Snake

Welcome, fellow explorers of words, to a fascinating journey into one of literature’s most thought-provoking encounters with the natural world! Today, we delve into D.H. Lawrence’s powerful poem, “Snake.” Prepare to be captivated by a moment of quiet drama that unfolds at a water trough, revealing profound truths about humanity’s place in nature and the complex struggles within the human heart. This poem is a masterpiece that invites us to reflect on our instincts, our education, and the mysterious beauty of the wild.

Let us begin by immersing ourselves in the poem itself:

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
I came down the steps with my pitcher
And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough
before me.

He reached down from a fissure in the earth‑wall in the gloom
And trailed his yellow‑brown slackness, soft‑bellied, down, over
the edge of the stone trough
And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,
And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness,
He sipped with his straight mouth,
Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body,
Silently.

Someone was before me at my water‑trough,
And I, like a second‑comer, waiting.

He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do,
And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do,
And flickered his two‑forked tongue from his lips, and mused
a moment,
And stooped and drank a little more,
Being earth‑brown, earth‑golden from the burning bowels
of the earth
On the day of Sicilian July, with Etna smoking.

The voice of my education said to me
He must be killed,
For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold
are venomous.

And voices in me said, If you were a man
You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off.

But must I confess how I liked him,
How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink
at my water‑trough
And depart peaceful, pacified, and thankless,
Into the burning bowels of this earth?

Was it cowardice, that I dared not kill him?
Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him?
Was it humility, to feel so honoured?
I felt so honoured.

And yet those voices:
If you were not afraid, you would kill him!

And truly I was afraid, I was most afraid,
But even so, honoured still more
That he should seek my hospitality
From out the dark door of the secret earth.

He drank enough
And lifted his head, dreamily, as one who has drunken,
And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black,
Seeming to lick his lips,
And looked around like a god, unseeing, into the air,
And slowly turned his head,
And slowly, very slowly, as if thrice a dream,
Proceeded to draw his slow length curving round
And climb again the broken bank of my wall‑face.

And as he put his head into that dreadful hole,
And as he slowly drew up, snake‑easing his shoulders,
and entered farther,
A sort of horror, a sort of protest against his withdrawing into
that horrid black hole,
Deliberately going into the blackness, and slowly drawing
himself after,
Overcame me now his back was turned.

I looked round, I put down my pitcher,
I picked up a clumsy log
And threw it at the water‑trough with a clatter.

I think it did not hit him,
But suddenly that part of him that was left behind convulsed
in an undignified haste,
Writhed like lightning, and was gone
Into the black hole, the earth‑lipped fissure in the wall‑front,
At which, in the intense still noon, I stared with fascination.

And immediately I regretted it.
I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!
I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education.

And I thought of the albatross,
And I wished he would come back, my snake.

For he seemed to me again like a king,
Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld,
Now due to be crowned again.

And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords
Of life.
And I have something to expiate:
A pettiness.

Unraveling “Snake”: A Quick Look at the Poem’s Core

“Snake” by D.H. Lawrence is a vivid and deeply personal account of an unexpected encounter between the speaker and a snake at a water trough on a scorching Sicilian day. The poem captures the speaker’s initial awe and respect for the creature, which quickly gives way to an internal battle between his natural admiration and the societal conditioning that urges him to kill the “venomous” golden snake.

• The Encounter: The poem meticulously details the snake’s arrival, its graceful drinking, and its eventual departure. This seemingly simple event becomes a profound catalyst for the speaker’s introspection and moral dilemma. The snake is presented as a dignified, almost regal visitor, sharing a vital resource.
• Central Idea: At its heart, “Snake” explores the profound tension between human intellect and instinct, the civilized world’s teachings versus primal respect for nature. It delves into the speaker’s struggle to reconcile his innate reverence for the wild with the ingrained prejudices and fears instilled by his “human education.” The poem ultimately laments humanity’s tendency to disrupt the natural order and the subsequent regret for such actions.
• Noteworthy Knowledge: The poem’s setting in Sicily is crucial. The speaker explicitly mentions a local belief: “For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold / are venomous.” This cultural detail directly fuels the speaker’s internal conflict, as the snake he encounters is “earth‑golden,” making it, by local standards, a creature to be feared and killed. This cultural context underscores the power of societal influence over individual perception and action.

Deep Dive into “Snake”: An In-Depth Analysis

D.H. Lawrence’s “Snake” is a masterclass in psychological exploration and vivid natural description. The poem’s enduring power comes from its careful crafting of language and its profound thematic depth. Let us explore the literary and poetic devices that make this poem so impactful.

Literary Devices in “Snake”

Imagery and Sensory Detail

Lawrence masterfully uses imagery to immerse the reader in the Sicilian setting and the encounter itself. The poem is rich with details that appeal to all five senses, creating a palpable atmosphere and bringing the snake to life.

• Visual Imagery: The “hot, hot day” and the “deep, strange‑scented shade of the great dark carob tree” immediately set the scene. The snake’s appearance is meticulously described: “yellow‑brown slackness, soft‑bellied,” and later “earth‑brown, earth‑golden from the burning bowels / of the earth.” These colors connect the snake directly to its natural environment, emphasizing its primal origin.
• Tactile Imagery: The “soft-bellied” description of the snake gives a sense of its texture, while the “stone trough” and “stone bottom” provide a grounding, tangible feel to the scene.
• Auditory Imagery: The snake drinks “Silently,” highlighting its quiet dignity, which contrasts sharply with the “clatter” of the log thrown by the speaker, emphasizing the jarring disruption of the natural peace.
• Olfactory Imagery: The “strange‑scented shade” of the carob tree adds another layer of sensory richness, drawing the reader into the specific environment.

This detailed imagery is not merely decorative; it builds the speaker’s initial reverence for the snake, making his later act of violence all the more regrettable.

Symbolism in “Snake”

The poem is replete with powerful symbols that deepen its meaning and invite multiple interpretations.

• The Snake: The most prominent symbol, the snake represents primal life force, untamed nature, instinct, and ancient wisdom. It is depicted as a “king,” a “king in exile,” and “one of the lords / Of life,” suggesting its inherent nobility and connection to a deeper, more authentic existence. Its movement from the “earth‑wall” and into the “black hole” symbolizes its connection to the mysterious, unconscious depths of the earth and nature’s secrets.
• The Water Trough: This shared space symbolizes life, sustenance, and a point of intersection between the human and natural worlds. It is a place where both man and beast come to satisfy a fundamental need, highlighting their shared vulnerability and dependence on nature.
• The “Black Hole”: The fissure in the wall, the “dreadful hole,” and “horrid black hole” into which the snake retreats, symbolizes the unknown, the unconscious, the wild, and perhaps even a return to a primordial state. It is a place of mystery and power, from which the snake emerges and to which it eventually withdraws.
• The Albatross: The speaker’s sudden thought of “the albatross” is a powerful symbol of profound guilt and regret for a senseless act against nature. This reference evokes a sense of heavy, self-imposed burden, suggesting that the speaker’s impulsive action has left an indelible mark on his conscience, much like a curse. It underscores the deep moral consequence of his “pettiness.”

Internal Conflict and Psychological Depth

The poem’s driving force is the intense internal conflict within the speaker, a battle between his innate admiration for the snake and the conditioning of his “human education.”

• The “Voices”: The speaker is torn between two opposing forces. On one hand, “The voice of my education said to me / He must be killed,” reflecting societal prejudices and the fear of the unknown. On the other hand, his deeper self feels “honoured” by the snake’s presence and confesses, “how I liked him.”
• Rhetorical Questions: Lawrence uses a series of rhetorical questions to expose the speaker’s confusion and self-doubt: “Was it cowardice, that I dared not kill him? / Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him? / Was it humility, to feel so honoured?” These questions reveal the speaker grappling with his own motivations and the conflicting emotions stirred by the encounter.
• Regret and Expiation: The speaker’s eventual act of throwing a log, though seemingly ineffective, leads to immediate and profound regret. He despises “myself and the voices of my accursed human education.” The poem concludes with a powerful admission of guilt and a desire for “expiation” for his “pettiness,” highlighting the lasting psychological impact of his failure to honor his true feelings.

Poetic Devices in “Snake”

Free Verse and Organic Form

“Snake” is written in free verse, meaning it does not adhere to a strict rhyme scheme or meter. This choice allows Lawrence to create a natural, conversational tone that mirrors the fluid, unconstrained movement of the snake and the spontaneous flow of the speaker’s thoughts and emotions. The varying line lengths and stanza structures contribute to an organic, unfolding narrative, giving the poem a sense of immediacy and authenticity.

Enjambment and Rhythm

Lawrence frequently employs enjambment, where a sentence or phrase continues from one line to the next without a grammatical pause. This technique creates a flowing, sinuous rhythm that beautifully mimics the snake’s graceful, unhurried movement. For example, observe how the snake’s descent is described:

He reached down from a fissure in the earth‑wall in the gloom
And trailed his yellow‑brown slackness, soft‑bellied, down, over
the edge of the stone trough

This continuous flow draws the reader onward, mirroring the speaker’s own captivated gaze and internal journey. The rhythm is unhurried, reflecting the intense stillness and observation of the scene.

Sound Devices: Alliteration and Assonance

While not overtly musical, Lawrence subtly uses alliteration (repetition of initial consonant sounds) and assonance (repetition of vowel sounds) to enhance the poem’s texture and emphasize certain words or images.

• Alliteration: The “s” sound in “strange‑scented shade” and “soft-bellied, down, over” creates a sibilant, whispering effect, evoking the snake’s quiet presence. The phrase “slow length curving round” uses alliteration to reinforce the visual image of the snake’s deliberate movement.
• Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds, such as in “black, black snakes,” draws attention to the cultural belief and the speaker’s initial fear. The repeated “o” sound in “gloom” and “down, over” contributes to the poem’s somber, reflective mood.

Repetition

Repetition is used for emphasis and to create a sense of rhythm or intensity. The phrase “hot, hot day” immediately conveys the oppressive heat. The speaker’s internal struggle is highlighted by “must wait, must stand and wait,” emphasizing his enforced stillness. Later, the snake’s departure is described with “slowly, very slowly,” underscoring its deliberate, almost dreamlike grace.

Simile and Metaphor

Lawrence employs similes and metaphors to draw vivid comparisons and deepen the reader’s understanding of the snake and the speaker’s perceptions.

• Simile: The snake is compared to “cattle” when it drinks, suggesting a shared, innocent animalistic quality. Its tongue flickers “like a forked night on the air,” creating a striking visual of its dark, quick movement. The snake looks “like a god, unseeing,” elevating its status to something ancient and divine, indifferent to human concerns.
• Metaphor: The snake is metaphorically described as a “king,” a “king in exile,” and “one of the lords / Of life.” These metaphors elevate the snake beyond a mere reptile, presenting it as a majestic, powerful entity connected to the fundamental forces of existence, whose rightful place has been usurped or forgotten by humanity.

The Enduring Message of “Snake”

D.H. Lawrence’s “Snake” remains a powerful and deeply resonant poem that challenges us to examine our relationship with the natural world and the internal conflicts that arise from our “human education.” It is a profound exploration of respect, fear, regret, and the longing for a lost connection to something wild and authentic. The poem invites us to consider the wisdom of instinct over learned prejudice and the profound consequences of acting against our deeper, more compassionate selves.

This poem is a timeless reminder that sometimes, the greatest lessons are learned not from books, but from a quiet encounter with a creature of the earth, and the subsequent reflection on our own actions. It encourages us to cultivate humility and reverence for all forms of life, recognizing the inherent majesty in even the most feared inhabitants of our planet.