people and good sleep. But it never happens.
4. The city people are called beasts of prey as they try to get benefits from rural people by making false promises.
5. Beast: pet; greedy; truthful.
6. A man can sleep easily at night after a hard day’s work. But unfortunately, people can’t sleep at night as they don’t do hard work. The ancient way was that people used to sleep during the night, but unfortunately, things have changed as people don’t do hard work during the daytime. So, they are not able to sleep during the night.

Stanza 5.

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.

Questions:

1. What was unbearable for the poet?
2. What was the poet’s childish longing?
3. Why was there sadness on the stand?
4. What was the farmer praying for?
5. Why are the people in cars called selfish?
6. What were the people enquiring about?
7. Which word has the same meaning as “longing, futile”?

Answers:

1. The apathy of the farmer was unbearable for the poet.
2. The poet wanted the people to come and buy fruits from the stand.
3. There was sadness in the stall as nobody came to purchase the fruits from the farmer.
4. The farmer was praying because he wanted a sale of his products.
5. People in cars are called selfish as they are least bothered about the farmer’s apathy.
6. The people were just enquiring about the prices of the products.
7. Longing: Wish; futile: vain.

Stanza 6.

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 the 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.

Questions:

1. What is the “requisite lift of spirit” discussed by the poet?
2. What was the farmer’s complaint?
3. What does the poet say to farmers?
4. What is the name of the poem and the poet?
5. Write synonyms for words like “requisite” and “pain.”

Answers:

1. The courage to end a farmer’s problems.
2. The farmer complains about the indifferent attitude of people towards them.
3. The poet wished that the farmers’ dispute should be resolved in one stroke.
4. The title of the poem is “A Roadside Stand,” and the poet is Robert Frost.
5. The synonyms for these words are “requirement” and “problem.”