BY D.H LAWRENCESNAKE

The poem “Snake” is a notable poem by D. H. Lawrence that provides us a glimpse into the complexities of human nature that bring us towards rational thinking. This poem tells us the tale of a person going to a water-trough ,who stumbles upon a snake. The person is fascinated and feels honored that he was able to see this magnificent sight. Yet his upbringing and education tells that the snake ought to be killed.

OVERVIEW

In the poem, Lawrence recalls the time when he had been living in Sicily during an extremely hot summer. Feeling thirsty, the poet had come to the water trough, only to find that he was not the first visitor there, as the lines, “ And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough before me.”, indicate. There was a regal golden-brown snake, drinking leisurely.

ANALYSIS

We then realize from the lines, “ looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do” and “ mused a moment”, that the snake has seen the poet standing there and does not consider him to be a threat. The day is very hot and the volcano is smoking as it is the middle of July, so perhaps the snake too feels lazy and simply wishes to quench his thirst. Lawrence recalls that he had been taught that in Sicily, “ the black, black snakes are innocent and the gold are venomous.”The accursed voices within him told him that he had to act „manly‟ and should kill.

Then, in the poet’s mind, there starts a battle between his morality and his social conditioning. On one hand, his education tells him to kill the snake, as we can see by the virtue of the lines, “If you were a man, you would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off.” and “ If you were not afraid, you would kill him”. The narrator confesses that he was afraid, but honored even more and felt that he would somehow kill the snake.

But then as the snake begins to draw back into its home, “ a sort of horror, a sort of protest” forms in the poet’s mind and he lets himself be guided by his instinct. Now that Lawrence could no longer see the snake’s peaceful and docile face, the urge to do something overcomes him and he picks up a “ clumsy log and throws it at the water trough with a clatter”. Though the stick does not hit the snake, but being alarmed, it “ convulses in undignified haste.” and swiftly slithers into the hideaway.

Now, the poet makes an allusion to S. T. Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by referring to the snake as his own personal albatross. In the same way that the mariner had acted on impulse and killed the albatross, resulting in the terrible way in which the sailors had to suffer, D. H. Lawrence too had driven away the snake. He wishes that “he would come back, my snake.”, so that the poet could atone for his evil act and regain the snake’s trust. The snake had seemed to him like a king and he had, in an act of foolish desperation, driven it away.

The poem “Snake” by D. H. Lawrence is a fascinating text written in free verse that deals with the complexities of the human mind and the ways in which man faces with them. The poet builds the poem in Sicily, Italy and conveys the soaring temperature through the words “Etna smoking” and “burning bowels of the earth”. Lawrence’s raw language and creativity with the imageries is remarkable, adorned by the person’s allusions and dilemmas.

CRITICAL APPRECIATION

“He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do, And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do”. It is then that the poet’s accursed human education steps in and makes him question his present dealings and urges him to finish off the “fatal” snake. But just as easily, we find him again slipping off to the world where the snake is just another harmless, magnificent creation of god. The person becomes the medium of the portrayal of a battle of the mind and the heart, that of the Adam created vices.

The person hits it with a stick and momentarily and we find the new age victorious. But immediate guilt and self-loathing for the cavalier act ensue and he falls to his knees begging the snake to return so to redeem “the uncrowned king”. Abashed by his deeds, he despises himself for giving in to the worse half.

In the poem, 'Snake„, D.H. Lawrence shows that instinct is superior to the reasoning of mind. He was strangely attracted by the dignified and quiet way of the snake and accepted it as an esteemed and respected guest. Lawrence was essentially a moralist who believed that the modern man was gradually becoming devoid of his natural feelings. It points out the poet‟s fascination towards the snake, since it was not blinded by prejudice like man, but instead was guided by instinct. The poem brings out several different layers of thinking.

THEME

The poem arouses the feeling of love and sympathy for all creatures in the world. It was the accursed human education that urged the poet to kill the snake to satisfy his social needs. He has no right to deprive others from their right to live. Although the poet hits the snake, he feels sorry for his act. So we see that man's natural instinct prevail at the end. He equates his education with the forces of ignorance, cruelty and vulgarity.. The poet seeks religious atonement for his pettiness in hurting the snake who had not harmed him in anyway, thus concluding that one must follow his instinct.

David Herbert Lawrence’s writing is notable for its intensity and its sensuality. All of Lawrence’s works are written in a lyrical, sensuous, often rhapsodic prose style. He had an extraordinary ability to convey a sense of specific time and place, and his writings often reflected his complex personality. He believed in writing poetry that was stark, immediate and true to the mysterious inner force which motivated it. Many of his best-loved poems treat the physical and inner life of plants and animals.

ABOUT THE POET

AHMED RUYEFA DFClass : X-KRoll No : 02

PRESENTED BY :