Dust of Snow
Theme of the Poem
The theme of Robert Frost’s poem “Dust of Snow” is nature’s capacity for transformation, including how it
can alter one’s attitude and viewpoint. The crow and the Hemlock tree, both considered inauspicious, alter
his mood from that of regret to joyous.
Dust of Snow Summary
The short poem by Robert Frost throws light upon the unimaginable healing power of nature and tiny things.
From a bad mood to ill-health, there is nothing that can’t be cured by nature.
The author was experiencing one such bad day when a crow’s movement near a hemlock tree dusted snow
upon him. The snow instantly makes him happier. His day gets a lot better.
Thus, the supremacy of nature as a whole made him realize how petty his problem was. The fact that
hemlock tree is poisonous combined with crow being the indicator of doom and fear are used in the poem as
the carriers of happiness in the life of narrator is ironical.
The poet, through these objects has tried to highlight that sometimes creatures linked with negative aspects
of life can be the bringer of change and happiness. Being outdoors in nature, with all it’s unpredictability can
benefit anyone, anywhere at any time.
Explanation of the Poem:
The poem is set in a scene where the poet is in a bad mood and is walking by a tree, a hemlock tree.
Hemlock tree is a poisonous tree. As he passes by, a crow happens to throw some snow dust on him.
Whether it falls on his head or shoulders is unknown as there is no specific mention in the poem. Also, the
readers are left in doubt about the bird’s specific action. Whether the crow was landing, shivering with cold,
re adjusting itself on the branch or taking off, it happened to send some particles of snow upon the author.
Here, the two agents of nature, the hemlock tree and the crow are signifiers of sadness and gloom just like
the poet’s mood was in the opening scene.
For reasons unknown, the author was having a terrible day. But the falling of the snow on his head lifted his
mood instantly. He had already spent his day in a bad mood but the rest of it was saved by the crow and the
hemlock tree. Generally, hemlock tree and crow are used for negative references but the poet used them
beautifully to portray that inauspicious things can bring joy and happiness too. One must not take things for
granted and should be open and accept whichever way the nature chooses to bless us.
Dust of snow” refers to the tiny particles of snow. The particles are so small that poet referred to them as “dust”.
Both crow and the hemlock tree represent sorrow. Frost has used both the negative creatures (crow and the
hemlock tree) as the carriers of positivism and strength that transformed his day for the better. By not using birds
like sparrow and nightingale and trees like maple, oak or a pine, the poet has tried to break down all the
preconceived notions we have about certain agents of nature. He has tried to make us understand that we see the
world not as how it is, but as how we want to see it. Thus, the crow sitting and a hemlock tree together made his
day better. The dust of snow stands for joy.
