A Roadside Stand by Robert Frost, Literary Devices

 

A roadside stand

By

Robert frost

1. Imagery – Frost uses vivid sensory details to help readers visualize the scene, such as "crook-necked golden squash with silver warts" and "The day is like a jewel." This creates a strong visual impression of the rural setting.
2. Personification – The roadside stand is personified when it is described as "pathetically pled" suggesting that it is alive and requesting the passers-by. Additionally, the "voice" of the people who set up the stand is implied in the poem.
3. Metaphor – The roadside stand itself can be seen as a metaphor for the hopes and struggles of rural people. It represents both their labour and their desire for connection with the passing world.
4. Alliteration – Frost uses the repetition of consonant sounds to create musicality and emphasis in lines like "pathetically pled" “greedy good-doers” “beneficent beast” etc.
5. Irony – There is a sense of irony throughout the poem. The people running the roadside stand hope to attract customers, but they are largely ignored, despite their effort and need. There’s also irony in the juxtaposition of rural beauty and economic hardship.
6. Symbolism – The roadside stand is a symbol of rural life and the simple, often unnoticed existence of people in the countryside. It also symbolizes the disconnection between rural and urban societies.
7. Juxtaposition – Frost juxtaposes the quiet, humble lives of the rural folk with the bustling, indifferent lives of city dwellers. This contrast highlights the disparity between the two worlds.
8. Tone – The tone of the poem shifts between wistfulness and frustration, as the speaker reflects on the unacknowledged labour of rural people and their unmet desires.
9. Allusion – The poem alludes to the broader societal and economic issues faced by rural people, especially in terms of their lack of recognition or appreciation by the urban world.
10. Colloquial Language – Frost often uses conversational and informal language, reflecting the rural setting and the down-to-earth characters of the poem.