10 Poem 1

:: Class X :: First Flight :: Dust of Snow (Poem 1) ::
Q 1. What is a 'dust of snow'? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the poet’s mood changed?
Ans. A dust of snow refers to a small mass of loose snow.
The sudden fall of a little mass of loose snow on the poet/narrator, due to the shaking of its wings by a crow above him
has changed his mood that was downbeat.
Till then, the poet/narrator has been in a sad and depressed mood. But this small and simple moment has changed his
mood for the better and helped him snap out of the gloom and desolation for the rest of the day.
Q 2. What is a hemlock tree?
Ans. A hemlock tree is a poisonous plant with small white flowers.
Q 3. What do ‘the crow' and ‘the hemlock' represent in the poem? What does the ‘dust of snow' that the crow shakes off
a hemlock tree stand for?
Ans. The crow and the hemlock tree both represent the sorrow, depression and regret experienced by the poet/narrator.
But the dust of snow shaken by the crow off the hemlock tree stands for renewed hope and joy in nature.
Q 4. Where is the poet?
Ans. The poet/narrator happens to be under a hemlock tree on a wintry day.
Q 5. What does the crow do that changes the poet’s mood?
Ans. The crow perched on a branch of a hemlock tree suddenly shakes its wings and a small mass of loose snow falls down
on the poet/narrator beneath the tree.
Q 6. Explain 'rued'. How had the poet rued his day?
Ans. 'Rued' means held in regret.
For some reason, the poet had been in a sad and depressed mood for some part of the day.
Q 7. What is the significance of the hemlock tree and the crow in the poem?
Ans. The hemlock tree is a poisonous plant. The poet/narrator says he is under a hemlock tree on a wintry day.
Symbolically, the hemlock tree represents the sorrow and regret in the poet’s mind. For some unknown reason, the poet
has drowned himself in deep pain and depression and is unable to cheer him up. So the poet writes about the hemlock
tree instead of any other tree to explain the bitterness in his mind.
Again, the crow is a black bird with a harsh and cacophonic voice. It is a bird generally associated with ill omen. So very
few poets have glorified a crow in their works. As the poet is in a regretful mood, he prefers to mention a crow, rather
than any other bird. Thus symbolically, the crow, too, represents the gloomy state of the poet’s mind.
Q 8. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Ans. abab is the rhyme scheme of the poem.
Q 9. How has the poet observed nature in the poem 'Dust of Snow'?
Ans. Generally, both crow and hemlock tree represent sorrow, misery, pessimism, despair and despondency. But Robert
Frost, the poet, has presented them both in a way that they become harbingers of hope and optimism, as they both help
the poet to get rid of the regret that had ruined much of his day. Thus the poet gives us a message of discovering beauty
in everything in nature.
Q 10. Why was the poet standing under the hemlock tree?
Ans. The poet was lost in deep sorrow and regret on a particular day. As he was outdoors, he just happened to be under
a hemlock tree when the crow shook down a dust of snow on him.
Q 11. Small things in life make significant changes in our life. Elaborate with reference to the poem 'Dust of Snow’.
Ans. There is no doubt that even smallest of things can make significant changes in our life. This is the message Robert
Frost wants to drive home through this poem. We sometimes come across things or situations in life that apparently seem
simple and trifling. But they may have a much larger significance than we have ever thought. That very ordinary moment
can change the course of our life or may leave an everlasting impression on our mind.
Q 12. Why does Robert Frost ignore the other trees or birds and prefer to mention the hemlock and the crow?
Ans. The poet was in a despondent mood. He may have felt the other trees and birds in nature may not be able to portray
his mood as perfectly as the hemlock and the crow. So he ignored them.
Q 13. Nature has the power to lift our mood even when we are highly despondent. Comment. (Homework)

10 Poem 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

10 Poem 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

10 Poem 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

:: Class X :: First Flight :: Dust of Snow (Poem 1) ::

Ans. A dust of snow refers to a small mass of loose snow.

Q 2. What is a hemlock tree?

Ans. A hemlock tree is a poisonous plant with small white flowers.

Q 4. Where is the poet?

Ans. The poet/narrator happens to be under a hemlock tree on a wintry day.

Q 5. What does the crow do that changes the poet’s mood?

Q 6. Explain 'rued'. How had the poet rued his day?

Ans. 'Rued' means held in regret.

Q 8. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Ans. abab is the rhyme scheme of the poem.

You might also like