How does Robert Frost present nature differently in 'Dust of Snow' compared to conventional romantic poets?
Answer
Frost uses unconventional, gloomy elements of nature like a crow and a poisonous hemlock tree to bring about a positive emotional transformation.
Step-by-step solution
- Step 1: Contrast traditional nature poetry, which usually features melodious birds (like cuckoo or nightingale) and beautiful plants (like oak or rose), with Frost's choices.
- Step 2: Observe that Frost explicitly chooses a crow (an unattractive bird) and a hemlock tree (a poisonous plant) to represent a bad day or mood.
- Step 3: Explain that despite these inherently gloomy symbols, nature delivers a moment of pure joy, showing that beauty and healing can come from unexpected, non-traditional sources in nature.
Common mistake: Focusing only on the snow while ignoring the significance of choosing a crow and a hemlock tree over traditional pleasant elements.
Concept tested: Frost's portrayal of nature
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Related questions
- 1 Explain how the crow's action at the beginning of 'Dust of Snow' changes the poet's mood.
- 2 Identify the rhyme scheme of the first stanza of the poem 'Dust of Snow'.
- 3 Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem 'Dust of Snow' and give one example of alliteration from the text.
- 4 What light action performed by the crow changes the poet's mood in the poem 'Dust of Snow'?
- 5 In the poem 'Dust of Snow', what do the 'crow' and the 'hemlock tree' symbolize?
- 6 Discuss how Frost creates contrast between fire and ice to develop the central idea of the poem.