Poem: Dust of Snow | CBSE Class 10 | First Flight

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Poem: Dust of Snow

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.

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Central Idea and Summary of the Poem

DUST OF SNOW is a short and simple poem with a deep meaning. The poem is written by the American poet, Robert Frost. The poem highlights that even a small thing can have a huge impact on our lives. It explains the healing power of nature and how even a small natural incident can change our mood or attitude.

The poet says that he was in a sorrowful and depressive mood and was sitting under a hemlock tree. It was the winter season. Suddenly a crow, which was sitting on the tree, shook down the small particles of snow on the poet.

The poet has mentioned the crow and the hemlock tree in the poem to describe his depressive and sorrowful mood. Since the poet was in a bad mood, he was unable to see the sweet side of nature. He uses these negative symbols or bitter side of nature to express his feelings.

When the small particles of snow (snowflakes) fell on the poet, he was awakened from his depressive thoughts. This small act of the crow changes his mood from the state of sorrowfulness to the state of hopefulness. He suddenly realises that he has wasted a lot of his time regretting and being in sorrow. He thinks that he should utilise the rest of the day in doing some constructive work. This small incident helps him enjoy the rest of the day and saved his remaining part of the day from being wasted.

The dust of snow is the symbol of natural joy, positivity and energy, which changed poet's mood.

The poem highlights the role of the crow in changing the poet's mood. The crow, which is believed to be a symbol of bad omen, sorrow and fear, has been portrayed as a carrier of positivity. The crow not only shook down the snow particles on the poet but also shook off the poet's depressive and regretful thoughts and lightened up his mood.

This poem conveys a message that negative symbols or bad omens do not always have bad effect on us. In fact, this poem shows that every aspect/element of nature is beautiful and can be a source of joy and positivity. The poem tells us that it's not the things but our thinking and how we perceive the things determine our attitude or mood.

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Words and their Meanings

• Shake down (past tense: shook down) - to bring something down or cause something to fall down by shaking it
• Hemlock - a poisonous tree with small white flowers
• Rued - repented of

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Style of the Poem

The style of the poem is simple, short, and rhythmic. The poem contains two quatrains (four-line stanzas). The poet uses everyday conversational language and a short structure to show that even a small thing can have a big impact on our mood.

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Tone of the Poem

The tone of the poem is transformative, which shifts from pessimism to optimism as the poet's mood changes from the state of sorrowfulness to the state of hopefulness or happiness.

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Literary Devices used in the Poem

• Rhyme Scheme - The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABAB CDCD.

• Alliteration - The repetition of the same consonant sound at the start of two or more closely placed words.

For example:

1. Has given my heart
2. Saved some part

• Assonance - The repetition of the same vowel sound in closely placed words.

For example:

1. Shook down on me (Repetition of the vowel sound 'o')

• Consonance - The repetition of the same consonant sound in closely placed words.

For example:

1. From a hemlock tree (Repetition of the consonant sound 'm')
2. And saved some part / Of a day I had rued. (Repetition of the consonant sound 'd')

• Enjambment - The continuation of a sentence from one line of poetry to the next without any break or punctuation marks.

For example: This device is used in the entire poem.

• Metaphor: A comparison between two unrelated things without using the words 'like' or 'as'.

For example: The poet compares the small particles of snow (snowflakes) with dust.

• Imagery - The act of using language that creates an image in the mind of readers.

For example: The poem gives a vivid visual description of the crow, the hemlock tree, and the dust of snow.

• Symbolism - A poetic device in which a symbol, an object, a character or an idea is used to represent something other than its literal meaning.

For example:

1. The symbols, such as the crow and the hemlock tree, are used to describe the poet's sorrowful and depressive mood.
2. The dust of snow is the symbol of natural joy, positivity, and energy.

• Inversion - A poetic device in which a poet purposefully changes the order of words in a sentence to emphasize something, create a rhythmic effect or maintain a specific rhyme scheme.

For example: Inversion is used in the first stanza of the poem.

• Irony/Situational Irony - The Situational Irony occurs when the actual result of a situation is completely opposite to what was expected.

For example: The poet uses negative symbols, such as the crow and the hemlock tree, to bring a positive change to his mood.

• Synecdoche - A poetic device in which a part of something represents the whole thing or a whole thing represents a part.

For example: The falling of snow on the poet has brought a change in the mood of heart. Here 'heart' represents the poet's entire personality, his thoughts and feelings.

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