Poem Analysis

English Name: Joyce

Section: 1

Date: 2013/3/8

Assignment 1

Summarization

The poem depicts a deplorable plight of the destitute who are leading miserable lives. These hapless farmers are striving to keep body and soul together by “a roadside stand” because their lands have been already taken away by the government on the various excuses. What government said was a load of whitewash and the authorities care nothing about solving the grievances of people who are pinched with poverty. The dreary scene makes the poet to think why the authorities don’t support the poor. Finally, the poet could not bear seeing the poor’s survival. He falls in terrible disappointment to the government and he would rather die immediately than continue seeing the unfair scene of the society.

Critical Appreciation

The poem “A Roadside Stand” has a well-arranged title which just right for the depiction of the main scene that poet saw. The title is just perfect for the poem because the theme of the poem is to describe the miserable lives of the poor farmers who rely on opening small, declined “roadside stand” for survival. There are a few figurative sentences with vivid imagery by which poet could draw a word picture of the destitute. The visualized scene adds to the artistic appeal of the poem. The government is laying unequal stress on the urban and rural, which results in struggling of the hapless peasant. This situation not only takes place in developed countries, but also prevails throughout both underdeveloped countries. It is a worldwide problem that must be pay more attention and possible of solution. In reality, the poor have been ignored by the authorities and exploitative by the rich for a long time. The government is indifferent and apathetic to see the sufferings and oppression of the peasants, doing nothing and being a total spectator. The poem condemns the sternly cool and unmoved government and interrogates the role of the government which is chosen by the poor to represent their rights and interests. At the same time, the rich and people with powerful abilities also fail to assume their social responsibilities to give material and financial help to the poor.