A Roadside Stand Important Short and Long Question Class 12 Poem-4 Book-Flamingo

Q-1. Why do the people who run the roadside stand wait for the squeal of brakes so eagerly?

Ans: 

The people at the roadside stand eagerly wait for the squeal of brakes because it means that a car has stopped, and they might be able to sell something. They are poor and depend on selling their goods to city travelers to earn money for their survival.

Q-2. Explain: “soothe them out of their wits” with reference to the poem The Roadside Stand’.

Ans: 

The phrase "soothe them out of their wits" means to fool or trick someone by false promises. The poet refers to how wealthy city people make false promises to help the rural poor, but in reality, they do nothing for them. Instead of improving their lives, they exploit them and keep them in poverty.

Q-3. Why does Robert Frost sympathise with the rural poor?

Ans: 

Robert Frost sympathizes with the rural poor because they struggle for survival and are ignored by the rich city people. They put up roadside stands, hoping to sell their goods, but the wealthy travelers do not stop or help them. He feels that the poor are helpless, trapped in poverty, and constantly misled by false promises.

Q-4. What is the ‘childish longing’ of the folk who had put up the roadside stand? Why is it ‘in vain’?

Ans: 

The ‘childish longing’ of the rural people is their hope that city people will stop and buy something from them, giving them a better life. It is ‘in vain’ because the rich travelers never stop, and their hopes are always crushed.

Q-5. Why didn’t the ‘polished traffic’ stop at the roadside stand?

Ans: 

The ‘polished traffic’ refers to wealthy city travelers who pass by the roadside stand. They do not stop because they are too busy, self-centered, and uninterested in the struggles of the poor. Some even get irritated by the sight of the roadside stand, considering it an ugly distraction.

Q-6. What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand?

Ans: 

The people running the roadside stand pleaded for customers to buy their goods, so they could earn a living and improve their lives. They were desperate for city money but were ignored by wealthy travelers.

Q-7. What news in the poem ‘A Roadside Stand’ is making its round in the village?

Ans: 

The news in the village was that city people would soon help the poor by relocating them to better homes in villages near cities. However, the poet suggests that this is just another false promise, and the poor people will continue to be exploited and forgotten.

Q-8. Why do people at the roadside stand ask for city money?

Ans: 

The rural people ask for city money because they believe it will help them escape poverty. They hope that selling goods to city travelers will bring them financial relief and a better future.

Q-9. What does Frost himself feel about the roadside stand?

Ans: 

Frost feels sad and helpless about the roadside stand because he sees the suffering of the rural poor. He criticizes the rich for ignoring the poor and making false promises. He wishes that the poor could be freed from their misery, but he knows that reality is different.