A ROADSIDE STAND
Write an article for your school magazine on the topic: Poverty: Reasons & Solutions.
Robert Frost, an American poet, vehemently raises his voice for the social upliftment of the rural poor in the poem. Without mincing his words, he complains about the glaring contrast between the miserable condition of the poor and luxurious life of rich city dwellers. He appeals the rich and the government to empathize with the rural poor and relieve them of their want and poverty.
The poor village people do not beg for money. Instead, they have constructed a roadside stand to make their living but their efforts go in vain as the cultured people pass on speedily in their cars. They don’t stop to buy anything from them. Even if they do they stop to complain about something, to take a turn or asking for something these shopkeepers don’t have. The poet scolds the rich people for being so callous and mean. He advises them to buy something so that the flow of money can make the life of the villagers somewhat better.
They are living a miserable life. They don’t have any source of income. He criticizes the party in power for making falls promises and doing nothing fruitful to bridge the gap between the living condition of the city and the village dwellers. The rich pretend to be helping these people but are making themselves richer. The people who are expected to bring change are actually the cause of the problem.
The poet is extremely sad at the pathetic condition of these people. He feels helpless and sees no solution to the problem. Therefore, he dreams of a supernatural help for the poor people, a touch of magic or the like, so that the poor people will be redeemed from their state of poverty and misery instantly. His helplessness drives the poet to seek an unrealistic solution for the poor people’s misery.
| Literary Device | Examples |
|---|---|
| Transferred Epithet | Polished traffic, Selfish cars |
| Personification | A roadside stand that too pathetically pled, sadness that lurks near the open window, the voice of the country |
| Metaphor | Trusting Sorrow |
| Oxymoron & Alliteration | Greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey |
| Alliteration | pathetically pled, greedy good, beneficent beasts, gallon of gas |
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| traffic sped | The rich, in their cars, are in hurry to reach city make more money. |
| pathetically pled | The purpose of the roadside stand is to earn money, but the rich people never stop to buy anything. The poor villagers eagerly wait that any car would stop and they can sell something. |
| a dole of bread | The poor people at the roadside stand are not beggars. They have self-respect. They have something sell to earn money. |
| city money | The money that rich city people have. |
| The flower of cities | The growth of the city. The poet says cities are growing because of the flow of the money. If it flows in the villages, then villages will also grow like cities. |
| polished traffic | The rich cultured people sitting in their cars. It is a satire on them. They are not cultured as they cannot feel the pain of the poor people. |
| out of sorts | Irritated. |
| the landscape marred | The beautiful site of the land has been spoiled by the clumsy paint. |
| wooden quarts | A measuring unit, one fourth of a gallon. |
| golden squash with silver warts | Golden pumpkin with silver lumps on it. |
| crossly | Angrily. |
| trusting sorrow | The simple poor people believe the promises made by the rich and powerful people. By the time they realize the hollowness of their promises and become sad. |
| money to feel in hand | They don’t want promises any more. They need real money. |
| make our being expand | The city money will not only raise them from poverty but will also make them financially strong. |
| moving pictures | The movies that show the stories of rags to riches. |
| pitiful kin | The poor villagers have been referred to as pitiable relatives. |
| greedy good doers | The business class and the political parties show themselves as they are doing good things for the poor but they make money from these people. |
| beneficent beast of prey | Greedy people who make money in the name of social and political and charitable works. |
| soothe the wits of the poor | The business minded city people attract the poor people with their well-planned promotional offers and promises. These promises and offers are such a way calculated that the poor people cannot escape the traps of the rich. |
| the ancient way | For ages the rich have been exploiting and befooling the poor. |
| childish longing in vain | The poet feels that the expectation of the poor that the rich would stop and buy something from them will never be fulfilled. It is useless to think so. |
| country scale of gain | Something that indicates growth: money. |
| requisite lift of spirit | The most important thing to make one feel confident and safe (money). |
Robert Frost presents a sharp contrast between the world of the rural poor and that of the wealthy city people. The rural people put up a small roadside stand because they hope to earn some money from passing cars. They do not ask for charity. They want to become part of the economic progress enjoyed by the cities. Their simple hopes are shown through their waiting for even one customer.
The city people, however, remain largely indifferent to their needs. They speed past in polished cars and rarely stop to buy anything. If they stop, they may complain about the stand, ask for directions or use the place without helping its owners. Frost also criticises the so-called helpers and government schemes that promise to improve rural life but may take away the people’s independence. Thus, the poem exposes the economic and social gap between the privileged urban population and the neglected rural poor. The roadside stand becomes a symbol of their struggle for dignity, opportunity and a better life.
The roadside stand and the moving cars represent two very different worlds. The stand is small, fixed and simple. It belongs to poor rural people who depend on their little business for some extra income. They wait hopefully for passing vehicles because they want to earn money and improve their lives. Their stillness also reflects their limited opportunities and their helpless waiting.
The moving cars represent the wealthy urban world. They are fast, polished and usually uninterested in the people beside the road. The passengers are so absorbed in their own lives that they rarely notice the stand or the hopes of its owners. When they do stop, their reasons are often selfish. This contrast therefore becomes central to Frost’s criticism of economic inequality and urban indifference. The fixed stand represents the rural poor who are left behind, while the moving cars represent a modern world that continues to progress without including them. Through this contrast, Frost creates sympathy for the rural people and questions a system in which prosperity is not shared equally.
“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.”
Pen down your advice, in a letter to Frost. You may begin:
Dear Robert
I recently read your poem, "A Roadside Stand," and...
You may end:
I hope this advice is helpful to you. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to support you.
Warmly,
Pablo Neruda
[KV AGRA, PB-1, 2023-24]
Dear Robert
I recently read your poem, "A Roadside Stand," and was struck by the conflicting emotions that you expressed towards the end. I understand that it can be difficult to make decisions when we are overwhelmed by our emotions.
In my own experience, I have found that taking a moment of stillness and reflection can be very helpful in gaining a deeper understanding of the situation and connecting with our own humanity and that of others. This is the message that I try to convey in my poem, "Keeping Quiet."
I would advise you to take a moment to be still and contemplative before making any decisions about the fate of the people at the roadside stand. By quieting your mind and being present in the moment, you may be able to understand their struggles and pain objectively, and gain a new perspective about your own place in the world too. I also feel that by breaking from your routine and taking a moment of stillness and reflection, you might gain a deeper understanding of the situation and make a more functional decision.
I believe that this moment of reflection could help you to see beyond your conflicting emotions. We are all human, after all, and before connecting with others, and resolving their issues, we must try to connect with our own selves to advice from a place of balance and calm. I hope this advice is helpful to you. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to support you.
Warmly,
Pablo Neruda
Poverty, a pressing global issue, is the result of multifaceted factors that intertwine to create a cycle of deprivation. Unemployment and underemployment stand as primary reasons, leaving individuals and families struggling to meet their basic needs. Lack of access to quality education further perpetuates the cycle, limiting opportunities for skill development and better-paying jobs.
Healthcare disparities also contribute; inadequate medical facilities force the impoverished to allocate more resources to health issues, impeding their financial progress. Moreover, systemic inequalities based on gender, race, and ethnicity can exacerbate poverty rates, leaving marginalized communities disproportionately affected.
Several strategies can help combat poverty. Investment in education and vocational training equips individuals with marketable skills, enhancing their employability. Microfinance initiatives empower small entrepreneurs, fostering economic growth at the grassroots level. Social safety nets, such as targeted cash transfers and food assistance programs, provide immediate relief. Healthcare accessibility can be improved through community clinics and health insurance programs.
Sustainable poverty alleviation requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the interconnected issues of education, healthcare, employment, and social equality. Governments, non-profit organizations, and the private sector must collaborate to create an enabling environment that enables individuals to break free from the shackles of poverty, promoting a more just and equitable society for all.
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.”
1. confidence 2. ego 3. self-esteem 4. status 5. fame
Statement 1: The poet is agitated and depressed.
Statement 2: The poet realizes futility of his thought about giving up.
“I can’t help owning the great relief it would be / To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.”
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…”
selfish cars : transferred epithet :: trusting sorrow : ______
1. Rich drive carelessly hitting poor on purpose.
2. City dwellers are insensitive/offhand.
3. Urban people are unable to understand struggles of impoverished.
4. Goods are not bought even at discounts.
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