‘A Roadside Stand’ describes the miserable condition of the people

living in the country side. The poem also brings into focus the
unfortunate fact that progress and development is unequal between the
cities and the villages leading to feelings of distress and unhappiness
among the dwellers of the latter. No one, not even the government and
other social service agencies help the rural people. Frost describes the
lives of the poor people with unsympathetic clarity and with deepest
sympathy and humanity.
 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 the dole of bread,
But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
WORD NOTES: out: extended outside, shed: a simple building
for storing things, edge: border, Traffic sped: fast movement of
vehicles, roadside: by the side of the road, stand: a place at which
people can buy things or obtain information, pathetically: in a
pitiable manner, pled: made a request, not be fair: it would not be just,
dole of bread: donations, cash: money in hand, supports:
holds up, the flower of the cities: best things of the city, sinking:
ruin, withering: drying and shrinking, faint: lifeless.
There was a little house. It was extended and a shed was built. In
front and at one corner of the road where traffic moved ahead fast,
the roadside stand was set up. It appeared to be begging for the visit
of the customers. It would be unfair to say that the people who ran it
pleaded for a dole of bread. But they seemed to be expecting the
customers for earning some money. They wanted to earn cash. This
cash supports the best things of the city. It is money and wealth that
saves all the best and beautiful things in cities from ruin and
withering away
 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 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.
WORD NOTES: polished: refined, traffic: movement of vehicles,
mind ahead: going straight forward, if ever: if at any time, aside: on
one side, out of sorts: irritated, not feeling well, landscape: sight of
land, marred: clumsy, offered: presented, wild: of the forest, berries:
a small round fruit, wooden: made of wood, quarts: a measuring
unit/ container, crook- necked: bent necked, squash: like pumpkin,
silver warts: hard lumps, mean: miser, go along: move forward.
The refined and rich people drove past the roadside stand without stop
ping there. If someone stopped there he was irritated by the clumsy
paint that spoiled the landscape. He was ‘out of sorts’ when he found
the letters ‘N’ and ‘S’ turned wrong. Ordinary things like wild berries in
wooden quarts were offered for sale. Similarly, golden gourds with
silver hard lumps could be bought from there. The place also provided a
beautiful mountain scene for staying there if one had the money. But if
one wanted to be a miser then he could keep the money in his pocket
and move ahead.
 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.
The poet doesn’t complain that the landscape has been spoiled
by the artless paint done on the building. He is worried about
those sorrows of these people which have remained unsaid. The
roadside stand is quite far away from the city. Those who are
running it expect some city money to come in their hands. They
hope that the city people passing through the place will stop buy
things. Money earned will make them prosperous. It will give the
m the life as promised by the moving pictures. But unfortunately
, the party in power is indifferent to these rural people and
their demands.
 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
WORD NOTES: pitiful: merciful, kin: relatives, mercifully:
having mercy, gathered: assembled, greedy good doers:
greedy persons who pretend to be good, beneficent:
generous, beasts of prey: violent meat eating animals
[humans], swarm: assemble in large numbers, enforcing:
doing by force, benefits: profits, calculated: planned
before, soothe: to make silent, out of their wits: to make
fools, ancient: old
There is news that these pitiable persons are to be bought out with
their belongings. They will be made to live in the villages next to the the
atre and the store. It is said that now onwards they need not think of
themselves any more. Greedy people pretending to be ‘good – doers’ will
take care of them. Those generous people who pretend to be kind are
actually like flesh eating wild animals. Such cunning people will swarm
over their lives to exploit them. They will force them to part with their
money. They themselves will mint money befooling the innocent rural
people. They will make them work but themselves will sleep all the day.
They will use their old games to destroy their sleep at night.
 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 farmers 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?
WORD NOTES: hardly: with difficulty, bear: tolerate,
childish: immature, longing: strong desire, In vain:
without any use, lurks: lies hidden, squeal: cries, selfish
cars: selfish car owners, inquire: to get information,
plow up: turn over, yard: open space, bound: leading
to
The poet feels that the people who are running the roadside stands are vainly
waiting for their prospective customers. It is quite childish to entertain such a
long longing. They keep their windows open to wait for their likely customers.
When no one turns up they feel sad. They go on waiting throughout the day
praying for the sound of brakes, the sound of a stopping car. Thousands of
selfish cars –owners pass through the stand but no one enquires of what farmer’
s prices are. One person stops but only to use the yard for backing the car and
turning around. Another may come and asks the way to where it is bound. Still
another person who stops there will ask for a gallon of gas which is not sold
there.
 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.
WORD NOTES: scale: level, gain: progress/
profits, requisite: desired, country: rural side,
seems: appears, owning: accepting, relief: comfort,
at one stroke: with one blow, sane: balanced.
The life of the people in the country side is quite miserable for want
of money. Money which can increase the level of their living is not
found here. Due to lack of money the spirits of the people always
remain depressed. So, the rural people seem to complain of this
drawback. The poet cant help feeling a great relief if all the pains of
these rural people are removed in one stroke. Their miserable life is
worse than death. Next day, when he attains the balance of his mind,
he will expect a person coming with an offer to take himself out of
his pain.