The Snowflake

A Poem by: Walter de la Mare

Pear Deck

The Snowflake

Before I melt,

Come, look at me!

This lovely icy filigree!

Of a great forest

In one night

I make a wilderness

Of white:

By skyey cold

Of crystals made,

All softly, on

Your finger laid,

I pause, that you

My beauty see:

Breathe, and I vanish

Instantly.

​

Use your drawing tool to number your lines and stanzas

The Snowflake

Before I melt,

Come, look at me!

This lovely icy filigree!

Of a great forest

In one night

I make a wilderness

Of white:

By skyey cold

Of crystals made,

All softly, on

Your finger laid,

I pause, that you

My beauty see:

Breathe, and I vanish

Instantly.

​

Circle the rhyming lines in the poem

The Snowflake

Before I melt,

Come, look at me!

This lovely icy filigree!

Of a great forest

In one night

I make a wilderness

Of white:

By skyey cold

Of crystals made,

All softly, on

Your finger laid,

I pause, that you

My beauty see:

Breathe, and I vanish

Instantly.

​

Who is the speaker in this poem?

The Snowflake

Before I melt,

Come, look at me!

This lovely icy filigree!

Of a great forest

In one night

I make a wilderness

Of white:

By skyey cold

Of crystals made,

All softly, on

Your finger laid,

I pause, that you

My beauty see:

Breathe, and I vanish

Instantly.

​

Which words from the poem tell the reader what the snowflakes look like?

The Snowflake

Before I melt,

Come, look at me!

This lovely icy filigree!

Of a great forest

In one night

I make a wilderness

Of white:

By skyey cold

Of crystals made,

All softly, on

Your finger laid,

I pause, that you

My beauty see:

Breathe, and I vanish

Instantly.

​

Which Lines from the poem give away the setting? (The time and place)

The Snowflake

Before I melt,

Come, look at me!

This lovely icy filigree!

Of a great forest

In one night

I make a wilderness

Of white:

By skyey cold

Of crystals made,

All softly, on

Your finger laid,

I pause, that you

My beauty see:

Breathe, and I vanish

Instantly.

​

In lines 10-14, the speaker pauses a moment to let you notice something. What does the speaker want you to notice?

​

Drag the star to your answer

The Snowflake

Before I melt,

Come, look at me!

This lovely icy filigree!

Of a great forest

In one night

I make a wilderness

Of white:

By skyey cold

Of crystals made,

All softly, on

Your finger laid,

I pause, that you

My beauty see:

Breathe, and I vanish

Instantly.

​

Reread lines 4-8. What image is the speaker trying to create for the reader?

The Snowflake

Before I melt,

Come, look at me!

This lovely icy filigree!

Of a great forest

In one night

I make a wilderness

Of white:

By skyey cold

Of crystals made,

All softly, on

Your finger laid,

I pause, that you

My beauty see:

Breathe, and I vanish

Instantly.

​

Reread line 3. what do you think the word Filigree means?

Visualize what is happening in the poem and use the drawing tools to create the scene you’ve made in your mind below.

This poem reminds us that some remarkable things last only for a moment, and we shouldn’t miss the chance to appreciate them.

Can you recall a time that you’ve noticed something beautiful in nature that lasted only a short time, like a flower’s smell, a bird’s song, or a colored leaf caught in the wind?

​

How did you feel about that experience?

Which animal would you rather have as a pet?

or

Polar Bear

Penguin