BSc BA ADP English Notes Poem Snake (D. H. Lawrence) Important Questions

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Questions No 1. Describe as simply as you can the arrival of the snake at the water trough and its departure back into its hole. [Snake by D. H. Lawrence]

Ans. It was a very hot summer July day in the city of Etna in Sicily. The poet came down from his stairs in pajamas with a pitcher to get water. He saw a snake at his water-trough. The snake had come out of a crack in the mud-wall. The wall was under the large shadow of a carob-tree. The snake had dragged its long golden body slowly. It rested its throat on the stone bottom of the trough. At that place water was falling from the tap. The snake drank water from there peacefully.

The snake lifted its head while drinking, like cattle, and looked all around itself. It moved its forked tongue, mused awhile, and drank again. Later, it raised its head dreamily and moved its tongue again, satisfied. Then it went towards its hole and started to enter into it. It seemed to the poet like a lord of the under-ground world.

The poet hit it with a log and it moved its remaining body hastily into the hole. Very soon afterwards, it disappeared into its dark hole completely.

Question No 2. Describe the conflict in the mind of D. H. Lawrence at the presence of the snake at his water-trough.

Ans. When the poet saw a snake at his water-trough, he had a conflict in his mind. Again and again there were subtle changes in his relationship with the snake.

At first, he feels a little angry with it as he had to stand waiting for his turn at his own water trough, the snake being the first comer.

Then he feels honoured to feel that the snake was a guest at his water-trough, he being the host.

Then he listens to his voice of education that tells him to kill it as it is a poisonous snake. But he cannot kill it as he is appreciating its beauty and its style of drinking.

Then the snake returns to its dark hole and the poet, forced by the voice of education plus his own disgust, strikes at it with a wooden log/stick.

Then he feels remorse for having struck. He wishes that the snake should arrive again and be honoured, loved and appreciated by him, so that he can expiate.

Question No 3. Write the critical appreciation of the poem "Snake by D. H. Lawrence".

Ans. The poem "Snake" by D. H. Lawrence is one the most remarkable poems in English literature. It was written in 1921 and has been popular even since that time. The poet saw a snake drinking water at his water-trough. He got one sensation and consideration after another after seeing the snake. Here he gives all the different stages of his serious consideration about the snake.

The poem has different layers of meanings as it goes on to tell us about poet's different reactions to the presence of the snake at his water-trough. The poet has well analyzed all his sensations in detail. To start with with, he sees the snake as an intruder who keeps him waiting for water at his own water-trough. Later on, this feeling gives way to another feeling. Now he feels that the snake is a guest and he is host, and he feels honoured at that!

The considerations of the poet again changes. His education tells that golden snakes of Sicily are poisonous and he should kill the snake as it is golden. But before he could attack it, he begins enjoying its beauty. He does not kill it, and because he is a coward but because it is a beautiful creature and he enjoys its beauty.

Later, the snake starts entering a dark hole and the poet is horrified. He throws a log at the trough the snake is able to enter safely into its hole. He now starts feeling shame and remorse at his hitting the snake. He feels that the snake was an exiled king that has now again returned to its under-ground kingdom, there to be crowned again. So the poet feels that he had treated such an exalted personality with a meanness. He feels that if the snake would come back, he would amend his behavior and would show it due honor and respect.

The theme of the poem is appreciation of the beauty even in the seemingly ugly things. It is a grand theme. The same has been the theme of a very important classic of English literature. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by S. T. Coleridge. The beauty should be appreciated in all the creations of God. It is a very good lesson for us all that the poet teaches through this poem.

The theme has been presented in a very sweet manner through a great sublime audio-visual imagery. We begin to see all the drama of the arrival and departure of the snake, we see "flickering" of the "forked tongue" of the snake, we see the "writhing", "wriggling" slow-moving long body of the snake moving into its dark hole. The theme has been expressed through a good set of pictures. The theme is serious and has been presented in a serious way.

The poem, in fact, becomes a sweet narration _ a song in praise of snake _ a lyric in appreciation of the snake's beauty. It is a dramatic narration. The poem has been written in free verse in which all the lines are end-stopped without any enjambment. But there is the rhythm of the ideas in the poem that makes it well-balanced. The vocabulary is simple and elaborate. All the aspects of the appearance of the snake as well as changing conditions of the poet's consideration have been very aptly and suitably described. The diction is modern and well-suited to the grand and useful theme of the poem. The vocabulary is all related to the body of the snake and its movements. The poem is altogether a good and sublime one, teaching us a valuable lesson of appreciation of beauty of nature even in seemingly ugly and dangerous creatures as snakes.

Question No 4. Pick out all the descriptive words used for the snake.

Ans. Here are all the descriptive words used for the snake by the poet:

Snake (line 1), yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied/Down (lines 9-10), sipped with straight mouth (line 13), Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body (line 14), lifted his head ... as cattle do (line 17), looked at ... vaguely, as driking cattle do (line 18), flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips, and mused a moment (line 19), stooped (line 20), earth brown, earth golden (line 21), peaceful, pacified and thankless (line 30), lifted ... head, dreamily (line 43), flickered his tongue like a forked night (line 44), seemingly to lick his lips (line 45), looked around like a god (line 46), slowly turned his head (line 47), slowly, very slowly ... proceeded to draw his slow length curving around (lines 48-49), climb again (line 50), put his head (line 51), snake-easing his shoulders (line 52), drawing into (line 5), deliberately going ... slowly drawing (line 54), convulsed in undignified haste (line 60), withed like lightning and was gone (line 61) one of the lords of the life (line 73).

Question No 5. Why does the poet think of his education as "accursed"?

Ans. The poet thinks of his education as "accursed" because (1) it did not allow him to appreciate the beauty of the snake, (2) it did not allow him to honor the snake as a guest and (3) it tempted him to kill the snake although it was returning to its dark hole without harming him.

Question No 6. Can you point out the subtle changes in the poet's relationship with the snake.

Ans. There come subtle changes in the poet's relationship with the snake.

At first, he feels a little angry with it as he had to stand waiting for his turn at his own water trough, the snake being the first comer.

Then he feels honoured to feel that the snake was a guest at his water-trough, he being the host.

Then he listens to his voice of education that tells him to kill it as it is a poisonous snake. But he cannot kill it as he is appreciating its beauty and its style of drinking.

Then the snake returns to its dark hole and the poet, forced by the voice of education plus his own disgust, strikes at it with a wooden log/stick.

Then he feels remorse for having struck. He wishes that the snake should arrive again and be honoured, loved and appreciated by him, so that he can expiate.

Question No 7. Why is the poet glad to see the snake at his water trough?

Ans. The poet is glad to see the snake at his water trough because it was a beautiful golden (although poisonous!) snake and it had arrived at his water trough as a guest, to provide him the opportunity to be hospitable.