INDIAN SCHOOL SOHAR

Department of English
Worksheet 2

Poem 1– Dust of Snow

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
 Robert Frost was born in 1874 at San Francisco, California. He was was much admired for his
realistic verse portraying ordinary people in everyday situations.
 He was inspired by the landscape around him, and often used nature in his poetry to explore
complicated social and philosophical issues.
 Robert Frost deals realistically with his world through man and nature. Although most of his
poems are filled with nature images, his real subject is humanity.

INTRODUCTION:
1. Through the poem Dust of Snow, Robert Frost is trying to shatter all the believes that humans have
about the things that they consider ill – omens.
2. He tells this through the example of a crow that is considered as a bad omen and signifier of darkness
and gloominess.
3. He also tries to put forward the view that sometimes even small things or incidents in life have big
impact on us.

POEM AT A GLANCE:
The poem tells us about the curative power of nature. Nature has the cure for everything whether it is a bad
mood or illness.

The poet is upset and sitting under the hemlock tree. Suddenly a crow sitting on the tree shakes the tree and the
fine particles of snow from tree falls on the poet. The soft and cold touch of snow changes the poet’s mood
from sad to happy. He starts feeling soothed and refresh. In this way a simple moment proves to be very
significant and saves rest of the day of poet from being wasted and held in regret.

The black crow is commonly a symbol of death and fear. Since the crow is not associated with goodness, it is
ironic that in this poem, it is doing a good deed by shaking off the snow.

Robert Frost didn’t choose to use an oak, maple or pine tree. No, instead he chose the hemlock tree which is
usually associated with poison and toxicity. Anyway, the beautiful snow that adorns the poisonous hemlock
tree’s branches is shaken off by a scary crow.

Robert Frost uses the elements of the fearsome crow and poisonous Hemlock tree to do something good –
shake the white, pure snow off the branches. This good act lifts the suicidal person’s spirits causing him to
change his mind about killing himself. The small act causes the man to have an enlightened insight.

The poem conveys the message of positivity. It tells us that if we take things positively in life, situations do
change for better. The poem teaches us that every small act in life can illuminate our soul and motivate us to do
better.
LITERARY DEVICES:
1) Rhyme Scheme – abab cdcd
2) Alliteration – The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of a closely connected words.
i) Has given my heart
ii) And saved some part
3) Assonance – The prominence of a vowel sound throughout a line is called assonance. In 1st stanza, line 2 –
‘shook down on me’ – ‘O’ Sound is prominent.
4) Enjambment – When the same sentence continues to the next line without the use of any punctuation.
5) Inversion – when the structure of a sentence is changed by the poet to create rhyme, this poetic license is
called inversion. In stanza 1, inversion can be seen.
6) Symbolism - 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.

THEME
 Transformative power of nature.

 Even the small and insignificant acts can uplift our mood and make us forget about our problems.

 Nature is a great healer of wounds and bad moods.

SETTING

The poem has a setting where the poet is under a hemlock tree. The poem takes place in the winter season.

TONE OF THE POEM

1. The tone is light and cheerful. It reflects the change that has already taken place in the poet’s heart
from sullen to joyful, after the shower of snowflakes upon himself.

2. It is thus clear that this poem has been written post that experience. The poet has almost forgotten
what a bad day he had been having and has embraced the brightening of his mood fully.

3. He now feels lucky to be alive and able to watch such beautiful sights as that of the snowfall.
SYMBOLS:

The poet has introduced three symbols; the hemlock tree, the crow and the dust of snow.

Hemlock is the name of the poison that was used to kill Socrates. Hence, the hemlock tree is a symbol of death.
Walking by the hemlock tree could, in fact, have seemed like an ill omen to the poet, and could have upset him
further on this unpleasant day. Again, the crow is an ambiguous symbol. Generally, the crow is considered to
be the ugliest among all birds. Hence, it could be another sight to degrade the poet’s mood once again. The
dust of snow is the symbol of natural joy and energy. The poet uses two negative symbols to represent the
negative aspects of mind. The shower of snow created by the crow certainly improves his mood. Perhaps the
poet is saying that even something that one usually associates with negativity can have a positive impact.

Hence, Frost’s use of symbols is very profound and meaningful.

VALUE POINTS:

1) It is a winter’s day.
2) The tree tops were covered with masses of snowflakes.
3) The poet was walking under one such snow covered tree.
4) This tree was a hemlock tree, a conifer associated with poisonous qualities.
5) A crow alighted on the hemlock tree suddenly.
6) The sudden movement of the crow, the mass of snowflakes started falling down the tree.
7) The snowflakes fell down upon the poet who was standing under the tree.
8) The mass of snowflakes was so light and find that it looked like the dust of white snow.
9) The sudden movement and arrival of the crow and the falling of the flakes of snow look like just
ordinary happenings. But the falling of fine snowflakes on the poet leaves a tremendous effect on
him.
10) Before this, the poet was in a gloomy or despairing mood.
11) However, this simple beautiful act of nature has a very
comforting effect on him.
12) The fall of snow over him changes his mood and mental
state. It gladdens his heart.
13) Before this incident, that particular day was not going too
well for him.
14) He had decided in his mind that day would go waste.
15) However, the fall of snowflakes on him makes him realise
that the whole day has not been wasted.
16) At least, this part of the day when he is enjoying the
snowflakes has been saved.
17) At least, some part of the day has been pleasant.
18) If he had not experienced such a pleasant experience, he would have regretted at the wastage of the
whole day.
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.

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Has given my heart

A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
(a) Of what change does the poet mention here?
(b) Whose part of the day has been saved?
(c) What is the rhyme scheme of the passage?
(d) What does the word, ‘rued’ mean?

Answer: (a) The poet mentions the change of mood from

___________ to ___________here.
(b) ________ part of the day has been saved.
(c) The rhyme scheme of the passage is _____.
(d)

Short Answer Questions:

1. What is the message that Robert Frost wants to convey to the readers in the poem ̳Dust of snow‘?
Robert Frost gives quite a positive message to the readers. Depression and hopelessness do cloud our hearts,
spirits and moods. However, there is a silver-lining beyond every cloud. The poet had given up all hopes and
declared that the whole day would go to waste. Suddenly, the falling of fine dust of snow on him brings a
sudden change in his mood. Cheerfulness replaces the feeling of regret.
2. How did the crow change the poet’s mood?
The poet was going somewhere in a snowy morning. He was upset. All the trees were covered with snow dust.
A crow sitting on a hemlock tree shook the tree in such a way that some dust of snow fell on the poet. This
changed his mood and he became happy and relaxed.
3. What side of nature do crow and hemlock represent?
Crow is a black, harsh-voiced bird and hemlock is a tree with poisonous bitter fruit. Both are not beautiful.
They represent the dark, depressive, sorrowful and bitter side of nature.
4. Why does the poet feel that he has saved some part of the day?
The crow shook down the dust of snow on the poet. Both crow and hemlock tree are considered inauspicious.
The falling of dust of snow from a hemlock tree is a bad omen. But the poet took it in a positive way. He found
himself relieved from sorrow after this incident. Now he could use his entire day in a fruitful way.
5. Rationalise what you think the poet was probably doing when the dust of snow fell on him.
The poet was likely immersed in a moment of reflection or introspection when the unexpected fall of the dust
of snow from the crow's movement caught his attention. The simple natural event seems to have interrupted a
sombre or rueful train of thought, bringing a shift in his mood.
6. The poem evokes a sense of black and white. Justify.
The poem does evoke a sense of black and white. The "crow" symbolises darkness or blackness, while the
"dust of snow stands for purity and whiteness. Together, they present a stark visual contrast, mirroring the
poem's shift from ruefulness to joy, from a potentially darkened day to one that has brightness restored.
7. The crow and the hemlock are usually used as negative references in literature. How is this different in this
poem?
While the crow and hemlock are traditionally negative symbols often representing death or poison-in this
poem, they function differently. Instead of bringing harm or despair, they bring about a moment of joy and
relief Frost challenges traditional symbolism, suggesting that even perceived negatives can bring about positive
change, as seen when the crow's action leads to a brighter mood.
8. How has the poet observed nature in the poem, Dust of Snow?
The poet observes nature with acute sensitivity in "Dust of Snow" Nature is not just a backdrop but plays an
active role. Frost zeroes in on a small, specific incident-a crow shaking down snow from a hemlock tree.
Through this fine-tuned observation, he emphasises the subtle, yet significant, interplay between man and
nature.
9. What is a "dust of snow? What does the poet say has changed his mood?
A "Dust of Snow" refers to a light sprinkle or a fine layer of snowflakes. The poet credits the dust of snow,
shaken down by a crow from a hemlock tree, for bringing a change in his mood. This small, serendipitous
interaction with nature lifted his spirits on a day he had been regretting
10. How has the poet's mood changed?
The poet's mood underwent a transformation from negativity or ruefulness to a more positive, uplifted state.
Initially, the day seemed regrettable to him. However, the simple act of a crow shaking down a dust of snow
brought about a "change of mood" and redeemed a part of his day.
Answer in detail:
1. The poet has succeeded in giving valuable information in a light-hearted manner. What creates the desired
effect? Highlight its importance on present-day life.
The charm of "Dust of Snow" lies in its brevity and simplicity. Robert Frost presents a seemingly minor
occurrence-a crow shaking down a dust of snow-yet manages to convey a profound emotional shift. The
contrasting elements the black crow and the white snow, the gloomy hemlock and the joy the poet feels-all
come together to craft a vivid tableau. This balance of light-hearted imagery with deep sentiment emphasises
ss. Together, they depict the that joy can be found in the smallest moments. In today's fast-paced life, it's
crucial to remember this The busyness can overshadow these fleeting moments of happiness. Yet these fleeting
moments are often the most rejuvenating. Frost's poem is a gentle reminder to appreciate the minor, unexpected
events, as they might hold the key to transforming a challenging day.

Book Exercise- Question and Answers:

Q1. What is a “dust of snow”? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the poet’s mood
changed?
Tiny particles of snow - “Dust of snow” refers to the tiny particles of snow.
Dust - The particles are so small that poet referred to them as “dust”.
Joyful mood - The poet was in an awful mood when particles of snow had fallen on him. This changed the
poet’s frame of mind instantly and his day got a lot better.

Q 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 a crow is often mentioned in
poems? What images come to your mind when you think of a crow?
A. Birds like sparrow, nightingale and peacock are more than often named in poems. Unlike these birds, crows
are often seen as the indicators of doom, ill-omen and fear. They are often used for negative references.

(ii) Again, what is “a hemlock tree”? Why doesn’t the poet write about a more ‘beautiful’ tree such as a
maple, or an oak, or a pine?
A. Trees are also seen as mighty creatures imparting wisdom as they’re too old. They give out oxygen and
absorb the carbon dioxide which is connected with absorbing all the negative energy. But there are trees that
are poisonous too, like a hemlock tree. The poet does not mention a more ‘beautiful’ tree such as maple, oak or
pine because he wants to indicate a sad scene. Being poisonous, a hemlock tree is considered bad and so, he
refers to it.

(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?
A. Sorrow - Both crow and the hemlock tree represent sorrow.
Negative creatures as positivism and strength - 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.
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.