NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight

Dust of Snow

Updated For 2024-2025
Exams

 

Thinking about the Poem

Q.1: What is a “dust of snow”? What
does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the poet’s mood changed?

Answer:
A “dust of snow” refers to the small particles or light flakes of
snow that fall from the hemlock tree. The poet’s mood was changed by the dust
of snow falling on him. Initially, he was in a bad mood, but after the snow
fell on him, his mood became lighter and more positive. The simple, natural
event of the snow falling helped the poet feel refreshed and uplifted.

Q.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?

Answer:
Birds like nightingales, doves, and swans are commonly mentioned in poems for
their beauty or symbolism of peace and love. A crow is rarely mentioned in
poems because it is often associated with darker or less pleasant imagery. When
we think of a crow, images of harshness, darkness, or ominous feelings may come
to mind.

(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?

Answer:
A hemlock tree is a type of coniferous tree that is often associated with
toxicity or poison. The poet may not have chosen a traditionally
“beautiful” tree like a maple or oak because he wanted to highlight
the idea that even something considered less beautiful or negative, like a crow
or a hemlock tree, can have a positive impact, as it did on his mood.

(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?

Answer:
Both the crow and the hemlock tree typically symbolize sorrow or negativity.
However, in this poem, the dust of snow that the crow shakes off the hemlock
tree stands for a moment of natural beauty that brings about a positive change
in the poet’s mood, suggesting that even gloomy elements of nature can lead to
joy and transformation.

Q.3: Have there been times when you
felt depressed or hopeless? Have you experienced a similar moment that changed
your mood that day?

Answer:
Yes, there are moments in life when we feel depressed or hopeless. Simple
events, like an unexpected kind gesture, a pleasant surprise, or experiencing
nature, can sometimes change our mood and make us feel better, just like how
the dust of snow changed the poet’s mood in the poem.