Dust of Snow

KrishnaInternationalPublicSchool NearM.R.K.HealthCare,Patan-UnjhaHighway,Patan Std:X Worksheet Sub:English DustofSnow Keypoints Thepoem describesaverysimplehappeninginverysimplewords. Ittellsusthatsometimesevenasmallincidentmayprovetobeofalargersignificance. Thepoetisupsetinthebeginningofthepoem butasmallincidentoffallingofsnow changeshis moodtotally. Intheendofthepoem thepoetfeelsrelaxedandthankfultothenatureforsavinghisdayfrom being wasted. Summary Thepoetisupsetandsittingunderthehemlocktree.Suddenlyacrowsittingonthetreeshakesthe treeandthefineparticlesofsnow from treefallsonthepoet.Thesoftandcoldtouchofsnow changesthepoet’smoodfrom sadtohappy.Hestartsfeelingsoothedandrefresh.Inthiswaya simplemomentprovestobeverysignificantandsavesrestofthedayofpoetfrom beingwastedand heldinregret. Theblackcrowiscommonlyasymbolofdeathandfear. Sincethecrowisnotassociatedwithgoodness,itisironicthatinthispoem,itisdoingagooddeed byshakingoffthesnow. RobertFrostdidn’tchoosetouseanoak,mapleorpinetree.No,insteadhechosethehemlocktree whichisusuallyassociatedwithpoisonandtoxicity.Anyway,thebeautifulsnow thatadornsthe poisonoushemlocktree’sbranchesisshakenoffbyascarycrow. RobertFrostusestheelementsofthefearsomecrowandpoisonousHemlocktreetodosomething good–shakethewhite,puresnow offthebranches.Thisgoodactliftsthesuicidalperson’sspirits causinghim tochangehismindaboutkillinghimself.Thesmallactcausesthemantohavean enlightenedinsight. WehaveapoisonousHemlocktreecoveredinpure,whitesnow andamanwhoisdepressed, planningtokillhimselfandwalkingunderthetree.Atthatprecisemoment,theblackcrow ofdeath shakesthepure,goodsnowontotheman.Allthatgoodnesshelpsthemantochangehismindabout killinghimself.Instead,hedecidestolive,forgettheregretandsorrowtoenablehealing. Thepoem,DustofSnow byRobertFrost,reiteratesthatthelittlethingsinlifecanmakehuge changesinourfuture.Italsoshowsthatifwecantakethehardtimesoflifeinstride,eventually somethingwillhappentochangeoursituationintohappiertimes.Thesimplethingswedoforothers canmakeallthedifference.Justthinkaboutthoserandom actsofkindnesswedoandhowmuch theybrightenaperson’sdayandsometimeschangetheirfuture. Noticingandappreciatingallthesmallthingsinlifewillmakeourlifehappier.Itwillalsocauseusto haveaspiritthatiswillingtochangeandthereforesucceed. MULTIPLECHOICEQUESTIONS 1.Whoshookdownthehemlocktree?

(A)crow                                  (B)cuckoo(C)mynah                                         (D)parrot Ans. (A)acrow 2. Whichtreedidthecrowshake? (A)mango                             (B) maple (C)hemlock                                      (D)oak Ans. (C)hemlock 3.Whatfellonthepoet? (A)dustoftree                      (B)dustofsnow(C)dustofrain                                  (D)dustofcrow Ans. (B)dustofsnow 4.Inwhatmoodwasthepoetearlier? (A)happy                               (B)good (C)pleasant                                      (D)sad Ans. (D)sad 5.Whatwastheeffectofthefallofthedustofsnowonthepoet? (A)changedhismood                      (B)changedhisluck (C)changedhisjob                           (D)changedhiscolour Ans. (A)changedhismood 6.Whatwassavedforthepoet? (A)crow                               (B)tree (C)somepartoftheday                  (D)snow Ans. (C)somepartoftheday 7.Underwhichtreewasthepoetstanding? (A)oak                                  (B)hemlock (C)maple                                           (D)pine Ans. (B)hemlock 8.Whoisthepoetofthepoem ‘DustofSnow’? (A)RobertFrost                  (B)RobertBrowning (C)William Wordsworth       (D)JohnKeats Ans. (A)RobertFrost COMPREHENSIONOFSTANZAS Readthefollowingstanzasandanswerthequestionsthatfollow: STANZA1 Thewayacrow Shookdownonme Thedustofsnow From ahemlocktree Questions: (a)Whatdidthecrowdotothehemlocktree? (b)Whatwasthereinthetreeatthattime? (c)Wheredoyouthinkwasthepoetthen? (d)Whatisthenameofthepoem? (e)Whatisthenameofthepoet?

(f)Writetherhymingwords. Answers: (a)Thecrowshookthehemlocktree.  (b)Therewassnowinthetreeatthattime. (c)Thenthepoetwasunderahemlocktreethen. (d)Thenameofthepoem is‘DustofSnow’.  (e)ThenameofthepoetisRobertFrost. (f)crow–snowme–tree STANZA2 Hasgivenmyheart Achangeofmood Andsavedsomepart OfadayIhadrued.                    Questions: (a)Whathadgiventhepoet‘achangeofmood’? (b)Whathadthepoetthoughtofthatday? (c)Howwassomepartofthedaysavedforthepoet? (d)Namethepoem. (e)Namethepoet. (f)Whatistherhymeschemeofthisstanza? Answers: (a)Thefallingofdustofsnowonthepoethadchangedhismood. (b)Hehadfeltsadaboutthatday.Butthefallofsnowdustchangedhismood.  (c)Hestoppedruingthedayandhismoodchanged. (d)DustofSnow.  (e)RobertFrost. (f)Therhymeschemeofthisstanzais‘abab’. ExtractBased/comprehensiontest  QuestionsandAnswersofDustofSnow Readtheextractgivenbelowcarefullyandanswerthequestionsthatfollow: Thewayacrow Hasgivenmyheart Shookdownonme Achangeofmood Thedustofsnow Andsavedsomepart From ahemlocktree OfadayIhadrued. (a)Whatdothe‘crow’and‘hemlock’symbolise? (b)Themoodofthepoetchangedbecause___________.  (c)Whatdoesthepoetmeanwhenhesaysandsavedsomepartoftheday? (d)Whoshookthedustofsnow?

Or (a)Whatisthedustofsnow? (b)Whatmoodofthepoetisconveyedintheselines? (c)Whatdidthecrowdotothehemlocktree? (d)Whatdidthetreehaveonitthen? Ans. (a)The‘crow’symbolises‘joy’andthe‘hemlock’treesymbolises‘sorrow’.  (b)Hesawacrowsittingonahemlocktreeshookoffthedustofsnowonhim.Thus,thefallingof dustofsnowchangedhismood. (c)Thepoethassavedsomepartofthedayashedidnotwastethetimeinrepentingandregretting. (d)Acrowshookthedustofsnow. Or (a)Dustofsnowreferstotheparticulatematterofsnowthatsettlesonsurfacesafterasnowfall. (b)Thepoet’salteredmood,onethatchangesfrom sorrowtojoyisdepictedhere. (c)Thecrowshookthedustofsnowfrom thehemlocktree. (d)Thetreehadsnowonitsleaves. VERYSHORTANSWERTYPEQUESTIONS [Answerinonesentenceeach] Q.1.Wherewasthecrowsitting?                                     (H.B.S.E.March2017(Set-D) Ans. Thecrowwassittinginahemlocktree.                        Q.2.Whatdidthecrowshakedownonthepoet?           (H.B.S.E.March2017(Set-D) Ans. Heshookdownsnowonthepoet. Q3.Inwhatmoodwasthepoetbeforefallingofsnowonhim? Ans. Hewasinanunpleasantmood. Q.4.Whattypeofplantis‘ahemlocktree’? Ans. Itisapoisonousplantwithsmallwhiteflowers. Q.5.Whatfellonthepoetfrom thehemlocktree? Ans. Sonicdustofsnowfellonthepoetfrom thehemlocktree. Q.6.Howdidthedustofsnowaffectthepoet? Ans. Itchangedthepoet’smood. Q.7.Whoisthepoetofthepoem ‘DustofSnow’? Ans. Thepoetofthispoem is‘RobertFrost’. ShortAnswerTypeImportantQuestions Answerthefollowingquestionsin30-40words: 1.Howhasthepoetobservednatureinthepoem ‘DustofSnow’? Ans. Thepoethasobservednatureasapositivemedium ofchangeforhim.Thepoethadbeenthe sorrowfulanddepressivemoodinthepoem.Butthenthewayacrow shooksnow dustoff,it changedhismood.Naturegavehim theinspirationtobehaveinapositivemanner.

2.Whatistheunderlyingmessageforusinourhecticlifewithreferencetothepoem,‘Dustof Snow’? Or Whatisthecentralideaofthepoem ‘DustofSnow’? Or Whatdoesthepoetwanttoconveythroughthepoem ‘DustofSnow’? Ans.Inthepoem ‘DustofSnow’,thepoetwantstoconveythatsometimescertainmomentsor actionswhicharesimplehavelargersignificance.Theycanchangethemoodorlifeofaperson.The wayacrowshakesdowndustofsnowonthepoetinspiresandgiveshim theideatoshakeoffhis depressivethoughts,becomecheerfulanddosomethinguseful. 3.Whatsideofnaturedo‘crow’and‘hemlock’represent? Ans. ‘Crow’isablack,harsh-voicedbirdand‘hemlock’isatreewithpoisonousbitterfruit.Bothare notbeautiful.Theyrepresentthedark,depressive,sorrowfulandbittersideofnature. 4.Whydoesthepoetusesuchpoeticallyuncommonbirdandtree?Whatdoesitreflect? Ans. Thepoetseemstobeinadepressiveandsorrowfulmood.Insuchamood,onecannotthinkof asweetandbeautifulsideofnature.Theharsh,bitterandpoisonousimagescometohismind.That iswhyheusesanuncommon,harsh,uglycrowandpoisonoustreelikehemlock. 5.Justifytheroleofthecrowinthepoem “DustofSnow”inchangingthepoet’smood. Ans. Ithink,‘thewaysnow dustwasshakenoff’changedhismood.Perhapsitgavethepoet inspiration/ideatobehaveinthesamemanner—shakeoffhisdepressivethoughtsandrevivehis cheerfulmood. 6.Whatmoodofthepoetisreflectedinthepoem?Howdoesitreflect? Ans. Thesorrowfulanddepressivemoodofthepoetisreflectedinthepoem.Theuseofthebird ‘crow’,whichisuglyandharsh,andhemlocktree,whichisapoisonousplant,reflectsthepoet’smood. Q.7.Whatdidthepoetthinkofthedaybeforethedustofsnowfellonhim? Ans. Beforethefallofthedustofsnow,thepoetthoughtthathisdaywasruined.Hewasinabad mood.Butthentuseofsnowfellonhim.Itsignalledsomethinggoodandjoyful.Hismoodchanged.  Q.8.Writeanoteonthesettingofthepoem. Ans. Thepoem presentsaperfectsetting.Therearefourelementsinthepoem.Allthesefour elementsmatchoneanother.Thesnow standsfordepression.Thehemlocktreeisasymbolof sadness.Thecrow consideredominous.Thepoet’smoodwasalsosad.Butsuddenlythewayin whichthecrowshookthehemlocktreeandfallingoffthedustofsnow.changethepoet’smood.  Q.9.Wherewasthepoetandwhathappenedtohim?[H.B.S.E.March2017(Set-C)] Ans. therewassnow everywhere.Thepoetwasunderahemlocktree.Thetreewascoveredwith snowSuddenlyacrowshookthetreeThedustofsnowfellonthepoet.Itchangedhismood. Q.10.Theflowwasthepoet’smood?Whatbroughtasuddenchangeinit?  Ans. Thepoetwasinabadmood.Heconsideredthathisdaywasruined.Butthecrow shookthe tree.Thedustofsnowfellonhim.Hismoodchanged.Therestofthedaywassavedforhim. ImportantLong/DetailedAnswerTypeQuestions- tobeansweredinabout100-150wordseach

Answerthefollowingquestionsin100-120words: 1.Positiveattitudeinlifecanmaketheworldabetterplacetolivein.Doyouagreeordisagreewith referencetothepoem ‘DustofSnow’?Expressyourviewsbringingouttheinherentvalues.   Ans. Icompletelyagreewiththestatementthatpositiveattitudecanmaketheworldabetterplaceto liveinRobertFrost,in‘DustofSnow’,talksofhowanotherwisebaddayalteredintoanotsobadone, duetotheactionofacrow.Itwasaseeminglydisconnectedoccurrencethatbroughtaboutachange ofmoodinthepoet.Onelessonthatcanbelearntfrom thepoet,istoseethebrightnessamidstthe gloom.Thecrow,thehemlockandthesnowarealldarkimages,andyet,thepoetseesthecolourof happiness.Anotherlessonisthatlifeismadeupofsmalljoys.Itisthroughthem thatonecanalways managetoseepositivityinnegativity. 2.Ourattitudetowardsasituationevokesbothnegativeandpositiveresponse.Analyzethiswith referencetothepoem,‘DustofSnow’tobringouttheinherentvaluablelessons.   Ans. Whateversituationlifethrowsatus,itevokesbothpositiveandnegativeresponses.Thepoet,in thepoem ‘DustofSnow,’wasinasorrowfulmood.However,whenacrowshookdownthe‘dustof snow’onhim,hisbittermoodchangedintoamoreoptimisticone.Now,beinginasorrowfulorbad moodalready,thepoetcouldhavegotangryatthecrowalso.However,thedustofsnowbecomesa positivemedium ofchangeforhim.Itmadehim cheerfultosomeextentandhelpedhim forgethis sadness,atleastforafew moments.Thus,weseethatinsteadofseeingthenegativeaspectofa happening,oneshouldseethepositiveaspect,andone’sresponsemaygreatlyaffecttheoutcomeof incidents. 3.Thepoethassucceededingivingvaluableinformationinalight-heartedmanner.Whatcreates thedesiredeffect?Highlightitsimportanceinpresent-daylife. Ans. Truly,Frosthasusedsimplelanguagetodrivehomeaverysignificantmessage,thatlittlething sometimes,havea big impact.An easy,uncomplicated language,coupled with unusualvisual imageryandbrevityofwordscreatesthedesiredeffect.Thepoet’sbitternessfindsreflectionevenin theenvironmentaround him.Thenoisy,darkcrow,thepoisonoushemlockand theicysnow around—allareessentiallydepressingimages.However,despitethenegativity,whenthecrowshakes downthedustofsnow ontothepoet,italsoshakesoffsomeoftheauthor’sregretfulthoughts. Today,whenallofusliveinstressfulatmospheres,thepoem teachesustogainhappinessfrom little things.