Dust of Snow

 

Dust of Snow

Introduction:

The poem “Dust of Snow” is a short poem written by Robert Frost.  The poem consists of two stanzas; each of these stanzas has four lines. The poem presents a moment that seems simple, but has a larger significance.

Theme

The poem presents a very insignificant event that occurs every now and then in the nature and we come across such an event in our day to day life.   However, the poet, through this event, has tried to express that even a trivial phenomenon of the nature has a great healing power. Or, a small thing in our lives can bring a great change.  To emphasize his point, he has used two objects: a hemlock tree and a crow – which are generally considered ominous and inauspicious things by the humans. Using these two objects he has tried to show that these objects can also do great things in our lives. The events describes in the poem symbolizes the great things that happen in our lives can be caused by the things that we consider insignificant in our lives.

 

Summary:

 In the poem, the poet is upset and because of his bad mood, because of this, a part of his day has already been wasted. While he was under a hemlock tree (it is not mentioned in the poem whether the poet was passing under the tree or he was sitting under the tree), a crow, sitting on the tree, shook some fine particles of the snow on him. And this totally refreshed his mood. This is how he has saved rest part of his day from being wasted and then regretting for it.

 

Poetic Devices

Rhyme Scheme: abab

Imagery:

The poet has used imagery to create a clear picture of the nature with the words like hemlock tree, shaking of dust of snow by the crow, etc.

Alliteration:

Alliteration is the occurrence of same sound by two or more successive words in the line.

And saved some part

Symbolism

Symbolism is the uses of symbol to represent some ideas or thought.

The hemlock tree and the crow are the symbols used to represent something of less important or inauspicious   things in our lives.

Inversion:

When the poet take liberty to change the normal structure of a sentence to create some effects such as rhythm, rhyme etc. it called inversion.

Assonance:

The prominence of a vowel sound throughout the closely placed words is called assonance.

Shook down on me.  (O sound is prominent)

Enjambment:

When a sentence in a poem continue form one life to another without and punctuation marks it is called enjambment.

 

Additional Questions

1.      Has the poet intentionally used the hemlock tree and the crow to present his idea in the poem? Why?

2.      Did you ever experience any phenomenon or event of least important happened in your life that left a profound effect on you. Write your experience.

 

3.      Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.

 

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And save some part

Of a day had rued.

 

a)      Where is the poet now?

b)      What has given the poet’s heart a change of mood?

c)      What was the mood of the poet before it was changed?

d)      Explain the last two lines of the extract.

e)      Write precisely what does the poet want to convey us through his poem.