UNIT 11

POETRY

P.5 Snake

D. H. Lawrence

Write the answer of the following questions in  30 to 40 words each.

1. The poet experiences feelings of self-derision, guilt and regret after hitting the snake. Pick out expressions that suggest this. Why does he feel like this?

ANSWER

The expressions which suggest the poet’s feelings of self-derision, guilt and regret are – ‘I regretted it’, ‘I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act’, ‘I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education’, ‘I wished he would come back’, ‘I have something to expiate, a pettiness’.

He felt like this because he was guilty of hitting at the snake with the log of wood.

2. What is the difference between the snake’s movement at the beginning of the poem and later when the poet strikes it with a log of wood? You may use relevant vocabulary from the poem to highlight the difference.

ANSWER

In the beginning, the snake trailed its body with slackness but later, after being hit with a log of wood, it convulsed with undignified haste. This shows the difference in its movement.

3. The poet seems to be full of admiration and respect for the snake. He almost regards him like a majestic God. Pick out at least four expressions from the poem that reflect these emotions.

ANSWER

The poet’s expressions ‘And looked around like a God’, ‘seemed to me again like a king’, ‘a king in exile’ and ‘due to be crowned again’ reflect his admiration for the snake.

4. The poet is filled with horror and protest when the snake prepares to retreat and bury itself in the ‘horrid black’, ‘dreadful’ hole. In the light of this statement, bring out the irony of his act of throwing a log at the snake.

ANSWER

The irony in the poet’s act is that while the snake was there at the trough drinking water, it was dangerous for the poet as it could bite him. At that time, the poet did not attack it, rather waited patiently for his turn. Later, when the snake was going back into the crack in the wall, it no longer posed a threat to the poet, at that time he hit it with a log. This act of the poet is ironical.

5. The poet has a dual attitude towards the snake. Why does he experience conflicting emotions on seeing the snake?

ANSWER

The poet is happy to see the snake at his water trough. He welcomes it as a guest and patiently waits for his turn to fill the pitcher. On the other hand, his inner voice keeps on urging him to kill the snake as it is poisonous. So, he experiences conflicting emotions on seeing the snake.

6. How do we know that the snake’s thirst was satiated? Pick out the expressions that convey this.

ANSWER

The snake’s thirst was satisfied as it licked its lips which indicated that it had drunk enough. The lines in the poem which indicate this are –

‘He drank enough

And lifted his head, dreamily, as one who has drunken,

And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black,

Seeming to lick his lips’

7. Do you think the snake was conscious of the poet’s presence? How do you know?

ANSWER

The snake was not conscious of the poet’s presence. We can conclude this from the poem where the poet says that the snake looked around and saw him also. Still, it did not react and continued its actions naturally. Thus, it was not conscious of the poet’s presence.

8. What does the poet want to convey by saying that the snake emerges from the ‘burning bowels of the earth’?

ANSWER

The poet is emphasizing the fact that the interior of the Earth is very hot and dark. Most of the snakes live there in the deep, dark spaces. The snake is an uncrowned king of the inside of the Earth because it lives there.

9. How does the poet describe the day and the atmosphere when he saw the snake?

ANSWER

The poet says that it was a very hot day in the month of July which is considered to be a hot month in Sicily. The atmosphere was filled with the shade and the strange fragrance of the carob tree that stood in the garden.

10. In stanza 2 and 3, the poet gives a vivid description of the snake by using suggestive expressions. What picture of the snake do you form on the basis of this description?

ANSWER

The poet gives a fascinating picture of the snake. It is a slim, long, yellow-brown snake with a soft slippery belly and straight gums. It is fearless and harmless and drinks in a carefree manner. It enjoys drinking and feels satisfied just like cattle do.

11. Why does the poet decide to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking? What does this tell you about the poet? (Notice that he uses ‘someone’ instead of ‘something’ for the snake.).

ANSWER

The poet being a gentleman, lets the snake quench his thirst as it reaches the trough before him. He treats the snake with respect as it being a creation of God. This shows that he is generous and considerate. He feels honoured to have the snake as a guest at his trough.

12. What happened when the snake was hit?

ANSWER

As the poet threw the log at the retreating snake, it convulsed and writhed in pain. It was a sudden attack just as the snake was retreating in a leisurely manner. To save itself, the snake moved quickly and disappeared into the dark hole from where it had come to drink water from the water trough. This left the poet feeling repentance.