First Flight Poem ch01 Dust of snow - CBSE Test Papers

CBSE Test Paper 01
Dust of snow
  1. Why was the poet of the poem Dust of snow standing under the hemlock tree?
  2. What is the underlying message for us in our hectic life with reference to the poem, 'Dust of Snow'?
  3. Justify the role of the crow in changing the poet’s mood in the poem Dust of Snow.
  4. Nature has the power to lift our mood even when we are highly despondent. Comment on the basis of your understanding of the poem Dust of Snow.
  5. Read the following extracts and answer the question/complete the sentences that follow:
    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
    1. Where was the crow?
    2. What did the crow shake on the poet?
    3. What does the word 'rued' mean?
    4. What was the poet's initial state of mind?
  6. Read the stanza given below and answer the following questions: (1x4=4)
    The way a crow
    Shook down on me
    The dust of snow
    From a hemlock tree
    1. The word 'me' here refers to _____.
    2. What do the crow and hemlock represent?
    3. Where was the dust of snow dropping from?
    4. How was the poet feeling?
CBSE Test Paper 01
Dust of snow
Solution
  1. The poet was feeling very depressed and hopeless. He was in a state of sorrow. As he was lost in his thoughts, he happened to be standing under a hemlock tree. The incident was not pre-planned.
  2. The underlying message for us in our hectic life with reference to the poem 'Dust of Snow' is that we should enjoy nature to our full capacity and we should have a positive outlook even towards simple acts because they can lead to the learning of greater lessons of enjoying life. No matter how small or significant an incident is, it is the reaction that matters the most.
  3. Traditionally, a crow is considered ominous and the harbinger of doom and evil. The poet’s mood was also sad but suddenly the way in which the crow shook the hemlock tree and made the dust of snow fall on the poet changed the poet’s mood. Perhaps it gave the poet inspiration to shake off his depressive thoughts and revive his cheerful mood. Thus the crow acted as a catalyst for a positive change.
  4. The poem ‘Dust of Snow’ by Robert Frost is a poem which enlightens the nature's power to lift our mood even when we are highly despondent. It tells us how small things of nature can refresh us and cheer us for the rest of the day. Though Frost has beautifully depicted a crow and a hemlock tree, both of which are associated with bad-omen, negativity and fear, they have been used by the poet to uplift his mood and make him feel positive. So every aspect of nature (whether it is a crow or a hemlock tree) can be a source of positivity and can be helpful in lifting a depressed mind. Frost’s writing skill as a poet lies in the fact that he is able to effectively convey to us how such a thing as the falling of snowflakes from the top of a tree can have a refreshing effect on the mind of man.
    1. The crow was sitting on a hemlock tree.
    2. The crow shook down the dust of snow on the poet.
    3. The word 'rued' means 'held in regret'.
    4. The poet was in a sad, depressive and hopeless mood before the crow shook down the dust of snow on him.
    1. Robert Frost
    2. Sorrow
    3. A Hemlock tree
    4. The poet was feeling upset, he was in a bad mood.