DUST OF SNOW
ROBERT
FROST
THINKING ABOUT THE POEM
This poem presents a moment that seems
simple, but has a larger significance.
[Compare this other quotation from Robert
Frost: “Always, always a larger significance... A little thing touches a larger
thing.”)
1) What
is a “dust of snow”? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the
poet’s mood changed?
Ans:
The “dust of snow” means the fine particles or flakes of snow. The sudden
shower as the form of snow changed the poet's mood. The poet's mind-set changed
from grief to cheerful. He felt refreshed and sought to get pleasure from the
rest of the day.
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 a 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?
Ans: Robert Frost presents nature in a very unusual
manner in the poem.
i) For the most part, poets take the birds and trees
which are known for their magnificence and great qualities like peacock,
parrot, cuckoo, mynah and trees loaded with delightful and beautiful flowers
and natural products, and so on. Yet, here Frost has adopted an entirely
unexpected strategy. He picked a crow, which isn't regularly utilized in poems.
Crow is dark in shading with exceptionally brutal voice and is accepted to be
an image of bad omen. Thinking about a crow carries exceptionally discouraging
and troubled pictures to our brain.
ii) A hemlock tree is poisonous with small white flowers.
Robert Frost didn't decide to utilize an oak, maple or pine tree. All things
being equal, he picked the hemlock tree and left all the beautiful trees
present on the planet. In reality he did as such to introduce his temperament
and sentiments.
iii) The crow and hemlock tree address distress and
sadness felt by the poet in this materialistic world. The dust of snow is the
image of normal happiness and energy. The dust of snow that the crow shakes off
a hemlock tree implies going through the pitiful and discouraging minutes the
poet is going into the time overflowing with happiness and hopefulness.
3) Have there been tilnes
when you felt depressed or hopeless? Have you experienced a similar moment that
changed your mood that day?
Ans: There have been
countless occasions when I also have felt discouraged and miserable. Now and
again, such minutes were excited by others' conduct and disposition. On one
event when I was exceptionally bored. I went out for a walk. While walking on
the pavement, I saw a young lady helping an old woman to carry her basket, that
particular act of taking care of her. This little act had filled my heart with
joy that they shared changed my disposition and I felt exceptionally glad for
the rest of the day.
