A ROADSIDE STAND

ROBERT FROST
Frost present the lives of the poor and the deprived people with flawless clarity,
sympathy and humanity. This poem is concerned with human tragedies, the poet’s
reaction to the complexities of life and his ultimate acceptance of the burdens. The
poem is loosely written mostly in regular rhyme.

1. Where was the stand located and how was it constructed?

2. Explain the phrase too pathetically pled?
3. What would not be fair to say?
4. What was the real aim of running the stand?
5. What attraction does the place offer?
6. What does a mean person do?
7. What doesn’t bother the poet?
8. What is the poet’s real worry?
9. How does Frost describe the rich?
10. How are the poor soothed out of their wits?
11. What do they pretend to do?
12. How do they destroy their sleep?
13. Why has the required lift of spirit never been found?
14. What does the voice of the country seem to say?
15. When will the poet be relieved?
16. What does the poet want to be done the next day?
17. Which line brings out the complaint of the city folk and what is it about?
18. What was the plea of the poor folk who had set up the stand?
19. What is the childish longing that the poet refers to? Why is it vain?
20. What does the poet feel at the thought of the plight of the poor?
21. What is the untold sorrow of the owner of the roadside stand?
22. What is the poet’s complaint in the poem?
23. Why do the country people ask for money?
24. What was the news that was doing the round?
25. Why would the country folk not have to think for themselves?
26. How would the innocent be soothed out of their wits?
27. Why are the car called selfish?
28. What is the sadness that ‘lurks near the open window there?
29. What does the party in power keep from the country folk?
30. What was the real aim of running the roadside shed?
31. How did the traffic pass?
32. Why was a person turned ‘out of sorts?

Your passion will define your limits…strive for more.

 33. What was the state of the signs with N and S ?
34. What were the two things that were sole at the roadside stand?
35. What attraction does the place offer?
36. What should one do if one wants to be mean?
37. What does the poet not complain about?
38. What do you think is the real worry of the poet?
39. Why do they ask for some city money?
40. How would city money change their lifestyle?
41. What is the party in power doing to the rural poor?
42. Who are all these pitiful kin? What is in the news?
43. Where will they be settled? How?
44. Why won’t they have to think for themselves anymore?
45. Who will be soothed out of their wits? How?
46. What will they pretend to do? What will they actually do?
47. Who will destroy their sleeping at night and how?
48. What do the people at the roadside stand wait for and why?
49. What do car owners generally do not bother about?
50. Why do people generally stop there?
51. Why has the requisite lift of spirit never been found?
52. What does the voice of the country seem to say?
53. How will the poet feel a great relief?
54. What did the roadside stand plead too pathetically? Did it get it?
55. How will soothe the rural poor ‘out of their wits’ and how?
56. Why does the poet sometimes feel a childish longing in vain and how?
57. Why do the people who running the roadside stand wait for the squeal of the
brakes so eagerly?
58.

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