Dust of Snow Solutions

Content Structure

1. About the author – Robert Frost
2. Theme of the Dust of Snow
3. Summary of the Dust f Snow
4. Explanation
- Stanza – 1
- Stanza – 2
5. Word meanings
6. Thinking about the poem
7. Extra Questions and Answers
- A. Multiple Choice Questions and Answers (MCQs)
- B. Fill in the blanks
- C. True and false
- D. Short Questions and Answers
- E. Long Questions and Answers
- F. Grammar

1. About the author – Robert Frost

Robert Frost was a great American poet who was born on 26th March 1874. He is known for his writing about nature, rural life, and human feelings in a simple, meaningful way. In his poems, he used ordinary scenes to share deep thoughts about life, sorrow, and hope. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry four times and became one of the most respected poets of the 20th century. His famous poems are Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, The Road Not Taken, and Dust of Snow. He died on 29th January 1963.

2. Theme of the Dust of Snow

Nature can make us feel better, even with small things like a little snow.
Happiness and hope can come from simple, surprising events, like a crow shaking snow from a tree.
One small moment in nature can change sadness into happiness and make a day better.
Small and normal experiences can teach us lessons and make our hearts feel good.

3. Summary of the Dust of Snow

The poem shows a simple but special moment in nature. A crow drops some snow from a hemlock tree on the poet. This small moment changes the poet’s mood. He had been feeling sad, but the snow makes him feel happy and saves some of his day from feeling sad.

4. Explanation

Stanza 1

“The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree”

Explanation: In this stanza, the poet talks about a small moment. A crow sitting on a hemlock tree shakes some snow that falls on the poet. People usually think crows and hemlock trees are dark or unlucky, but here they bring something happy and good for the poet.

Stanza 2

“Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.”

Explanations: In this stanza, the poet tells how the snow made him feel. He was sad before, but this little moment made him happy. The snow cheered him up and saved part of his day from being sad, showing that small things in nature can make us feel better.

5. Word meanings

	Word	Meanings
1.	Snow	Soft white frozen water falling from clouds
2.	Shook	Moved by shaking
3.	Hemlock	A poisonous tree with small leaves and white flowers
4.	Rued	Felt regret or sorrow about something
5.	Mood	Feeling

6. Thinking about the poem

This poem presents a moment that seems simple, but has a larger significance. [Compare this other quotation from Robert Frost: “Always, always a larger significance… A little thing touches a larger thing.”)

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” means a small, light sprinkling of snow. In the poem, the poet’s mood changes when a crow shakes this snow down on him from a hemlock tree. He was feeling sad and unhappy before this, but the small, unexpected snow made him feel happy. His mood changed from sad to cheerful, and this little moment saved some of the day.

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?
(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?
Ans:
(i) In this poem, Frost shows nature in a simple and unexpected way. He shows that even small things in nature, like a crow and a hemlock tree, can make a big difference. Most poets write about pretty birds like nightingales or larks, but Frost talks about a crow, which people usually think of as dark or unlucky. The crow and the snow, however, bring something happy and good to the poet.

(ii) Frost talks about a hemlock tree, not a beautiful tree like a maple, pine, or oak. People usually think of the hemlock as dark or sad, so it does not seem pretty or cheerful.

(iii) In the poem, the crow and the hemlock bring something good. The light dust of snow that falls on the poet is small and simple, but it makes him feel happy. It cheers him up and saves some of his day. Frost shows that things that seem small and dark in nature can make us feel happy and bring joy.

3. Have there been times when you felt depressed or hopeless? Have you experienced a similar moment that changed your mood that day?
Ans: Yes, there have been times when I felt sad and hopeless. I remember one day I did badly in an exam and did not want to talk to anyone. I was sitting quietly when a friend told me a funny story that made me laugh. That small moment made me happy and helped me forget my sadness, just like in the poem.

7. Extra Questions and Answers

A. Multiple Choice Questions and Answers (MCQs)

1. Who is the poet of Dust of Snow?
(a) William Wordsworth
(b) Robert Frost
(c) John Keats
(d) P.B. Shelley

Ans: (b) Robert Frost

2. Which bird is mentioned in the poem “Dust of Snow”?
(a) Dove
(b) Nightingale
(c) Crow
(d) Sparrow

Ans: (c) Crow

3. From which tree did the snow fall on the poet?
(a) Pine tree
(b) Oak tree
(c) Hemlock tree
(d) Maple tree

Ans: (c) Hemlock tree

4. What part of the poet’s day was “saved”?
(a) A day of joy
(b) A day he had rued
(c) A day of success
(d) A day of happiness

Ans: (b) A day he had rued

5. What does the expression “dust of snow” mean?
(a) Heavy snowfall
(b) A sprinkling of snow
(c) A storm of snow
(d) Melting snow

Ans: (b) A sprinkling of snow

6. What theme does the poem highlight?
(a) Nature has healing power
(b) Birds are unlucky
(c) Trees are harmful
(d) Winter is dangerous

Ans: (a) Nature has healing power

7. What does the crow generally symbolize in literature?
(a) Happiness
(b) Darkness or sorrow
(c) Music and song
(d) Peace and purity

Ans: (b) Darkness or sorrow

8. How did the poet feel before the snow fell on him?
(a) Happy and cheerful
(b) Angry and rude
(c) Sad and regretful
(d) Excited and hopeful

Ans: (c) Sad and regretful

9. What lesson does the poem teach us?
(a) Birds are useful to humans
(b) Small events can bring big changes in life
(c) Winter is the best season
(d) Trees protect people from snow

Ans: (b) Small events can bring big changes in life

10. What figure of speech is used in “saved some part of a day I had rued”?
(a) Hyperbole
(b) Personification
(c) Metaphor
(d) Irony

Ans: (d) Irony

B. Fill in the blanks

1. The poem Dust of Snow is written by _____________. (Robert Frost)
2. The poet was sitting under a _________ tree. (Hemlock)
3. A ____________ shook down the dust of snow on the poet. (Crow)
4. The fall of snow changed the poet’s _______________. (mood)
5. The poet says the incident has saved some part of a day he had _____________. (rued)

C. True or False

1. In the poem, a crow shakes snow down on the poet. (True)
S/S: The crow sitting on a hemlock tree drops some dust of snow on him.

2. The poet’s mood becomes sadder after the snow falls. (False)
S/S: The snow actually changes his mood for the better and cheers him up.

3. The “dust of snow” refers to a heavy snowstorm. (False)
S/S: It means only a light sprinkling or small particles of snow.

4. The crow and the hemlock are symbols of beauty and joy in the poem. (False)
S/S: They are usually linked with sorrow or darkness, but here they still bring happiness.

5. The poem shows that small things in nature can bring big changes in our life. (True)
S/S: The light dust of snow is a tiny event, yet it transforms the poet’s whole mood.

D. Short Questions and Answers

1. What incident does the poet describe in the poem Dust of Snow?
Ans: The poet tells about a moment when a crow on a hemlock tree shook some snow on him. This small act changed his mood, made him cheerful, and brightened his day.

2. Why does Frost choose a crow and a hemlock tree in the poem?
Ans: Frost talks about a crow and a hemlock tree because people see them as sad or unlucky, but he shows that these things can still bring happiness and change our feelings.

3. What does the “dust of snow” symbolize in the poem?
Ans: The “dust of snow” stands for small and simple moments that can change how we feel, showing that little things can bring hope and joy.

4. What message does Robert Frost give through this poem?
Ans: The poem tells us that nature has the power to make us feel good, showing that small moments can change our mood and bring happiness when we feel sad.

5. How does the poem show the healing power of nature?
Ans: The poem shows that nature can make us happy in simple ways, as a little snow falling on the poet cheered him up and brightened his day.

6. What is the meaning of the line “And saved some part of a day I had rued”?
Ans: The poet was having a sad and regretful day, but after the snow fell on him, he felt happy, and that small moment saved his day from being wasted.

7. What is the central idea of the poem Dust of Snow?
Ans: The main idea is that small and simple things can make a big difference, and a light fall of snow refreshed the poet, showing that nature can make us feel happy.

8. What lesson about life does the poem teach us?
Ans: The poem teaches us that happiness can come in small ways, and simple things in nature can make us happy and change our day in a positive way.

E. Long Questions and Answers

1. How does the poem Dust of Snow show that small events can bring about a big change in life?
Ans: The poem shows that a very small thing, like snow falling from a crow on a hemlock tree, can change the poet’s mood. He was sad and full of regret, but the little snow made him happy and saved his day. Frost shows that small, unexpected moments in nature can turn sadness into joy.

2. Explain how the poet’s mood changes in the poem Dust of Snow.
Ans: At first, Frost was sad and unhappy, thinking his day was wasted, but when a crow shook some snow from a hemlock tree on him, this small act made him smile and feel cheerful. It shows how nature can change our feelings and give hope when we are sad.

3. What message does Robert Frost convey through the poem Dust of Snow?
Ans: Frost tells us that life can have sad moments, but small things can make us happy. A crow shaking snow from a tree may seem simple, but it changed his day. The poem teaches us to notice little things in nature because they can make us feel happy and brighten our day.

4. How does Robert Frost use natural symbols in Dust of Snow to express his feelings?
Ans: Frost uses the crow, the hemlock tree, and the snow as symbols. The crow and tree usually look dark or sad, but the snow falling from them makes the poet happy. It shows that nature, in things that look sad or dark, can bring joy and make us feel calm.

5. Why is the incident of snow falling on the poet significant?
Ans: The snow falling on the poet is important because it changed his mood. He was sad and thought his day was wasted, but the little snow made him feel happy and peaceful, showing that simple things in nature can make a big difference.

F. Grammar

1. The crow shook down on me the dust of snow. (Change into past continuous)
Ans: The crow was shaking down on me the dust of snow.

2. The crow shook down on me the dust of snow. (Change into future tense)
Ans: The crow will shake down on me the dust of snow.

3. The poet rued the day. (Change into present perfect)
Ans: The poet has rued the day.

4. The poet rued the day. (Change into past perfect)
Ans: The poet had rued the day.

5. The dust of snow has given my heart a change of mood. (Change into future perfect)
Ans: The dust of snow will have given my heart a change of mood.

6. The dust of snow has given my heart a change of mood. (Change into simple past)
Ans: The dust of snow gave my heart a change of mood.

7. The crow shook down on me the dust of snow. (Change into present continuous)
Ans: The crow is shaking down on me the dust of snow.

8. The dust of snow saves some part of the day. (Change into past continuous)
Ans: The dust of snow was saving some part of the day.

9. The poet rued the day. (Change into simple present)
Ans: The poet rues the day.

10. The crow shook down on me the dust of snow. (Change into future continuous)
Ans: The crow will be shaking down on me the dust of snow.

11. The dust of snow gave my heart a change of mood. (Change into future indefinite)
Ans: The dust of snow will give my heart a change of mood.

12. The crow shook down on me the dust of snow. (Change into present indefinite)
Ans: The crow shakes down on me the dust of snow.

13. The dust of snow saves some part of the day. (Change into past perfect)
Ans: The dust of snow had saved some part of the day.

14. The poet rued the day. (Change into present continuous)
Ans: The poet is ruing the day.

15. The crow shook down the dust of snow. (Change into future perfect)
Ans: The crow will have shaken down the dust of snow.