CBSE Class 12 English NCERT Solutions: A Roadside Stand

While this question is personal and asks for individual experience, a typical observation at a roadside stand might include seeing local produce like fruits, vegetables, or homemade items such as jams and crafts. One might observe the simple setup, the earnestness of the vendors trying to attract customers, and the contrast between their humble offerings and the fast-paced world of passing vehicles. The vendors often display a hopeful eagerness, waiting for someone to pause their journey and engage with their small business.

The lines that highlight the city folk's indifference and complaints are:

"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

Of signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrong."

Their complaint was that the roadside stands, with their poorly made and artistically lacking signs (like 'N' and 'S' being turned the wrong way), spoiled the natural beauty and scenic view of the countryside. They saw the stands not as businesses, but as blemishes on the landscape.

The folk who had set up the roadside stand pleaded earnestly and pathetically for customers to stop and purchase their goods. They had established the stand specifically to attract the attention of the city dwellers passing by on the road, hoping to earn a livelihood by selling their products.

The poet uses strong and critical language to expose the double standards of the government and social service agencies. He refers to them as:

• "greedy good-doers": This phrase suggests that their actions, which appear benevolent, are motivated by greed and self-interest rather than genuine altruism.
• "beneficent beasts of prey": This oxymoronic phrase implies that they are like predators who disguise their harmful intentions with a veneer of kindness and benefit. They "swarm over their lives," indicating an intrusive and overwhelming presence.

The poet further explains that these agencies make calculated moves that are designed to "soothe them out of their wits," implying manipulation rather than genuine help. By "teaching them how to sleep," they destroy the natural, peaceful sleep of the poor at night, robbing them of their peace of mind and autonomy.

The 'childish longing' refers to the innocent, simple, and hopeful expectation of the people running the roadside stand. They long for customers to stop by, to hear the "squeal of brakes" of a stopping car, and to buy their goods. They keep their windows open all day, waiting with a sense of almost prayerful anticipation.

This longing is described as 'vain' because, in reality, very few city dwellers ever stop. The affluent commuters are usually preoccupied with their own destinations and concerns, and they largely ignore the humble offerings and hopeful faces at the stand. Thus, their earnest hopes are seldom fulfilled, making their waiting and longing ultimately fruitless.

The poet expresses his deep empathy and the "insufferable pain" he feels through the following lines:

"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."

These lines vividly convey the poet's emotional distress as he witnesses the persistent, unfulfilled hopes and the quiet sorrow of the rural poor, who are trapped in a cycle of poverty and neglect.