What is the theme of to the snake?
In the poem, this conflict is dramatized first in the poet's instinctive attraction to the snake and the educated voice which tells him to destroy it, and again in his banishment of the snake and subsequent longing for its return. The liabilities of human education is a recurring theme in Lawrence's work.
What are the major themes in the poem snake by D.H. Lawrence?
There are two main themes in the poem: the relationship of people to nature and the narrator's own sense of identity. The narrator offers us two possible ways we can relate to the natural world. The first way is to admire the beauty and grace of the snake.
What is the meaning of the poem snake by D.H. Lawrence?
D.H. Lawrence is combating social structure through the symbolic use of a snake. Eventually the man acknowledges that is is indeed fear of the snake, not respect, that has him waiting. He hurls a log at the snake. The snake, shocked and angry, leaves the trough; but we end up feeling remorse for the snake.
What does the poem snake deal with?
Summary of Snake In this poem, the poet describes the conflict in his mind after he sees a snake in his water-trough. The snake is golden- brown in colour and as per the social education, it is poisonous and needs to be killed. But, due to his natural human instincts, the poet feels that it is a guest.
What type of poem is the snake?
'Snake' by D.H. Lawrence is a sixteen stanza poem that is separated into stanzas of varying lengths. Some of these stanzas contain two lines, while the longest stretches out to seventeen. They are all written in free verse.
What is the tone of the poem snake?
The poem has no metrical pattern or end - rhyme scheme. The poet's mood is that of awe and fascination and then regrets of the rare opportunity he misses. The tone is that of admiration and then blame.
What is the poet's approach towards the snake in this poem?
The poet D.H. Lawrence felt very much pity for the snake because he hit the snake hat was moving in its own way near him. Though the poet was not at all wishing to hit the snake, but his knowledge and education made him to do that because we have been taught that snakes are venomous and should be killed.
What does the poet wish for the snake?
The poet wishes that the snake should be allowed to go. It should not be killed by the man.
What lesson do we learn from the chapter snake bite?
Answer. The poem, in very simple and clear words, conveys the message that all creatures of nature need to be treated in a kind and sympathetic manner. Even snakes must not be attacked because they do not bite unless they sense a danger to their life.
What lesson do we learn from the poem Mouse and snake?
Answer: The mouse and the snake is a beautiful poem written by vikram seth. It shows us the cleverness of a mouse and the greediness of a snake which makes him fool. In this poem a mouse fells into a farmer's trap and is unable to free himself after so many failed attempts.
What is the theme of the poem "Snake" by D. H. Lawrence?
H. Lawrence? In “Snake,” D. H. Lawrence explores the relationship between nature and humans and suggests that humans should respect and honor nature. He also highlights the contrast between the simple purity of nature and the complex emotions of human consciousness. Download PDF.
What is the theme of the poem Snake?
In the poem " Snake ," Lawrence utilizes a theme of nature and contrasts the world of nature and creatures such as the snake with the human world of man. He contrasts the basic nature of the snake to simply "be," acting only with instincts to the actions of man that are so conflicted by conscious thought and emotion.
What does Lawrence's poem contrast with the snake?
In both his physical descriptions of the snake and his actions as well as the conflicting emotions both revering and disgusted by the snake throughout the poem, Lawrence continues to contrast the simple wonder of nature with the complicated condition of being human.
What does the speaker feel when he throws the log at the snake?
Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body, Silently. When he throws the log at the snake, the speaker feels shame and a sense that his superior education is actually a curse: I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education.
How can we relate to the natural world?
The narrator offers us two possible ways we can relate to the natural world. The first way is to admire the beauty and grace of the snake. Even though the snake has the potential to be dangerous, we are actually in no danger from it if we simply stand by and observe while it drinks, appreciating its grace and wildness.
What does the speaker say in the poem "The Snake"?
The poem begins with the speaker describing coming upon the snake in his pyjamas. He was unprepared to see it but immediately happy it was there. Although pleased to see the animal, and more than willing to wait his turn, his inner voice was talking to him. The “voice of his education” was telling him to kill the snake—that he was only refraining ...
What are some examples of poetry techniques used in Snake?
Alliteration is one of the most prevalent techniques Lawrence utilizes in ‘Snake.’. A great example is in the first line of the second stanza where the letter “s” is used three times in a row: “Strange-scented shade.”.
What does the speaker say in the seventh stanza of the poem?
In the seventh stanza, he admits to himself and to the listener that he likes the snake. He was happy that the animal had come to spend time at his water-trough. With alliteration playing a role again, the speaker concludes the stanza by imagining the peaceful circle this meeting could result in.
What does the third stanza of Silently mean?
Silently. The third stanza is longer than the previous two and is used to describe how the snake moved to drink. In the first line, he states that the snake was reaching down from a “fissure in the earth-wall.”. It is like the animal is coming from the earth itself.
What does the speaker feel regret for at the end of Snake?
This only causes the snake to disappear faster and makes the speaker feel regret for his petty action. This is something he says he has to atone for at the end of ‘Snake.’. Although Snake is quoted in full below, you can also read the poem at here.
What rhyme scheme is there in the poem?
Rhyme Scheme. While there is no specific rhyme scheme, there are moments of rhyme within the text. There are small rhymes, such as “tree,” “he” and “me,” and larger ones like “waiting” and “smoking.”. This helps to unify the poem in a loose, less structured way.
Is the speaker's hole a dreadful hole?
It is, the speaker states, a “dreadful hole.”. But, perhaps to the snake, this is not true. The darkness of the hole seems to spread up to the speaker who feels horrified at the snake’s retreat. It “Overcame” him when the snake turned his back.
What is the snake poem about?
Written in first person narrative technique, it recounts the poet’s memory of a hot day in Sicily when he encountered a snake. In the poem, the poet is at his water-trough to fetch a pitcher of water when he sees the snake drinking from the trough.
What did the snake do when the poet was staring at the snake?
After a while, even as the poet was staring at the snake, it lifted its head from drinking like that of a cow or a buffalo watching the poet with indifference. The snake flickered his forked tongue in the air between his lips, paused for a moment as if thinking, stooped down and drank some more water.
Why did the poet go to his water trough?
The poet had gone to his water-trough to fill a pitcher with water. The trough was shaded by a dark carob tree and the place had a strange smell. As he came down the steps he realized that he must wait and stand aside as there was a snake already at the trough.
What does the fourth stanza of the poem mean?
The fourth stanza is a fairly short one and only repeats what the poet has said before. The poet here emphasizes that someone was at ‘His’ water trough and that he was standing there as a second. This suggests that the snake’s presence is, naturally, not at all welcome by the poet.
Why is it used in the poem "looked around like a god"?
Here again a simile is used in ‘looked around like a god’ because the snake was carefree and least bothered about the fact that a mortal human being was waiting for his turn into the trough, as if he was not seeing it. He began climbing the wall-face of the poet’s house to exit the place.
What does the poet see when he sees the snake drinking from the trough?
In the poem, the poet is at his water-trough to fetch a pitcher of water when he sees the snake drinking from the trough. What follows is the poet’s internal struggle and realisation of his sentiments and faults as we drop into the scene with the magnificent and deadly golden snake.
What does the voice in the poet's mind say to him?
The voices in the poet’s mind were still saying to him that if he were not afraid, he would have killed the snake. The fears were present in the back of his mind. This stanza further elevates the tension of the internal struggle of the poet in the eyes of the reader.
What is the theme of the poem "The Snake"?
The use of the word expiate and the talk of atoning for sins leads one to understand that religion is indeed a theme in this poem. The use of the snake as a symbol and the battle between good and evil in this poem are all reasons that religion can be seen as an undertone.
What is the meaning of the poem Snake?
Lawrence was written in the early 1920s. It is a narrative poem that uses imagery and symbolism to convey Lawrence’s idea’s about society throughout history. One can see many parallels between social class and Snake.This poem also highly relfects religious ideas. Although it is not clearly stated, Lawrence has subtle hints in his poem. Many of the symbols used are religious symbols by nature.
Why does Lawrence use the snake in the Bible?
Many people would take a snake to symbolize sin and evil as seen in the Bible and the Garden of Eden, but actually Lawrence is using it in a majestic and noble light. Perhaps this is the case because he is paralleling society and the nobility can be sneaky and sinful yet still seem majestic, just like the snake.
What does the snake represent in Stanza?
The snake represents the upper class while he, D.H. Lawrence, is just a middle class worker. In Stanza’s 1 and 2, Lawrence begins by describing that the snake arrived at the trough first and that he therefore must await his turn. There is no hint that the man fears the snake, but instead there seems to be a respect that provides the man with ...
What are the symbols used in Lawrence's poem?
Although it is not clearly stated, Lawrence has subtle hints in his poem. Many of the symbols used are religious symbols by nature. A snake came to my water-trough. On a hot, hot day, and I in pyjamas for the heat, To drink there. In the deep, strange-scented shade of the great dark carob-tree.
What is Lawrence's gendering of the snake?
Lawrence’s gendering, and anthropomorphising, of the snake as ‘he’ stages a masculine battle (or stand-off – well, if snakes could stand, anyway) between him and the snake, two males facing off against one another. (Lawrence also refers to how the snake ‘mused’ as it drank at the trough, another piece of anthropomorphising.)
Where was the poem Snake written?
H. Lawrence’s best-known poem. Lawrence wrote ‘Snake’ while he was living on the island of Sicily, in the beautiful resort, Taormina, on the east side of the island. ‘Snake’ is conversational in tone, which makes it reasonably accessible; nevertheless, some words of analysis on the poem’s language and meaning may be useful.
What does Lawrence's free verse mean?
Yet we should not think that the freer-flowing, more colloquial style of Lawrence’s free verse means his poem is simply ‘prose chopped up’ (a common charge against much free verse, and in some cases deserved), or that the poem comprises simple assertions which require no further commentary or explanation .
Who are some of the most famous modernists who wrote free verse?
D. H. Lawrence ’s free verse is very different from the kind we find in that of his fellow modernists and contemporaries, Richard Aldington , Hilda Doolittle, and T. E. Hulme (among others). Instead of following the French vers libre style, Lawrence’s free verse has more in common with the free verse of the Psalms and Walt Whitman.
What is the poem Snake about?
The poem Snake is concerned with the poet’s personal experience, which brings out his vision of the living world. The poem explains fully the inner mind of the poet. We come to know through the poem, what is happening in the mind of the poet. Lawrence dramatizes the conflict between two responses to nature.
What does the poet believe about snakes?
The poet believes in the essential goodness of the instincts and impulses, which join us with the other forms of life. The description of snake is wonderful.
What did the poet come across in the poem?
On a very hot summer day, the poet came across a snake at a stone container of water. It had come to drink water. The poet had gone there to carry water. However, the poet had to wait some time until the snake leaves the place. The snake slowly moved over the container and drank water through his straight gums.
What does the brown snake represent in the poem?
The brown and golden coloured snake appears like the banished king of the underworld, who represents the mysterious forces of nature neglected by cultured men. The poem describes his meeting with a snake. The poet gives us all the details about his mental reactions to the appearance of the snake.
What happened when the snake turned back into its hole in the wall?
When the snake turned back into its hole in the wall, there was fear and horror in the mind of poet about the snake, then the very moment he threw a log at it. At once the poet thought over his action and he came to know that his action was full of shame. He was very sorry for his behaviour.
What is the poem "Seeing the Snake" about?
The poem is basically known for its psychological conflict in the mind of the poet. It describes the poet in two minds. Just by seeing the snake, he is in a dilemma, whether he should kill it or not. D.H. Lawrence represents this as a conflict between civilized sophistication and natural animal instincts.
What poem did the poet remember about the albatross bird?
He strongly hated his education and himself, which made him so unkind. Then he remembered an incident from Coleridge’s ridge’s poem, The Ancient Marriner. The innocent albatross bird’s killing was a cruel act on the part of the killer and for that, he was cursed. The poet was very sorry for the snake.
What is the snake poem about?
Snake by David Herbert Lawrence: Summary and Analysis. David Herbert Lawrence, one of the greatest literary figures of 20th century English literature, through this poem raises the ecological concerns through the medium of the snake. To justify his argument regarding ecology, he presents the interior monologue of the speaker.
What is Lawrence's poem about?
As Lawrence is popularly known for challenging the social norms and values, this poem is the best example to question upon the existing education system and the complicated human thoughts. The irony lies in the poem when the man is projected as the savage instead of civilized and cultured.
What does the speaker want to save the snake from?
He wants to save the snake from the ecological point of view. He cannot decide his action. By the end of the poem, the speaker regrets at his loss of the snake and he also gets angry at the human education system that encourages to kill the natural elements of the environment.
What does Lawrence ask the human beings to accept as the guest of one another?
Through this poem, Lawrence ask the human beings to accept all the living creatures as the guest of one another. The speaker is pleased with the company of the snake, but immediately he feels that the human society is not safe when the snake is left alive. He wants to save the snake from the ecological point of view.
Why does Lawrence present the serpent as the guest, king god and lord of life?
He presents serpent as the guest, king god and lord of life. It is because of the serpent, environment has become hygienic. The serpent becomes venomous while protecting mankind from the venom.
Who presented the interior monologue of the speaker?
To justify his argument regarding ecology, he presents the interior monologue of the speaker. David H. Lawrence (1885-1930) As the speaker sees the snake in the water-trough his inner voice tells him to kill it.
Does a snake hurt anyone?
The snake is depicted as more civilized in the sense that it does not hurt anyone unless provoked. At first the speaker does not hurt the snake who comes to drink water, but all of a sudden he hurls a log at the snake. This activity keeps the snake a step up in terms of height of civility.
