Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in .

The snake had gone into the hole but the poet regretted his act of hitting the snake. He felt it was a mean and unkind act on his part. He was overcome with a sense of guilt. He felt much like the ancient mariner who had killed albatross without any pre thought. He wished that his snake would come back. He accused the voices of human education which had prompted him to hit the snake.

He thinks of the snake as king in exile who has to be crowned again as he was still uncrowned in the dark world of the earth. But after hitting him, the snake had gone and the poet had missed his chance to enjoy the company of one lords of life. He regretted and felt that he must make amends for that sinful act of his. 

Simile – (a) Like a king.

(b) Like a king in exile.

Value Points :

Natural instinct fascinated by the majestic looks - felt honored at the snake’s presence - but ‘voice of education’ provoked him to throw the log at the snake - later regretted his act.

Detailed Answer :

The poet had a natural instinct to respect the snake which had come at the water trough to drink water. The poet was fascinated by the majestic looks of the snake and he felt honored that the snake had come like a guest to drink water at his water trough. But later there was a conflict between his civilized social education and natural instinct as the voice of education provoked him to throw log at the snake which was golden brown and was considered venomous. Though, he regretted the act after words. 

Yes, the snake was conscious of the presence of the poet. He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do. And then he looked at the poet vaguely, as drinking cattle do. He moved his two-forked tongue from his lips and thought for a moment before drinking again. All these activities prove that the snake was very much conscious of the presence of the poet.

The moment the snake put his head into the mysterious hole and tried to go to the other side of the wall, he eased his shoulders and entered farther into the hole. The poet had a mixed feeling of horror and protest. He didn’t like the snake going into the darkness. The snakes back was turned and he was drawing his long body slowly into that hole. 

Repetition – A Sort of horror, a sort of protest.

(a) His cowardice was that he dared not kill the snake. 

(b) His perversity was that he longed to talk to a snake. 

(c) cowardice

(a) dark red-flowered evergreen tree.

(b) ‘He’ refers to the snake.

(c) He thought of obliging the other creature as he was a nature lover.

(d) Transferred epithet.

The snake had come out of the burning bowels of the earth. After quenching his thirst it started going back and the poet hit him with a log. The poet instantly felt sorry for his unrefined and contemptible act and cursed the voice of education that had shaped his thought processes and urged him to kill the snake. But the snake retreated into the hole in the wall like a majestic king in exile. 

Value Points :

He overlooked / ignored the voice of his conscience / snake had not harmed him even then the poet tried to kill him.

Detailed Answer :

The poet had ignored the voice of his conscience. He listened to the voice of education and just as the snake was about to leave, he picked up a log and threw it at him. The snake had not harmed him even then he hit him. Later he felt bad for it and his conscience pricked him.

(a) A trough is a long narrow container for animals to eat and drink from. 

(b) It is repetition.

(c) scented

Society ingrains certain preconceived notions in our mind and due to that we don’t judge situations by instinct. The poet was fascinated by the snake. He appreciated the snake’s majestic and harmless nature but the earlier instincts drilled in him by society force him to strike at the snake. He had been taught to kill snakes.

Value Points :

A cursed voice, the voice of education told him that snakes are poisonous and should be killed / did not want to be labelled as a coward.

Detailed Answer : 

The poet tried to harm the snake because his education told him that in Sicily, golden snakes were venomous and a real man would take a stick and finish it off. Moreover, he didn’t want that he should be labelled as a coward.

The narrator wanted to hit the snake as his natural instinct told him that snakes are poisonous and so are dangerous.

On seeing the snake, his voice of education and civilisation told him that yellow snakes are poisonous. But he shaped his thought process and treated him like a guest and a king in exile. But when the snake started going back his rational thinking prompted him to kill the snake. So, he hit the snake with a log of wood.

The ‘voice of his education’ had shaped his thinking-process. His knowledge about the snakes told him that in Sicily, the yellow-brown snakes were poisonous. Hence, the yellow brown poisonous snake must be killed. If he were a brave man, he must take a stick and kill him at once.

The poet makes an allusion to the albatross as his action and the action of the ancient mariner resemble to an extent. The old mariner liked and admired the auspicious bird, the albatross. However in a fit of mad anger, he killed the innocent and auspicious albatross with his cross-bow. Similarly, the poet is fascinated and honoured by the presence of the snake. But he was filled with anger when the snake prepared to enter the black hole and threw a log of wood at him.

On seeing the snake, his voice of education and civilisation told him that yellow snakes are poisonous. But he shaped his thought process and treated him like a guest and a king in exile. But when the snake started going back his rational thinking prompted him to kill the snake. So, he hit the snake with a log of wood.

(a) loosening his shoulders

When the snake’s back is turned, the ‘voices of education’ that were troubling the poet, overtake him. He hits the snake with a stick which was quite unjustified. The snake had not troubled the poet and one must behave with one’s instincts rather than preconceived notions.

Value Points : 

• as a response to the voice of education which said that such snakes were dangerous
• to stop it from going into the hole / from escaping

Detailed Answer :

The poet threw the log at the snake because the voice of education and social conventions made him think that the snake which is golden-brown in colour is venomous and must be killed. Moreover the snake was going back after quenching his thirst so he wanted to stop him from escaping.

Value points

‘Snakes – a beautiful creation of God, an object of our love and not hatred.

• graceful, majestic looking

• some people think some snakes are poisonous, so should be killed

• king in exile / lord of life

• arouses a sense of admiration

• man’s duty to respect and protect the rights of the other creatures

• co-exist in harmony

• many superstitions attached to it.

Detailed Answer :

Respected Principal Ma’am, worthy teachers and dear friends. Today I’ve got the golden opportunity to express my views on the topic ‘Snakes - a beautiful creation of God, an object of our love and not hatred.’ We all know that we share the earth with fellow human beings, plants and animals as well, so we have no right to kill any animal. A snake is a graceful and majestic looking animal. Some people think that some snakes are poisonous and so they should be killed. But this is a wrong notion. We should have respect for these creatures and believe in the principle of peaceful co-existence. It is our moral duty to respect and protect the rights of the other creatures. We should co-exist in harmony with other creatures and not tamper with ecology which has been carefully planned and laid out by nature. We must realize that snakes are a beautiful creation of God. They are an object of our love and not hatred. 

Value Points :

Because of the feeling of guilt on hitting the snake / both were harmless and hit/killed for no reason / scared of the consequences.

Detailed Answer :

The poet hits the snake with a log. The snake writhes in pain and disappears through a hole. The poet is immediately reminded of the Albatross who was killed by the Mariner for no reason. He feels guilty on hitting the snake because it had not tried to harm him. He is scared of the consequences.

The voice of education told the poet that the snake was poisonous and dangerous. So it must be killed. The poet confessed that he liked the snake. He was glad that the snake had come to his water trough like an honoured guest to drink water. It would then depart peacefully into the earth.

(d) is a majestic creature forced to go into exile by man

Value Points :

Must go by the voice of conscience, must have mutual respect, belief in peaceful co-existence necessary for survival, has no right to harm other forms of life, must believe in ‘live and let live.’

Detailed Answer : 

The poem, ‘Snake’ reminds us of the fact that animals too have a right to life which we have no right to deny them. One should always listen to the voice of conscience that does not allow us to play with these brainless and innocent creatures. Man cannot afford to tamper with ecology as it has been carefully planned and laid out by nature and it may result in the extinction of wild animals and in the depletion of forests and their wealth. Further man will have to face dire consequences like landslides, floods , droughts and famines if he harms the ecological balance. Nature has supplied the living creatures with abundant resources and man in particular has been able to co-exist with the least discomfort. So it is our moral duty to have mutual respect for these creatures and believe in the principle of Peaceful Co-existence.

1. (d) 

2. (g) 

3. (h) 

4. (j) 

5. (e) 

6. (a) 

7. (c) 

8. (i) 

9. (b) 

10. (f)

(a) The snake is a majestic creature and is forced to remain underground, out of man’s sight.

(b) The act of throwing a log at the snake/harming the snake.

(c) Under the earth / underground / a snake hole.

(d) Snake

Value Points :

to stop the snake from disappearing into the hole / to hit it / make it run, voice of education.

Detailed Answer : 

The poet threw a log at the snake because the voice of education and social conventions made him think that the snake which is golden- brown in color, is venomous and must be killed. Moreover, The poet wanted to stop the snake from disappearing into the hole or make it run.

Value Points :

• had come before the poet/was an honoured guest.

Detailed Answer :

The poet, D.H. Lawrence waited for the snake to quench his thirst first because the snake was the first to arrive at the water-trough. Being a good host, the poet treated him like a guest, gave honour to him and let him drink water first.

(d) drinks water just like cattle

The poet allowed the snake to finish drinking water because he had held him in great esteem. He treated him like a guest and a king in exile.

Silently and slowly drank water / flickered his two- forked tongue / lifted his head and looked vaguely like cattle do / majestic.

Detailed Answer :

The snake looked majestic while he drank water from the trough. He drank it slowly and silently. After drinking water, he flickered his two forked tongue and lifted his head vaguely to look around as the cattle do when they drink water.

The snake lifted his head from his drinking in the same manner as cattle do and looked vaguely at the poet. Then he moved his two forked tongue from his lips and thought for some time. After that the drank some more water. The poet noticed that the snake was earth brown or earth golden in colour and had come out the burning bottom of the earth to drink water as it was a very hot day of July in Sicily and Etna had erupted and was smoking.

Simile –

(a) as cattle do.

(b) as drinking cattle do.

Alliteration –

(a) And flickered his two forked ................... 

(b) ................... his two forked tongue.

(c) ................... and mused a moment.

(d) ................... burning bowels of the earth

The poet decides to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking. This tells us that poet believes in the age long civilized practices of human intercourse and hospitality. The snake was the first to reach the water-trough. Naturally, he had the first right to serve himself. The use of ‘someone’ instead of ‘something’ shows that the poet equates the snake to human beings and not to the lower creatures.

The poet stood waiting for the snake to finish sipping water as he was the second comer and the snake had arrived first at the water trough. 

Simile – And I, like a second comer waiting.

A snake was there before him./A snake was ahead of him./A majestic creature/the snake was a guest./courtesy, out of respect.

Detailed Answer :

The poet had to wait near the water trough because he was the second visitor. The snake had been the first one there, where the water dripped from the tap in a small clearness and the poet had to wait for his turn because of the snake.

In both the situations, the moods and movements of the snake are different. In the beginning he ‘softly drank ... into his slack long body, silently’. All his movements are relaxed and leisurely in the beginning. But the snake’s movement and mood change when the poet throws a log of wood at him. ‘Suddenly’ his back part ‘convulsed’ in ‘undignified haste’ and he ‘writhed like lightning’, and was gone.

The snake had come out from a crack in the wall. He dragged his yellow brown soft-belly over the edge of the stone tough and rested his throat upon it. Then he started sipping water from the place where it had collected in a small clearness. He used his straight mouth and straight gums to sip water silently into his slack long body.

Alliteration –

(a) He sipped with his straight mouth.

(b) Softly drank through his straight.

D.H. Lawrence presents the dual response that is evoked when the poet encounters the snake at his water-trough. Actually, it is the conflict between civilized social education or the worldly knowledge and understanding and his natural human instincts. Ultimately, his natural human instincts prevail upon him. He repents at his worthless, ‘vulgar’ and ‘mean’ act of throwing a log of wood at the snake.

In the beginning, the poet is quite fascinated by the presence of the snake. The snake had come to the water-trough to quench his thirst on a hot day in July. However, the poet realises that the snake has the first right to drink water. He came there before him. He is soon torn between two contrasting emotions. The voices of his education tell him that the yellow-brown snake is poisonous and must be killed. But he is honoured that the snake has come there to seek his hospitality. The snake finishes drinking and seems to be satisfied. He withdraws himself, puts his head into the black hole and prepares to depart. The poet doesn’t like that the snake should go back into the horrid black hole. He protests and in a fit of anger throws a log of wood at the snake.

The poet repents immediately at his ‘paltry’, ‘vulgar’ and ‘mean’ act of throwing a log at the snake. He thinks of albatross who was killed by the ancient mariner in a fit of anger. Now he admires and realises the true glory and grandeur of the king in exile. He has something to expiate. It is his ‘pettiness’.

The snake had come to the poet’s water-trough to quench his thirst on a very hot day. He rested his throat upon the stone where the water had dripped from the tap in small drops. He sipped with his straight mouth. He softly drank through his straight gums into his slack long body. He lifted his head from his drinking as cattle do and looked at the poet vaguely as the drinking cattle do.

(a) It told the poet that he must kill him at once. 

(b) It is golden. 

(c) venomous

(a) The poet speaks these lines.

(b) ‘He’ in the above lines is the snake.

(c) ‘He’ must be killed as he is poisonous.

(d) Poisonous.

The poet admitted that he liked the snake. He actually admired his colour, shape and leisurely movements. He was fascinated by his presence at the water-trough. He considered him a ‘silent’ guest who had come there to seek his hospitality and he felt honoured. But the idea of the snake deliberately going back to the ‘horrid black’ hole was quite revolting to the poet. He was filled with horror and protest and threw a log of wood at him.

A snake came to the water trough of the poet to drink water. It was a hot day. The poet was also thirsty and he came down the steps with his pitcher to take water from the water trough. The trough was in shade of a great Carob tree. The poet thought that he must stand and wait as the snake had arrived there first.

Repetition –

(a) On a hot, hot day

(b) must, wait, must stand and wait.

(c) must wait, must stand and wait. 

Transferred epithet –    ................. Strange Scented shade of the dark carob tree. 

The poet is fascinated by the presence of the snake. He doesn’t want that it should withdraw into the horried black hole again. So, he is filled with horror and protest when the snake prepares to retreat. The act of throwing a log of wood at the snake is quite ironical. It is ironical that the poet who is fascinated by the presence of the snake should throw a log of wood at him.

The day on which the snake appeared was a very hot day. It was a hot day of Sicilian July. The active volcano was smoking. The snake emerged from the burning bowels of the earth where he lived in exile. Perhaps he could not bear the heat below and came to the water-trough to quench his thirst.

The moods and movements of the snake are not the same. In the beginning, he seems to be in a relaxed mood. So are his movements. He rests his throat upon the stone and ‘softly’ drinks through his straight gums into his ‘slack long body’. He is not at all in ‘undignified haste’. He lifts his head from his drinking looking vaguely at the poet as drinking cattle do. He drinks enough. No doubt, he is conscious of the poet’s presence but he doesn’t seem to be worried or scared. He leisurely withdraws his long body and enters his head into the black hole. But his mood and movement are changed the moment the poet throws a log of wood at him. Suddenly that part which is left behind makes a ‘violent’ movement. He is in ‘undignified haste’. He twists and turns like lightning and disappears at once into the black hole.

The poet also shows different emotions at different occasions. He is fascinated by the presence of the snake at his water-trough. He waits for his turn as the snake came first at the trough. But his voices of education tell him that the yellow-brown snake is poisonous and must be killed. No doubt, he is afraid of him but he feels honoured that the snake has come to seek his hospitality. The poet is enraged when the snake prepares to go back in to the blackness. He protests and in a fit of anger throws a log of wood at the snake. The poet regrets immediately at his ‘vulgar’ and ‘mean’ act. He starts ‘despising’ himself. He wishes the snake to come back.In the end the poet feels that he has ‘something to ‘expiate’ and it is his ‘pettiness’.

‘The poet threw a log of wood at the snake but the very next moment he regretted it. He was filled with self-derison, guilt and regret after hitting the snake. He thought that his act was ‘paltry’, ‘vulgar’ and ‘mean’. He ‘despised’ himself and his ‘accursed human education’. He had thrown the log at the snake who had come there to seek his hospitality. He had committed a sin and must expiate for it.

(a) he must kill the snake.

(b) golden.

(c) if you were a brave man.

(d) They are not poisonous.

(a) The guest is the snake.

(b) There is no need for him to thank the poet as the water is a natural resource and he has as much right to it as the poet.

(c) The snake’s hole, very very hot, like Etna burning, deep inside.

(d) Arrive.