analysis poem Dust of Snow by Robert Frost

 

Hello everyone, welcome to my blog! My name is Ida Ayu Kadek Shevany Natasya Dewi (2012021135). Today I want to make an analysis from a famous poem which is Dust of Snow that written by Robert Frost. He was an American poet and wrote a large collection of poetry. He is also known for his realistic portrayals in his poetry. Before we analyze the poem, let me tell you about the mood of this poem. In the poem, 'Snow Dust' a sad mood. but, when the crowd shook off the 'snow dust' at him, his bitter mood turned even more optimistic. Oke, now let analyses the poem and please read the poem in this bellow !!!

 

Dust of Snow

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

 

First let talk about Figurative language. In this section I got 3 parts that can be analyzed:

1.      Metaphor

This rhetorical device is used when a covert comparison is made between two different things or ideas. Metaphor that used in this poem compared the falling snow flakes from hemlock tree to dust.

2.      Symbol

The symbol that used in this poem is the black crow because it symbolizes death and fear. Another image is the dust of snow. That symbol of natural joy and energy. It means passing through the sad and depressing moments the poet is entering into the time full of joy and optimism.

3.      Image

In this poem the image is in first stanza because the way everything is describe allows the reader to have a picture in their mind

Now let move to Line and rhythm. In this section I got 2 parts that can be analyzed:

1.      Lines & Stanza

There are eight lines and two stanzas in this poem. In the first stanza and the second stanza there are 4 lines each

2.      Metres

The dominant of Metres this poem is iambic dimeter. An iamb is a foot consisting of one unstressed syllable, followed by a stressed one, so the beat is daDUM daDUM.

Let's take a closer look at each line of Dust of Snow:

The way / a crow
Shook down / on me
The dust /of snow
From a hem / lock tree

Has giv / en my heart
A change /of mood
And saved / some part
Of a day / I had rued.

The first stanzas has three iambic dimeter lines, four syllables, while the fourth lines has a first foot anapaest, and thus has the dadaDUM beat.

The second stanza also use iambic dimeter in lines 6 and 7 before ending with a double anapest, six syllables, in the final line.

Last let discuses about Sound and rhyme. In this section I got 3 parts that can be analyzed:

1.      Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of same consonant sound in the nearby words. The alliteration that used in this poem is in the lines ‘Has given my heart’ and ‘And saved some part’, as same consonants are used repeatedly in those lines.

2.      Assonance

The prominence of a vowel sound throughout a line is called assonance.

In this poem the assonance is in the first stanza, line 2 – ‘shook down on me’ – ‘O’ Sound is prominent.

3.      Rhyme scheme: in the two stanzas of poem “Dust of Snow” follows by the same simple rhyme scheme, that is, ABAB. As in every last word have the same rhyme, for example in first stanza like crow (in the first line) and snow (in the third line) and also me (in the second line) and tree (in the fourth line)

My interpretation of this poem is I think this poem is amazing, this poem can make me realize that if we take positive things in life, the situation changes for the better. This poem also taught me that every small action in life can motivate us to do better