A Roadside Stand — 20 MCQs | CBSE Class 12 English Core (Code 301)

Chapter Overview

Frost watches a tiny rural stand selling wild berries and golden squash by the highway. The 'polished traffic' of city motorists passes with indifference; only a few stop to complain about the awkwardness of pulling off the road. Frost mourns the indifference of city wealth toward rural poverty and ironically suggests that perhaps the suffering of these poor folk could be ended at one stroke.

Key Themes

Rural poverty vs urban indifference
'The polished traffic' — symbol of speed and apathy
'Greedy good doers' — patronising charity
The pathos of the small-folk by the road

Key Concepts

The stand

Wild berries, golden squash; a small shed by the road

Polished traffic

Cars passing, minds elsewhere

Government doers

Patronising 'good-doers' relocate folk to villages

Wide-open promise of cash

Stand awaits a few coins

Last stanza

Speaker wishes the pain ended at one stroke

Sample MCQs

Q1. What does Frost mean by 'polished traffic'?

A. Speeding city motorists with minds elsewhere, indifferent to the rural stand

B. A traffic-warden's well-shined uniform on duty

C. Race-cars in a Sunday road race

D. Cars cleaned at a garage in town

'Polished traffic' is Frost's image of indifferent urban drivers — minds ahead — passing the rural stand without stopping.

Q2. What does the speaker wish at the end?

A. To rebuild the rural stand into a luxury restaurant

B. That the suffering of the small folk could be ended at one stroke

C. That all rural folk be rehoused in modern apartments

D. That the government build new highways through villages

The ironic last lines — wishing the pain ended at one stroke — capture Frost's pity and frustration with rural neglect.

A RoadsideStand

A Roadside
Stand