Short Questions and Answers
Question 1 : What does the poet Robert Frost want to convey through the poem ‘Dust of Snow’?
Answer : The poet Robert Frost, through his poem ‘Dust of Snow’, wants to convey that the little things in life can make huge changes in life. The simple things we do can make all the difference and brighten a person’s day.
Question 2 : How has the poet observed ‘nature’ in the poem ‘Dust of Snow’?
Answer : Robert Frost is a nature lover. The crow and the hemlock tree are associated with bad omens or death and fear. But, Frost has presented them very beautifully. They bring cheer to him and are a source of joy. Through his poem, he conveys a very strong message that everything around us is beautiful.
Question 3 : “And saved some part of a day, I had rued”. Explain.
Answer : The poet was feeling depressed and hopeless. So, he was not in a good mood. He was standing under a hemlock tree when suddenly a crow shook dust of snow on him. This small and simple incident changed his mood. He realised the fact that he was wasting his time and decided to enjoy the remaining part of the day.
Question 4 : Why was the poet standing under the hemlock tree?
Answer : The poet was feeling very depressed and hopeless. He was in a state of sorrow. As he was lost in his thoughts, he happened to be standing under a hemlock tree. The incident was not pre-planned.
Question 5 : What difference do you find between Robert Frost and other nature poets?
Answer : All other nature poets are known for describing the well-known beautiful things. They have described nightingale, the cuckoo, the snow-covered mountains etc. But, Robert Frost has described a crow and a hemlock tree. Secondly, poets make selection from natural things, but Frost feels that every object in nature is beautiful. Such a unique thought makes him different from other poets.
Long Questions and Answers
Question 1 : What are possible themes of this poem? What do you learn from them? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
Answer : Hope is one of the themes in this poem. The speaker happily and quickly decides that the day is saved because of the dust of snow that falls on him. He no longer thinks the day is wasted and instead has a hope that the day can be salvaged (saved). Another theme of this poem revolves around the positive perspective. The speaker’s perspective is changed by a small event. Perhaps the poem implies that we can either think positively or negatively about the events depending on our perspectives and points of view. However, we should adopt the speaker’s outlook and maintain a positive perspective on life in general.
Question 2 : Nature has the power to lift our mood even when we are highly despondent. Comment on the basis of your understanding of the poem ‘Dust of Snow’.
Answer : The poem ‘Dust of Snow’ by Robert Frost is a poem which enlightens us how small things of nature can refresh us and cheer us for the rest of the day. Though Frost has beautifully depicted (shown) a crow and a hemlock tree, both of these are associated with bad-omen and fear. But they have been used by the poet Frost to uplift his mood and make him feel positive. Frost’s writing skill as a poet lies in the fact that he is able to effectively convey to us how such a thing as the falling of snow flakes from the top of tree can have a refreshing effect on the mind of man. So, every aspect of nature be it a crow or hemlock tree can be a source of positivity and can be helpful in lifting a depressed mind.
In other words, everything in the world is beautiful. Nature and its creations have the power to uplift mood even when we are in depressed state of mind. A small incident of snow falling, that too by the action of a crow (which is considered a bad omen) takes away the pall of sadness from the poet’s mind and refreshes him for the rest of the day.
Question 3 : Small things in life make significant changes in our life. Elaborate with reference to the poem ‘Dust of Snow’.
Answer : The poem, ‘Dust of Snow’, reiterates that the little things in life can make huge changes in our future. It also shows that if we can take the hard times of life in stride, eventually something will happen to change our situation into happier times.
The simple things that we do for others can make all the difference. Just think about those random acts of kindness we do and how much they brighten a person’s day and sometimes change their future. Noticing and appreciating all the small things in life will make our life happier. It will also cause us to have a spirit that is willing to change and therefore succeed.