A Roadside Stand Explanation

POEM :
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.
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

Word Meaning:
Pathetically: In a way that arouses pity, especially by displaying sadness
Dole of Bread: a tiny portion of bread
Marred: Spoilt

Explanation of the poem passage above: There was a small house with a new shed outside it.
The road was busy with cars and other vehicles moving here and there. The shed was built to
display items on sale and the owner expected the passing vehicles to stop by and buy the things
or at least have a look at them. The condition of the shed aroused one’s pity because it displayed
the sad feelings of the owner who was desperate to earn some money. They did not seek any
favour or piece of bread from the city people but wanted some money because the flow of money
helps everyone to use it and benefit from it. Just like the money with the city people helps them
lead a better life, similarly, if it will flow from their pockets into the pockets of the shed owner, it
will benefit his life too. The cars that pass by are sparkling but they never notice the shed. They
are thinking of their destination only. If by chance they do stop at the shed, they just complain
that the shabby paint of the huts and sheds there has spoiled the beauty of the landscape.

POEM :
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,
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.
The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint

Word Meaning:
Squash: here, a fruit
Warts: A small growth on the outer surface
Crossly: In an annoyed or angry way

Explanation of the poem passage above: Here the poet says that as the people living in these
sheds are poor their surroundings are not well-maintained. The signboards indicating directions
of north and south are pointing towards the wrong directions. The sheds have farm produce on
sale – wild berries, golden squash fruit with silver coloured marks on it, kept in wooden baskets.
The place is beautiful and people should stop here and enjoy the mountain scenery. If they have
money then they should buy some things but if they are selfish then they should keep their money
with themselves and not stop there. The poet says that he does not complain that the sheds have
spoiled the scenery of the place.

POEM :
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.

Explanation of the poem passage above: The poet says that these people who have opened the
shed are keeping faith in a promise which was never done to them. Here, the promise is their
expectation that the cars passing by will stop at the shed and buy some stuff from them. They
have built this shed far from the city and they expect that the city people will flow some money
out of their pockets into the hands of the shed owner. The shed owner wants to feel the money on
his hands. Just like they see in pictures that the one who works hard achieves quick success and
money, they have laid their trust on these ideas and expect to get some money. Frost adds that
the political party in power has stopped the flow of cash from the city dwellers to the rural
people.

POEM :
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 Meaning:
Kin: one’s family and relations
Beneficent: generous or doing good
Beasts of Prey: an animal killing other animal
Out of their wits: their perplexed or terrified state

Explanation of the poem passage above: It is in news that soon all these sheds and huts will be
bought by the government and these people will be relocated to the villages. Near their houses
there will be movie theatre and grocery store. They will be so happy there that they will not
worry about their future. The poet says greedy good-doers and beneficient beasts i.e. such
people who show to be doing good deeds but are actually greedy and are animals of prey who
show that they are benefitting the other persons but in reality, they destroy them. The rich people
and politicians are described as greedy good-doers and beneficient beasts because they show
that they are helping the poor shed owners but in reality nothing like that is done. Actually, they
are encircling their lives and forcefully giving them such benefits which have been well planned
and will put these poor people in a confusion. These people cannot decide what is good for them
and what is harmful. These selfish people tell to the poor that now they can relax but in reality,
they themselves sleep all day long. Also, they destroy their sleep at night too as has been
happening since the past.

POEM :
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.
And one did stop, but only to plow up grass
In using the yard to back and turn around;

Word Meaning:
In vain: without success or a result
Lurk: be or remain hidden so as to wait in ambush for someone or something
Plow : move in a fast and uncontrolled manner

Explanation of the poem passage above: The poet says that this kiddish desire in the hearts of
these shed owners is useless. He cannot tolerate their sadness which they go through when they
open the window of the shed, waiting for a car to stop and buy something. They wait there the
whole day and it seems that they are doing a prayer seeking a buyer for their goods. They pray
for the vehicles to step on the brakes and want to hear a car stop by. There are many cars
carrying selfish people but hopefully, some may stop by just to ask the prices of the produce
grown by the farmers there. One car did stop there but just to disturb the grass when they back
their car and turn around.

POEM :
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?
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 Meaning:
Requisite: required / needed
Sane: sensible / realistic

Explanation of the poem passage above: Some stop by to ask directions of their destination.
Some cars stop by to buy fuel for their cars. Poet gets annoyed and says that do they not have
any idea that these poor people cannot afford to sell fuel. He adds that the kind of work these
villagers do and the kind of things they sell, it cannot lead to the required upliftment. The
resources are too less to help them get rid of their problem. Their situation demands such a
solution which would be a relief to put them out of their problems in one go. The next day, the
poet thinks that when he is realistic then he expects the rich to visit and help them get rid of their
problem in one go, perhaps with death.

Figures of Speech
Transferred Epithet: (a) Polished traffic (b) Selfish cars
Personification: 1) A roadside stand that too pathetically pled
Metaphor: Trusting Sorrow
Oxymoron & Alliteration: ‘Greedy good-doers’ and ‘beneficent beasts’ of prey.