Summary of Dust of Snow with detailed explanation First Flight Class 10
Summary of the Poem Dust of Snow
Dust of Snow by Robert Frost
The poem consists of 2 stanzas. Each of these stanzas is made up of 4 lines. Thus, the entire poem consists of 8 lines in total.
Stanza 1
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
In this poem, the poet is talking about a winter’s day when all the treetops were covered with snowflakes. The poet was walking under one such snow-covered tree. This was a Hemlock tree. The hemlock tree is usually associated with poison and toxicity as a poison named Hemlock is also made. Thus, this tree cannot be associated with anything positive. However, a crow came and sat down on this tree suddenly, and because of this sudden motion, the mass of snowflakes from the top fell down on the poet like rain. The snowflakes were so light and small that the poet thought they looked like white and immaculate dust particles (if indeed dust particles could ever be white). This shower of snowflakes from the hemlock tree is evidently the subject matter of this poem, since it touched the poet in some way.
Stanza 2
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
Now in second stanza, the poet explains exactly in what way the shower of snowflakes had an effect on him. He says that it changed his mood. Earlierr, he had been in a despairing mood but the shower of the snowflakes falling on him all of a sudden gladdened his heart. In addition to this, there was another effect that the shower of snowflakes had on the poet. He says that that particular day was one that he had not been looking forward to, and in fact, it was not going too well either.
He had decided, in his mind, that that particular day would go to waste. However, the shower of dust like snow on his shoulder changed his mind. It made him feel that the day had not been a complete waste. At least some part of that day had been pleasant, since it had given him a new experience that he could treasure as well as the material for another one of his wonderful poetic compositions.
Quick Revision Notes
• He was upset as his days did not go too well.
• Suddenly, a crow sitting on the tree shakes the tree and the fine particles of snow from tree falls on the poet.
• The soft and cold touch of snow changes the poet’s mood from sad to happy.
• He starts feeling soothed and refresh.
• In this way a simple moment proves to be very significant and saves rest of the day of poet from being wasted and held in regret.
• The poem describes a very simple happening in very simple words.
• It tells us that sometimes even a small incident may prove to be of a larger significance.
• The poet is upset in the beginning of the poem but a small incident of falling of snow changes his mood totally.
• In the end of the poem the poet feels relaxed and thankful to the nature for saving his day from being wasted.
Go Back To Summary of Class 10th First Flight