Bihar Board Class 12th English 100 Marks
Chapter-9
Snake
-D.H. Lawrence
The poem snake is written by D.H. Lawrence.
The incident on which the poem is composed is quite and simple and natural. One hot afternoon, in Sicily, the poet got up to collect the water from the trough which lay in the open ground. When he reached the spot he noticed a large brown snake resting its throat on the trough’s edge. Fascinated over this sight of the snake, the poet stood watching it for a long time. He rather realized that he was second to be there and he had to wait till the snake had quenched its thirst. The poet had learnt that the golden snakes in Sicily were poisonous and so they should be killed. Brushing aside those doubts and personal concerns the poet continued to watch the snake in its natural act quenching its thirst. And finally the snake withdrew itself and proceeded to move back into the dark hole, its dwelling place.
Suddenly under a cowardly impulse the poet hurled a log at it. It missed the snake but it produced a feeling of terror in it, reflected in its haste. Afterwards the poet deeply regretted his mindless act of aggression.