Overview of the Dust of Snow by Robert Frost
This article gives a brief summary of the poem "Dust of snow" by Robert Frost. The poem is short yet very beautifully written. In the poem, the poet talks about the importance of even small things in life and how they can affect one's mood.
The poet has beautifully represented the healing power of nature and how nature can uplift a bad mood. The poet himself is having such a bad day when a small action of the dust of snow falling on him makes him realize how petty his problems are. This in turn uplifts his mood and makes him better appreciate the beauty and serenity of nature.
The poem features a hemlock tree and a crow. Both of which are associated with sorrow and despair. This is a clever utilisation of the author to show how his mood that day was also sorrowful and full of despair.
Dust of Snow Poem
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.
- By Robert Frost
Dust of Snow Poem
Dust of Snow Summary
The summary, as well as the meaning of the poem, is described below.
The poem has a setting where the poet is under a hemlock tree. The poem takes place in the winter season and the poet also happens to be in a foul mood. The poet was having a miserable day for unknown reasons. A crow happens to fling snow dust on him as he is standing under the tree. This snow dust that fell on him immediately made him feel better. The crow and the hemlock tree helped him get through the remaining portion of his day, which had already been spent in a foul mood.
Crows and hemlock trees are frequently associated with bad circumstances or bad luck. Hemlock trees are poisonous. Instead of using a more beautiful tree like maple or oak, the poet uses a hemlock to portray his bad mood. A hemlock tree being poisonous, is thus considered to be bad. He also does not use different birds like a sparrow and nightingale, which are more associated with positivity and beauty. On the other hand, a crow is often seen as an indicator of doom and fear.
The irony in this situation is that the poet utilised them to illustrate how happy things may come even from negative references. A movement from the crow sitting on the branch of the hemlock tree happened to throw some dust of snow on the poet. The poet has shown that both the hemlock tree and the crow which are usually used to represent sadness and negativity uplifted his awful mood. The action of snow falling on the poet immediately uplifted his mood and made him more appreciative of life. Similar to using the hemlock tree and crow to bring a positive impact, the dust of snow which is regarded as useless is the reason the poet has an uplift in his bad mood. He realized that his sorrow and bad mood were petty and insignificant in front of the beauty and healing of nature.
The poet shows us that being in the presence of nature and observing the serenity of nature itself can be very rewarding for an individual. The unpredictable and beautiful features of nature can be healing for someone who is having a bad day or going through a terrible thought.
Significance of Crow in the Poem
Crow
Crows are usually used to represent death or despair in literature, but the poet has cleverly utilised the same crow as a bringer of joy and hope in life. The very crow is the reason the snow fell on the poet which made him have a better mood immediately.
Theme of the Poem
The theme of the story is that even small and seemingly unimportant events in life can have their own impact on one's mood. The theme of the story is that even small and seemingly unimportant events in life can have their own impact on one's mood. The poem focuses on inculcating the importance of gratefulness and lesser attitude that indicates us taking things for granted. It’s a poem of gratitude and morals that the kids need and should be able to understand from their young age.
Conclusion
The poem “Dust of snow by Robert Frost” shows us to appreciate even the small things that we take for granted in life. The poet shows us that even small and insignificant acts can help uplift our mood and make us forget about our problems. The poet also shows that nature is a great healer of wounds and bad moods. Observing the beauty and serenity of nature can bring peace of mind and also make us appreciate our life better.
FAQs on Dust of Snow Poem
1. Who wrote the poem “Dust of snow” and which year was it published?
The poem “Dust of snow” is written by the famous American poet, Robert Frost. The poem was first published in “New Hampshire” in 1923. This collection awarded Robert Frost the Pulitzer prize as well.
2. What is the importance of nature in the poem ‘dust of snow’?
The poem “Dust of snow” places nature as the main theme of the poem. The poet speaks about the power of nature and the healing effects it can have. The poet explains to us that nature has the ability to cure all ill of both the mind and the body. The very bad mood of the poet himself is seen to be cured by a rather insignificant act of nature. Which in this case is the falling of snow from a tree on the poet.
3. What does the poet describe have changed his mood?
In the poem, the poet is experiencing a bad day and is in a terrible mood. When the poet is under a hemlock tree, a crow sitting on the tree happened to fling some dust of snow on the poet. This action by the crow immediately uplifted his mood. He began to appreciate the beauty of nature and also came to realize how petty was his problem. This very action of snow falling on the poet was the reason for a change in mood in the poet.
