Dust of Snow By Robert Frost
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
Dust of Snow Summary
Explanation of the Poem
Stanza 1
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Explanation
The poet, Robert Frost, recounts a small incident that changes his mood. It seems very simple but it has a great significance. The poet was, once, very depressed and hopeless. He was in a state of sorrow and was lost in his thoughts. He was standing under the hemlock tree. Suddenly a crow, that was sitting on the tree, shook the tree and the fine particles of snow from the tree fell on the poet.
Stanza 2
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I rued.
Explanation
When the soft and cold snow fell on the poet, it changed his mood from the state of sadness to happiness. He started feeling soothed (peaceful and refreshed). This simple incident helped him enjoy the remaining part of the day. He, thus, became happy as it saved his rest of the day from being wasted and held in regret.
Central Idea of Poem
The ‘Dust of Snow’, by Robert Frost is a small and simple poem with a deep meaning. It expresses the significance of small things in changing one’s attitude. The poem explains that the little things in life can make huge changes in our future. It also reflects that hard times in the life will lead to the happier times if we can persist with it.
Poetic Devices Used in the Poem
Rhyme scheme : abab
Symbolism : Hemlock tree, Crow
Irony : A contrast between reality and expectation, between what is said and what is meant, between what appears to be true and the real truth. Rue is also a plant that is cultivated for its medicinal use. There is a bit of irony here that the poet refers to the poisonous Hemlock and the medicinal Rue.
Word Meanings
dust of snow : particles of snow
hemlock tree : a poisonous plant (tree) with small white flowers
mood : a state of mind
rued : held in regret
Questions and Answers
NCERT Solutions
Thinking about the Poem (Page 14)
Question 1 : What is a ‘dust of snow’? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the poet’s mood changed?
Answer : The ‘dust of snow’ means the fine particles or flakes of snow. The sudden shower in the form of the dust of snow changed the poet’s mood. The poet’s mood changed from the state of sadness to happiness. He felt refreshed and wanted to enjoy and make use of the rest of the day.
Question 2 : How does Frost present nature in this poem? The following questions may help you to think of an answer.
i) What are the birds that are usually named in poems? Do you think crow is often mentioned in poems? What images come to your mind when you think of a crow?
ii) Again, what is ‘a hemlock tree’? Why doesn’t the poet write about more ‘beautiful’ tree such as maple, or an oak, or a pine?
iii) What do the ‘crow’ and ‘hemlock’ represent – joy or sorrow? What does the dust of snow that the crow shakes off a hemlock tree stand for?
Answer : Frost presents nature in a very different manner in the poem.
i) Generally, poets take the birds and trees which are known for their beauty and good qualities, like peacock, parrot, cuckoo, mynah and trees full of beautiful flowers and fruits etc. But, here Frost has taken a totally different approach. He chose a crow, which is not often used in poems. Crow is black in colour with very harsh voice and is believed to be a symbol of bad omen. Thinking of a crow brings very depressing and sorrowful pictures to our mind.
ii) A hemlock tree is a poisonous plant with small white flowers. The poet, Robert Frost, didn’t choose to use an oak, maple or pine tree. Instead, he chose the hemlock tree and left all the beautiful trees present in the world. Actually, he did so to present his mood and feelings.
iii) The crow and hemlock tree represent sorrow and depression felt by the poet in this materialistic world.
The dust of snow is the symbol of natural joy and energy. The dust of snow that the crow shakes off a hemlock tree means passing through the sad and depressing moments, the poet is entering the time full of joy and optimism.
Question 3 : Have there been times when you felt depressed and hopeless? Have you experienced a similar moment that changed your mood that day?
Answer : There have been innumerable times when I felt depressed and hopeless. Sometimes, such moments were aroused by other people’s behaviour and attitude and sometimes due to my own conduct. On one occasion when I was very upset, I went out for a walk. While walking in the park, I saw a girl playing with a puppy, embracing and feeding him. This little joy that they shared changed my mood and I felt very happy for the rest of the day. I also joined the two and played with them.
Extra Questions
Extract Based Questions
Read the following extracts carefully and choose the correct option.
Question 1 :
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
i) Who shook down the Hemlock tree?
a) Cuckoo
b) Crow
c) Mynah
d) Parrot
Answer : b) Crow
ii) Which tree did the crow shake?
a) Banyan
b) Mango
c) Oak
d) Hemlock
Answer : d) Hemlock
iii) What fell on the poet?
a) Dust of tree
b) Dust of snow
c) Dust of rain
d) Dust of crow
Answer : b) Dust of snow
iv) Earlier the poet was in a …….. mood.
a) happy
b) pleasant
c) gloomy
d) good
Answer : c) gloomy
Question 2 :
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
i) What was the effect of the fall of the dust of snow on the poet?
a) It changed his mood
b) Changed his luck
c) Changed his car
d) Changed his job
Answer : a) It changed his mood
ii) Under which tree was the poet standing?
a) Neem
b) Mango
c) Hemlock
d) Banyan
Answer : c) Hemlock
iii) What was saved for the poet?
a) His whole day
b) A few days
c) Some part of the day
d) The whole week
Answer : Some part of the day
iv) Which word is the synonym of ‘feel remorse’ or ‘regret’ as used in the stanza?
a) Change
b) Rued
c) Mood
d) Saved
Answer : b) Rued
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.