Snowdrop | Poem 4 | Poetry | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

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English | Class 10th | Tulip Series |

 

Snowdrop | Poem 4 | Poetry | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

Snowdrop (Ted Hughes)

 

Now is the globe shrunk tight

Round the mouse’s dulled wintering heart

Weasel and crow, as if moulded in brass,

Move through an outer darkness

Not in their right minds,

With the other deaths. She, too, pursues her ends,

Brutal as the stars of this month,

Her pale head heavy as metal.

(Ted Hughes)

 

Idea

Hughes presents a very tough and cruel image of nature. He creates an atmosphere of a hard winter and uses images from nature to portray the toughness and brutality that a severe winter brings. The poet describes in a few words the way the winter has reduced the horizon of many creatures. He says that the world has shrunk and many outdoor creatures are on the verge of death. They no longer scurry or fly as they used to.

 

SHORT SUMMARY

            "Snowdrop" by Ted Hughes, describes a harsh winter scene where the earth seems to contract around a mouse in hibernation. Predatory animals like the weasel and crow move in a bleak and irrational world, influenced by death. The female figure, possibly winter personified, is relentless and as unforgiving as the winter stars, with a head weighed down like metal, symbolizing the season's oppressive brutality.

 

Thinking about the Poem

Question 1. How has nature shrunk the globe?

Answer: Nature has "shrunk the globe" by enveloping it in the harsh, confining conditions of winter. The imagery of a "mouse’s dulled wintering heart" suggests a world reduced in activity and scope, as creatures retreat into themselves to survive the cold. The poem portrays a sense of constriction and stasis, where life is reduced to its most basic, survival-oriented state, and the globe feels tighter and smaller as a result.

Question 2. What has dulled the mouse's heart?

Answer: The harshness of winter has dulled the mouse's heart. The cold, oppressive conditions force the mouse into a state of hibernation, slowing its metabolism and reducing its activity to the bare minimum necessary for survival. This winter-induced dormancy is depicted as a dulling of the mouse's heart, reflecting the overall lethargy and stillness imposed by the season.

Question 3. What sufferings do the animals undergo in winter as portrayed in the poem?

Answer: In the poem, the animals endure various forms of suffering due to the harshness of winter:

1. Weasel and Crow: These animals are depicted as moving through an "outer darkness," suggesting a disoriented and challenging existence. They are "not in their right minds," indicating a struggle for survival that affects their behaviour and mental state.

2. Mouse: The mouse's heart is "dulled," symbolizing the lethargy and reduced life force due to hibernation. This reflects the impact of the cold and the need to conserve energy.

3. General Brutality: The poem conveys a sense of universal suffering, with nature itself described as "brutal as the stars of this month." The season imposes a heavy burden on all creatures, highlighting the relentless and oppressive nature of winter.

The overall portrayal is one of bleakness, with animals facing disorientation, mental strain, and a significant reduction in vitality due to the harsh winter conditions.

Question 4. Write a short note of 50-100 words on Hughes' view of nature.

Answer: Ted Hughes' view of nature is often characterized by its raw, brutal reality. In his poetry, nature is depicted as a powerful, indifferent force, emphasizing its harsh and often violent aspects. Hughes presents a world where animals and elements are engaged in a relentless struggle for survival, highlighting the darker, more primal side of the natural world. His work reflects a deep respect for nature's power and a recognition of its unforgiving, cyclical processes.

Question 5. 'Her pale head heavy as metal'. Explain.

Answer: The phrase "Her pale head heavy as metal" personifies winter as a female figure. "Her pale head" suggests a cold, lifeless appearance, emphasizing the bleakness and severity of the season. The comparison to "metal" implies a sense of weight, rigidity, and unyielding strength, underscoring the oppressive and burdensome nature of winter. This imagery conveys the formidable and inescapable presence of winter, bearing down heavily on the natural world.

 

Learning about the literary Device/s

 

• Pick out the images from the poem. (One is done for you.)

a) Nature mouse, weasel, ________, _________

b) Universe globe, _______, _______, ________

c) Metal, ________, _________, ________, ________

Answer: In Ted Hughes' poem, the following images represent nature, the universe, and metal:

Nature:

"The mouse’s dulled wintering heart" (mouse in hibernation)

"Weasel and crow" (predatory animals)

"An outer darkness" (winter landscape)

Universe:

Globe, "the stars of this month" (winter stars)

Metal:

"As if moulded in brass" (describing the weasel and crow)

"Heavy as metal" (describing the pale head of the personified winter)

These images collectively evoke the harsh, unyielding, and cold aspects of winter.

• 'Weasel and Crow, as if moulded in brass'. Explain the simile used by the poet.

• Assonance is the similarity in vowel sound between two syllables that are close together, created either by the same consonants but different vowels (e.g. 'hit' and 'heart') or by the same vowels but different consonants (e.g. 'back' and 'hat').

Trace two lines in which 'ou' sound is used. Also write down the words with 'ou' sound.

Answer: In the poem, the 'ou' sound appears in the following lines:

1. "Now is the globe shrunk tight"

2. "Move through an outer darkness"

The words with the 'ou' sound are:

"Now"

"globe"

"shrunk"

"Move"

"through"

"outer"

 

• Alliteration is used especially in poetry, of the same sound/s, especially consonants, at the beginning of several words that are close together.

e.g. 'Round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran' uses alliteration.

(or) She sells sea shells on the seashore.

Pick out two examples of alliteration from the poem.

Answer: Two examples of alliteration from the poem are:

1. "Brutal as the stars of this month" – The repetition of the 's' sound in "stars" and "this" creates alliteration.

2. "Her pale head heavy as metal" – The repetition of the 'h' sound in "Her," "head," and "heavy" creates alliteration.

 

Suggesting Reading

• Terror of Death by John Keats

• Ode to the West Wind by P.B. Shelley

• After Apple Picking by Robert Frost