-
Generally, poets use birds and trees as symbols of beauty and positivity, often describing colourful birds like parrots, peacocks, and cuckoos, along with trees bearing flowers and fruits. In this poem, Frost uses a crow, a black bird with a harsh voice that is usually seen as a bad omen, creating a gloomy and negative image in the reader’s mind.
-
Frost also refers to a hemlock tree, which is a poisonous plant with small white flowers. Instead of choosing trees like maple, pine, or oak that symbolise happiness and beauty, he selects the hemlock tree to reflect his feelings of sadness and regret.
-
The crow and the hemlock tree together represent the poet’s sorrowful and depressing state of mind. In contrast, the dust of snow symbolises natural joy and renewed energy, showing how the poet’s earlier sadness fades and is replaced by an optimistic mood.
Dust of Snow Class 10 NCERT Solutions
The Class 10 NCERT question answers help you understand the poem’s central idea, themes, and poetic devices clearly. These answers explain how a small moment in nature brings a positive change in the poet’s mood. Studying them improves interpretation skills and helps in writing better exam answers.
Question 1:
What is a “dust of snow”? What does the poet say has changed his mood? How has the poet’s mood changed?
Answer:
The ‘dust of snow’ refers to the tiny particles of snowflakes. The sudden fall of these snowflakes brought a change in the poet’s mood. He was initially sad and gloomy, but the moment refreshed him, lifting his spirits and making him feel cheerful and energetic for the rest of the day.
Question 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?
Answer:
In the poem, Frost presents nature in a very unconventional manner.
Question 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 have been many moments when I felt sad, low, and hopeless because of unavoidable situations in my life. At times, these feelings arose due to the indifferent attitude of others, and sometimes because of my own actions. Once, I came back from school feeling tired and upset. As soon as I reached home, my puppy jumped on me and cuddled me. This small act of affection instantly lifted my mood. I felt happy and cheerful for the rest of the day, played with my puppy for some time, and showered him with love and care.
Also Check:
- Poem 2 Fire and Ice
- Poem 3 A Tiger in the Zoo
- Poem 4 How to Tell Wild Animals
- Poem 5 The Ball Poem
- Poem 6 Amanda!
- Poem 7 The Trees
- Poem 8 Fog
- Poem 9 The Tale of Custard the Dragon
- Poem 10 For Anne Gregory
The Dust of Snow Question Answers Class 10 FAQs
What is the central theme of the poem Dust of Snow?
When is the CBSE Class 10 English exam 2026?
Who is the poet of Dust of Snow?
How does the crow play an important role in the poem?
