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Dust of Snow is a short poem by Robert Frost.
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.
Summary:
The speaker describes a seemingly simple moment—when a crow shakes snow off a hemlock tree and it falls on them. This small event lifts their mood and salvages what had been a bad day.
Line-by-Line Analysis:
Stanza 1:
“The way a crow / Shook down on me / The dust of snow / From a hemlock tree”
- The crow and the hemlock tree both carry traditional negative symbolism (death, darkness, poison).
- Yet, this interaction is surprisingly positive—dust of snow falls gently, perhaps unexpectedly, on the speaker.
- “Dust of snow” implies lightness and purity—like a gentle touch from nature.
Stanza 2:
“Has given my heart / A change of mood / And saved some part / Of a day I had rued.”
- The light snowfall causes a shift in the speaker’s emotional state.
- “A day I had rued” means a day they had regretted—until this small, natural moment changed their perspective.
- The poem suggests that even dark or unimportant things (a crow, a hemlock) can spark beauty or healing.
Themes:
- Nature as a Healer: Nature can influence our emotions, even unexpectedly.
- Hope in Small Things: Tiny events can have a significant impact—changing the course of a whole day.
- Irony and Contrast: The crow and hemlock (symbols of gloom) deliver a positive experience. Frost plays with expectations.
Style and Structure:
- Simple language, yet deep in meaning.
- ABAB rhyme scheme in both stanzas, creating a rhythmic, song-like quality.
- Very visual and sensory—you can imagine the snow falling, feel the cold, and sense the change in mood.
1. 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” refers to the light, delicate flakes of snow that fall from a tree, almost like a sprinkle or fine powder. It suggests something small but pure and gentle.
- The poet says that this small, accidental moment—when the crow shakes snow off a hemlock tree and it lands on him—has changed his mood.
- He was having a day filled with regret (“a day I had rued”), but this seemingly insignificant act lifted his spirits and brought a moment of peace or joy.
- It shows how even tiny things in nature can have a big emotional impact.
2. How does Frost present nature in this poem?
(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?
- Birds like nightingales, doves, skylarks, or swans are often used in poetry—they’re symbols of beauty, love, peace, or inspiration.
- A crow, in contrast, is rarely used positively. It often symbolizes darkness, misfortune, or even death.
- But here, Frost uses the crow not as a negative symbol, but as a bringer of unexpected joy, turning traditional symbolism on its head.
(ii) 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?
- A hemlock tree is a conifer, but more importantly, it’s associated with poison and death (remember Socrates drank hemlock as a poison).
- Frost could have chosen a more ‘pleasant’ tree, but by using a hemlock, he emphasizes the contrast: even dark or gloomy elements in life can give us moments of beauty or healing.
(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?
- The crow and hemlock usually symbolize sorrow, gloom, or death.
- But in this poem, they become symbols of unexpected positivity.
- The dust of snow stands for the small, beautiful moments that can lift our spirits, even if they come from dark or unlikely sources.
