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English Worksheet Solution Of

Class X

Class-x Subject – English Topic – Dust Of Snow

ABOUT THE POET Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco. He lived
and taught for many years in Massachusetts and Vermont, and died in Boston on January
29, 1963. Though his work is principally associated with the life and landscape of New
England—and he was a poet of traditional verse forms and metrics who remained
steadfastly aloof from the poetic movements and fashions of his time—Frost is anything but
merely a regional poet. The author of searching and often dark meditations on universal
themes, he is a quintessentially modern poet in his adherence to language as it is actually
spoken, in the psychological complexity of his portraits, and in the degree to which his work
is infused with layers of ambiguity and irony.
POETIC DEVICES:
Alliteration: e.g. Has given my heart Saved some soul Symbolism: Crow symbolises
fear, sorrow, bad omen, death etc. Hemlock is a poisonous tree with white evergreen
throughout the winter. Both symbolise the dark, depressive, sorrowful and bitter side of
nature.
Irony: The black crow is a symbol of fear and death. It is ironic that in this poem it is doing a
good deed by shaking off the snow.
Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line,
couplet, or stanza.
Synecdoche:(Suh-nek-duh-kee) - a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent
the whole or vice versa, as in England lost by six wickets (meaning ‗ the English cricket
team‘).
e.g. heart- refers to a person

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 realise 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.

Dust of Snow 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?
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English Worksheet Solution Of
Class X
A. “Dust of snow” refers to the tiny particles of snow. The particles are so small that poet
referred to them as “dust”. 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 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. 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.

Extra questions

Question 1.
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

(a) Where was the crow ?
(b) What did it shake on the poet ?
(c) What does the word, ‘rued’ mean ?
(d) What is the poet’s state of mind ?

Answer:
(a) The crow was on a hemlock tree.
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English Worksheet Solution Of
Class X
(b) It shook dust of snow on the poet.
(c) The word ‘rued’ means held in regret.
(d) The poet was in a sad, depressive and hopeless mood that time.
(or)
(a)a crow
(b)dust of snow
(c)the poet

Question 2.
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
(a) Where did the crow sit ?
(b) We can say that the poet was …….
(c) How did the crow change the poet’s mood ?
(d) What fell off from a humlock tree ?

Answer:
(a) The crow sat on a branch of hemlock tree.
(b) …….. in a sad mood.
(c) The crow changed the poet’s mood by shaking down the dust of snow from a hemlock
tree.
(d) Dust of snow fell from a hemlock tree.

Question 3.
Has given my heart (1×3=3)
A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued.
1. (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) Who is the poet ?
OR
2. (a) What had given the poet ‘a change of mood’ ?
(b) What did the poet think of that day ?
(c) What did the crow do to the hemlock tree ?
(d) Name the poet of the poem.

Answer:
1. (a) The poet mentions the change of mood here.
(b) The poet’s part of the day has been saved.
(c) The rhyme scheme of the passage is ab ab.
(d) Robert Frost is the poet.
OR
2. (a) The falling of dust of snow gave the poet ‘a change of mood’.
(b) The poet earlier wasted that day, but later revived the spirit to realize the rest of the day.
(c) The crow shook the hemlock tree.
(d) The poet is ‘Robert Frost’.
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English Worksheet Solution Of
Class X

Short Answer Type Question (30-40 words & 2 marks)

Question 1.
What is the underlying message for us in our hectic life with reference to the poem, ‘Dust of
Snow’ ?
Answer:
The underlying message for us in our hectic life with reference to the poem ‘Dust of Snow’ is
that we should enjoy nature utmost and we should have a positive out look even towards
simple acts because they can lead to the learning of greater lessons of enjoying life.

Long Answer Type Question (100-120 words & 8 marks each)

Question 1.
No matter how ordinary or unimportant an incident may be, it’s the reaction or the response
that matters. Taking inspiration from the poet’s reaction write how inherent values can be
picked up and learnt. Mention any two lessons for students like you that could be useful.
(Dust of Snow)

Answer:
Yes, response matters a lot. Inherent values can be picked up by adopting a positive attitude
towards nature. Because nature is a great teacher each little thing in nature can teach us
some important lessons at times and even a small flake of snow has its own significance.
We should not judge anything by its appearance even crow and hemlock tree known as bad
omen can bring cheerfulness in upliftment in poet’s mood. So nothing is useless in nature.
Nature is very beautiful. One should live his present cheerfully. Students like me can pick
these qualities from nature.

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words: [2x5=10]

1. What is the underlying message for us in our hectic life with reference to the poem,
„Dust of Snow‟? / What is the central idea of the poem „Dust of Snow‟?

Answer: In the poem ‗Dust of Snow‘, the poet wants to convey that sometimes certain
moments or actions which are simple have larger significance. They can change the
mood or life of a person. The way a crow shakes down dust of snow on the poet
inspires and gives him the idea to shake off his depressive thoughts, become cheerful
and do something useful.

2. Which side of nature do „crow‟ and „hemlock‟ represent?

Answer. 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.
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English Worksheet Solution Of
Class X
3. Why does the poet use such poetically uncommon bird and tree? What does it reflect?
Answer. The poet seems to be in a depressive and sorrowful mood. In such a mood,
one cannot think of a sweet and beautiful side of nature. The harsh, bitter and

poisonous images come to his mind. That is why he uses an uncommon, harsh, ugly
crow and poisonous tree like hemlock.

4. Justify the role of the crow in the poem “Dust of Snow” in changing the poet‟s mood.

Answer. I think, ‗the way snow dust was shaken off‘ changed his mood. Perhaps it
gave the poet inspiration/idea to behave in the same manner—shake off his depressive
thoughts and revive his cheerful mood.

5. How does Frost present nature in this poem? [CBSE-2011]

Answer: Frost presents nature in a very different manner in the poem. 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 line, he chooses crow, a bird which is black in colour with very harsh voice and
believed to be the symbol of bad omen. Likewise, hemlock tree is a poisonous plant with white
flowers. It means he has left all the beautiful colours present in the world and has chosen black
and white. Actually the poet has done so to present his mood and feelings. The crow and
hemlock tree represent sorrow and depression felt by him in this materialistic world. On the
other hand the dust of snow is the symbol of natural joy and energy. It means passing through
the sad and depressing moments the poet is entering into the time full of joy and optimism.

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words: [8]

1. Positive attitude in life can make the world a better place to live in. Do you agree or
disagree with reference to the poem „Dust of Snow‟? Express your views bringing out
the inherent values.

Answer. I completely agree with the statement that positive attitude can make the
world a better place to live in Robert Frost, in ‗Dust of Snow‘, talks of how an otherwise
bad day altered into a not so bad one, due to the action of a crow. It was a seemingly
disconnected occurrence that brought about a change of mood in the poet. One lesson
that can be learnt from the poet, is to see the brightness amidst the gloom. The crow,
the hemlock and the snow are all dark images, and yet, the poet sees the colour of
happiness. Another lesson is that life is made up of small joys. It is through them that
one can always manage to see positivity in negativity.

2. Our attitude towards a situation evokes both negative and positive response. Analyse
this with reference to the poem, „Dust of Snow‟ to bring out the inherent valuable
lessons.