Q1: What is a “dust of snow”? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the poet’s mood changed?
“Dust of Snow” meant the soft particles of snow that fell from the Hemlock tree after a crow sat on a branch, shaking it. The poet’s mood was changed by the sudden falling of snow. This shifted his attention from his sadness to the beauty of nature all around him, changing his bad mood to a good mood.
Q2: 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?
(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?
(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?
While most poems have a beautiful bird like a sparrow or nightingale, Robert used the crow in this poem to signify themes of darkness and gloom. The Hemlock tree is poisonous, so we know that the poet meant to convey sadness and regret by mentioning it.
Trees like Maple, Oak, and Pine are symbols of beauty and joy, and thus they were not here. The Crow and Hemlock together represent sorrow, while the ‘dust of snow’ here is a symbol of sudden joy. Robert Frost uses these elements to contrast the joy of nature with the sorrow of the self.
Q3: Have there been times when you felt depressed or hopeless? Have you experienced a similar moment that changed your mood that day?
Both happiness and sadness are a part of every person’s life, and I have experienced times when I was indeed depressed or hopeless. There are many moments all around us that can change our mood at any time, we need only look for them. One cold evening, I was feeling alone and friendless in a new town.
After some time, I noticed a stray dog meeting a local cat. The dog barked at the cat, but the cat did not respond. The dog then pushed the cat with its nose, and then the cat bumped its head with the dog. Then I saw those two animals become great friends and saw them playing together. This completely changed my mood and I returned home with new hope.
