Snake
by William Blake
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.
Summary of Snake
- The Encounter: “Snake” by William Blake details a quiet, almost reverent encounter between the speaker and a snake at a water trough. The poem isn’t simply about the event, but the internal struggle it provokes within the speaker. The snake arrives, drinks, and departs, all while the speaker is caught in a web of conflicting emotions and societal expectations.
- Central Idea: At its heart, “Snake” explores the tension between instinct and intellect, the wild and the civilized, and the speaker’s eventual recognition of a lost connection to a more primal existence. The snake becomes a symbol of natural power and grace that the speaker both admires and feels compelled to suppress.
- Key Themes: The poem delves into themes of respect for nature, the conflict between human reason and instinct, the loss of innocence, and the speaker’s internal battle with societal conditioning. It is a deeply psychological exploration, revealing the complexities of human perception and the burden of self‑consciousness.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Snake”
Imagery and Sensory Detail
Blake masterfully employs imagery to bring the scene to life. He does not merely tell us it is a hot day; he shows us with phrases like “hot, hot day” and the description of the “strange‑scented shade” of the carob tree. This appeals to our senses and creates a vivid picture in our minds. For example, the description of the snake: “He trailed his yellow‑brown slackness, soft‑bellied, down” is rich in tactile and visual detail. The imagery isn’t merely descriptive; it contributes to the poem’s mood and atmosphere.
Symbolism
The snake itself is the most prominent symbol in the poem. It represents primal energy, instinct, and a connection to the natural world. The snake’s movement, described as “slow length curving round,” suggests a graceful, fluid existence untouched by the constraints of civilization. The “black hole” into which the snake disappears symbolizes the unconscious, the mysterious depths of nature, or even a retreat from the external world. The water trough can also be seen as a symbol of life and sustenance, a shared space between man and nature. Consider the line: “And I have something to expiate: A pettiness” – here, the snake’s departure and the speaker’s regret symbolize a loss of connection to a more authentic way of being.
Enjambment and Rhythm
Blake frequently uses enjambment – the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without a pause. This creates a flowing, conversational rhythm that mimics the snake’s sinuous movement. It also draws the reader onward, mirroring the speaker’s own internal journey. Notice how the poem unfolds in long, winding sentences, like the snake itself: “He reached down from a fissure in the earth‑wall in the gloom / And trailed his yellow‑brown slackness soft‑bellied down, over…” This creates a sense of immediacy and intimacy. The lack of a strict rhyme scheme further emphasizes the natural, organic quality of the poem.
Internal Conflict and Psychological Depth
The poem is driven by the speaker’s internal conflict. The “voices” that tell him the snake “must be killed” represent societal conditioning and the rational, controlling part of his mind. However, he also feels a strange attraction to the creature, a sense of “honour” that it has chosen to drink at his trough. This conflict is beautifully articulated through rhetorical questions: “Was it cowardice, that I dared not kill him?” and “Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him?” These questions reveal the speaker’s confusion and self‑doubt. He is torn between his ingrained beliefs and his instinctive, emotional response to the snake. The final lines reveal a deep regret and a sense of having missed an opportunity for connection: “And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords / Of life.”
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Snake”
Free Verse and Form
“Snake” is written in free verse, meaning it doesn’t adhere to a regular rhyme scheme or meter. This allows Blake to create a natural, conversational tone that mirrors the fluid movement of the snake and the speaker’s internal thoughts. The poem’s structure is organic, unfolding in a series of observations and reflections. The length of the stanzas varies, adding to the poem’s sense of spontaneity and unpredictability.
Alliteration and Assonance
While not a dominant feature, Blake subtly employs alliteration and assonance to create musicality and emphasize certain words or phrases. For example, the repetition of the “s” sound in “slowly, very slowly” mimics the snake’s slithering movement. The assonance in “black, black snakes” draws attention to the speaker’s initial fear and reinforces the cultural association of snakes with danger. These subtle devices enhance the poem’s overall rhythm and texture.
Use of Colour Imagery
Colour plays a significant role in “Snake”, particularly the contrast between the “yellow‑brown” of the snake and the “black hole” into which it disappears. The golden‑brown colour symbolizes warmth, vitality, and the natural world, while the black hole represents the unknown, the unconscious, or even death. This contrast reinforces the poem’s thematic concerns and adds to its visual impact.
Quotes to be Used
These lines are useful while narrating a memorable past incident or reflecting on a lost connection with nature.
“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.”
Or, to express a sense of regret and lost opportunity:
“And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords / Of life.”
Ultimately, “Snake” is a complex and deeply resonant poem that invites multiple interpretations. Its enduring power lies in its ability to capture the subtle complexities of human experience and the enduring allure of the natural world.