In these four short lines, the speaker pauses over two ordinary sights and finds them quietly mysterious. Grass seems too still to sing, yet there is something songlike in it—maybe the wind moving through it or the presence of hidden life. Snow is called a “swift surprise,” even though it falls softly and slowly, which captures how sudden its arrival can feel when you look up and see the world already turning white. The speaker isn’t confused; she is full of gentle wonder. The mood is hushed and delicate, a little dreamy, as though she is noticing small miracles that most people pass by. The poem invites readers to feel that same soft shock of attention toward everyday nature.
Quatrains 2 — Summary
How strange that grass should sing-- Grass is so still a thing.... And strange the swift surprise of snow So soft it falls and slow.