The Snake by D H Lawrence – Summary & Analysis

In Short

• A snake comes to the speaker's water-trough to drink on a hot Sicilian day.
• The speaker admires the snake but hears an inner voice telling him to kill it.
• He overcomes his fear and allows the snake to drink and leave peacefully.
• As the snake retreats into a hole, the speaker impulsively throws a log at it.
• He immediately regrets this act of violence and feels shame at betraying his true feelings.

The Snake – Line by Line Analysis

Stanza 1

A snake came to my water-trough

The poem begins simply and directly. The speaker describes an encounter with a snake that came to his water-trough. The possession "my water-trough" suggests the speaker's property, yet the snake also has a right to the water. This opening immediately establishes the central conflict: two creatures sharing one resource. The straightforward declaration sets a conversational, narrative tone.

On a hot, hot day, and I in pyjamas for the heat,

The repetition of "hot, hot" emphasizes the extreme temperature. The speaker is dressed in pyjamas, suggesting he is at home, relaxed, and unprepared for an encounter. He is described in his most vulnerable, informal state. The heat oppresses both the speaker and the snake, making them equal in their need for water. Both creatures are subject to natural forces.

To drink there.

This short line states the purpose: both the speaker and the snake have come to drink. The simplicity emphasizes that they have the same basic needs. The speaker and the snake are reduced to their most fundamental nature—both seek water to survive in the heat.

Stanza 2

In the deep, strange-scented shade of the great dark carob tree

The setting is introduced with rich sensory details. A carob tree is an evergreen Mediterranean tree. "Deep," "strange-scented," and "dark" create an atmosphere of mystery and otherness. The adjectives emphasize that this is not an ordinary, civilized space but a wild, unfamiliar one. The alliteration with "s" sounds ("strange-scented shade") mimics the hissing of a snake.

I came down the steps with my pitcher

The speaker came down steps, suggesting descent from higher, more civilized ground. The pitcher is his tool for gathering water, something humans use to bring nature under control. This line establishes the speaker's arrival and intention.

And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough before me.

The repetition of "must wait" emphasizes the speaker's forced patience. The snake was there first, establishing priority. The speaker, civilized and educated, respects this order. He refers to the snake as "he," giving it individuality and gender, showing respect. The speaker's civilized nature compels him to wait his turn.

Stanza 3

He reached down from a fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom

The snake emerges from the earth itself, from darkness and hidden places. "Fissure" suggests an opening or crack, as if the earth is split to allow the snake to emerge. The snake comes from the underworld, from mystery. "Gloom" is dark and shadowy, contrasting with the bright, hot day outside.

And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down, over the edge of the stone trough

The description is sensual and detailed. "Slackness" suggests relaxation and ease. "Soft-bellied" shows the snake's vulnerability. The alliteration with "s" continues, creating a hissing sound that mimics the snake. The movement is graceful and unhurried. Lawrence presents the snake with admiration and dignity.

And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,

The snake rests its throat on the stone, a specific, intimate detail. The vulnerability of the throat touching stone shows trust and vulnerability.

And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness, / He sipped with his straight mouth,

The snake drinks from water that has dripped from the tap, not from the main trough. It takes only what is needed. The word "sipped" suggests delicate, refined drinking. "Straight mouth" emphasizes the snake's different anatomy but also its precision and dignity.

Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body, / Silently.

The drinking is "soft" and "silent," respectful and unobtrusive. The snake takes only what it needs without aggression or noise. This passage describes the snake with admiration, emphasizing its grace and gentleness despite its reputation as dangerous.

Stanza 4

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

The speaker refers to the snake as "Someone," acknowledging its personhood and equality. The speaker is the "second-comer," diminishing his own importance. He waits with patience and respect.

He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do, / And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do,

The snake is compared to cattle, peaceful domestic animals. The comparison emphasizes that the snake is not threatening but merely another creature. Both the snake and cattle are innocent, non-human creatures. The "vague" look suggests the snake's indifference to the speaker's presence.

And flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips, and mused a moment,

The snake's forked tongue flickers, a detail that emphasizes its otherness. "Mused a moment" suggests the snake is thinking, contemplating, almost human in its reflection. The snake is presented as intelligent and aware.

And stooped and drank a little more, / Being earth-brown, earth-golden from the burning bowels of the earth

The snake continues to drink casually. Its coloring is described as "earth-brown, earth-golden," connecting it directly to the earth. "Burning bowels of the earth" is a striking phrase, suggesting volcanic heat and the snake's connection to subterranean fire. The snake is a creature of the earth itself.

On the day of Sicilian July, with Etna smoking.

The setting is Sicily, with Mount Etna (a volcano) smoking in the background. The volcano represents the earth's raw power and danger. This detail connects the snake to volcanic imagery—both mysterious and dangerous.

Stanza 5-6

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.

Here begins the internal conflict. The "voice of education" represents learned beliefs, social conditioning, and cultural values. Lawrence criticizes this voice as false teaching that contradicts instinct. In Sicily, so this education teaches, black snakes are harmless but golden ones (like this one) are deadly. The speaker has been taught to fear and kill this type of snake.

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

The voices question the speaker's masculinity. They suggest that true manhood means killing dangerous things. This voice represents patriarchal values that associate dominance over nature with male identity. The speaker is pressured to prove his manhood through violence.

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?

The speaker confesses his true feelings contradict the voices. He liked the snake. He was glad it came. He honors the snake as a guest. He wishes it would depart peacefully into the earth. This passage shows the speaker's instinct contradicting his education. He chooses hospitality and respect over violence.

Stanza 7-8

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.

The speaker questions himself obsessively. He interrogates his own motives. "Cowardice" suggests fear. "Perversity" suggests something wrong. "Humility" suggests respect and modesty. Yet each question reveals the speaker's true feelings: he did not kill (was he a coward or was he wise?), he wanted connection ("longed to talk to him"), and he felt honored by the snake's presence. The repetition "I felt so honoured" emphasizes his genuine emotion.

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

The critical voices return, insisting that fear is preventing him from killing. The speaker admits he was afraid—terrified, in fact. But his honor is stronger than his fear. His respect for the snake overcomes his terror. He prioritizes the relationship over survival instinct.

That he should seek my hospitality / From out the dark door of the secret earth.

The speaker feels honored that the snake sought his hospitality, coming from the "dark door of the secret earth." The snake represents the wild, mysterious, otherness that the civilized speaker respects and admires.

Stanza 9-10

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,

The snake has finished drinking and lifts its head. "Dreamily" suggests peaceful satisfaction. The tongue flickers "like a forked night on the air," a striking simile comparing the tongue to night itself—dark and mysterious. The comparison suggests the snake carries darkness with it.

Seeming to lick his lips, / And looked around like a god, unseeing, into the air,

The snake looks around "like a god," elevated to divine status. Yet it is "unseeing," indifferent to the speaker. The god-like comparison elevates the snake while its indifference emphasizes that it has no interest in dominating or harming. It is above such concerns.

And slowly turned his head, / And slowly, very slowly, as if thrice adream, / Proceeded to draw his slow length curving round

The repetition of "slowly" and "slow" creates a dreamlike pace. The snake moves with deliberation and grace. "As if thrice adream" suggests an otherworldly, mystical quality. The description emphasizes beauty and dignity in the snake's movement.

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,

The snake returns to its hole in the wall. The hole is described as "dreadful," showing the speaker's horror at the snake entering darkness. "Snake-easing his shoulders" suggests the snake's natural grace in moving. The snake retreats into darkness, the source from which it came.

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.

The speaker is overcome with horror as the snake enters the hole. This is not fear of the snake but horror at seeing it disappear into darkness. The speaker associates the hole with death, oblivion, and the earth's consuming power. The darkness symbolizes loss and the unknowable.

Stanza 11-12

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

In the moment of the snake's vulnerability, the speaker acts impulsively. He throws a log, making a loud noise. This action is sudden and reactive, contrasting with his earlier thoughtfulness. The act seems small and foolish. It is driven by panic rather than reason.

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

The log may not have hit, but it frightened the snake. The snake's movement becomes "convulsed" and "undignified," losing the grace it had before. It "writhed like lightning," an image of violent power. The snake disappears rapidly.

Into the black hole, the earth-lipped fissure in the wall-front, / At which, in the intense still noon, I stared with fascination.

The snake enters the "earth-lipped fissure," personifying the earth as having lips. The speaker stares with "fascination," unable to look away even as he watches the snake disappear.

Stanza 13-16

And immediately I regretted it. / I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!

Immediately, the speaker's regret is overwhelming. He judges his own action harshly: "paltry" (trivial), "vulgar" (crude), and "mean" (unkind). The exclamation marks show the intensity of his remorse.

I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education.

The speaker turns his anger on himself and the "accursed human education" that shaped him. He rejects the voices that told him to kill. He recognizes that his education made him act against his true instincts and values.

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

The reference to the albatross alludes to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," where a sailor kills an albatross and spends his life regretting it. The speaker sees his action as similarly tragic. He calls the snake "my snake," claiming ownership based on affection. He wishes the snake would return.

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

The speaker elevates the snake to royalty. It is a "king in exile," displaced from its rightful place. It would have been "crowned again" if allowed to return to the earth. The speaker recognizes the snake's nobility and the injustice of driving it away.

And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords / Of life.

The snake is one of "the lords of life," a phrase suggesting the snake's dignity and importance in the natural hierarchy. By driving it away, the speaker missed an opportunity for connection and respect.

And I have something to expiate: / A pettiness.

The final lines are the speaker's acknowledgment of guilt. He must "expiate" (do penance for) his act. The sin is "pettiness"—a small, mean act that contradicts his true values. The word is a fitting conclusion: the speaker's violence was petty, driven by social conditioning rather than genuine threat.

The Snake by D H Lawrence – Word Notes

Water-trough: A long, narrow container used to hold water for animals to drink from.
Pyjamas: Loose clothing worn for sleeping or lounging at home.
Carob tree: An evergreen tree common in Mediterranean regions, producing sweet pods.
Fissure: A narrow crack or opening, especially in a wall or earth.
Gloom: Darkness, shadows, and dim light.
Slackness: Looseness or lack of tightness; relaxation.
Soft-bellied: Having a soft underside; vulnerable.
Sipped: Drank in small quantities.
Vaguely: In an unclear or indistinct manner.
Mused: Thought about or pondered.
Earth-brown, earth-golden: Colors that match the earth; suggests connection to nature.
Burning bowels of the earth: The hot interior of the earth; suggests volcanic fire.
Etna: A volcano in Sicily, the highest volcano in Europe.
Venomous: Poisonous; able to inject toxin through a bite or sting.
Cowardice: Lack of courage; extreme fear.
Perversity: The quality of being contrary to what is expected or desired.
Humility: Modesty; freedom from pride or arrogance.
Honoured: Respected; treated with dignity.
Hospitality: Friendly and generous reception of guests.
Dreamily: In a dream-like, distant manner.
Unseeing: Not looking; indifferent to what is around.
Thrice adream: Three times as if in a dream; dreamlike.
Dreadful: Causing great fear or apprehension.
Horrid: Extremely unpleasant or disgusting.
Convulsed: Shook violently or uncontrollably.
Writhed: Twisted the body in pain or distress.
Fascination: The state of being intensely interested or attracted.
Paltry: Insignificant; of little value or importance.
Vulgar: Lacking refinement or taste; crude.
Mean: Unkind or cruel; of poor quality.
Accursed: Hateful; cursed or deserving of curses.
Albatross: A large seabird; in literature, a symbol of burden or guilt.
Exile: Forced separation from one's home or country.
Uncrowned: Not wearing a crown; stripped of royal status.
Expiate: To make amends for; to do penance for.
Pettiness: The quality of being trivial, small, or petty.

Publication

"The Snake" was written by D.H. Lawrence in 1920-21 during his time living in Taormina, Sicily. The poem was based on a real encounter with a snake at his water-trough at Fontana Vecchia, his home near Mount Etna. It was first published in The Dial magazine in July 1921 and later included in Lawrence's poetry collection "Birds, Beasts and Flowers: Poems" in 1923. The poem became one of Lawrence's most celebrated and frequently anthologized works.

Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, and essayist (1885-1930) known for his controversial exploration of human sexuality, nature, and spirituality. "The Snake" represents Lawrence's ecological consciousness and his belief in the equality of all living creatures. The poem reflects Lawrence's broader philosophy as expressed in works like "Psychoanalysis and the Unconscious" (1921) and "Fantasia of the Unconscious" (1922), which emphasized instinct and intuition over rational, educational conditioning.

Context

D.H. Lawrence wrote "The Snake" during a transformative period in his life and artistic development. He was living in Sicily with his wife Frieda after years of travel and exile following the scandal surrounding his explicit novel "The Rainbow" (1915), which was banned as obscene. The Sicilian setting was significant—it was a place where Lawrence felt free from English social conventions and where he could explore themes of nature, sexuality, and human consciousness without restriction.

The poem reflects Lawrence's fascination with consciousness beyond the human mind and his belief that animals possess their own forms of intelligence and dignity. This period coincided with his exploration of psychoanalytic ideas and his development of what he called "blood-consciousness"—a form of wisdom derived from instinct and bodily experience rather than intellectual training. The poem also reflects Lawrence's critique of modern industrial civilization and his yearning for a more authentic, natural way of living.

Setting

"The Snake" is set at Lawrence's home in Taormina, Sicily, specifically at the water-trough outside his house at Fontana Vecchia. The setting is realistic and specific, yet it becomes symbolic of larger themes. Taormina is located on the coast of Sicily with Mount Etna visible in the distance—a volcano that Lawrence mentions explicitly in the poem. The hot Sicilian summer provides the context for the speaker being in pyjamas and for both the human and the snake needing water.

The carob tree provides "strange-scented shade," creating an exotic, non-English atmosphere. The water-trough is a liminal space, a boundary between civilization (the house) and nature (the earth). The hole in the wall through which the snake retreats represents the boundary between the visible, conscious world and the hidden, mysterious underworld. This setting emphasizes that the encounter takes place at the meeting point of human civilization and wild nature, where the two must negotiate and coexist.

Title

The title "The Snake" is deliberately simple and direct, naming the central figure of the poem without elaboration. The definite article "The" suggests universality—this is not just any snake but THE snake, a singular, significant creature worthy of attention and contemplation. The title prepares readers for an encounter narrative, promising a straightforward story.

However, the poem's complexity lies beneath this simple title. The snake is not merely a literal animal but a symbol of nature, otherness, instinct, and the non-human world that humans must learn to respect. The title's simplicity contrasts with the poem's profound exploration of consciousness, violence, regret, and the conflict between education and instinct. By naming the poem simply "The Snake," Lawrence focuses attention on the creature itself rather than on the speaker's internal struggle, though the poem is ultimately about both. The title emphasizes that even the smallest, most feared creatures deserve serious attention and respect.

Form and Language

"The Snake" is written in free verse, a form with no regular meter, rhyme scheme, or stanza length. This choice is significant—the irregular form mirrors the flowing, unpredictable movement of the snake itself and the speaker's shifting emotional state. The poem consists of sixteen stanzas of varying lengths, from single lines to longer verse paragraphs. The lack of formal structure allows Lawrence to create a natural, conversational tone that feels like a direct confession or narrative account rather than a constructed literary artifact.

The language is primarily straightforward and accessible, using concrete imagery and sensory details. Lawrence avoids ornate vocabulary, preferring simple words like "liked," "glad," and "honoured." However, he employs striking metaphors and similes: the tongue "like a forked night," the snake "like a king," the hole "earth-lipped." This combination of plain language with vivid imagery creates an intimate, moving tone.

Repetition is a key device: "must wait, must stand and wait," "slowly, very slowly," "hot, hot day." These repetitions emphasize emotional intensity and important concepts. The language is also notably sensory—visual, tactile, and auditory images immerse readers in the scene. Lawrence's language throughout reflects his modernist approach to poetry, combining accessibility with psychological and symbolic depth.

Meter and Rhyme

"The Snake" employs free verse, meaning there is no consistent meter or rhyme scheme. Unlike traditional poetry with predetermined patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, Lawrence varies line length and rhythm throughout the poem. This flexibility creates a conversational, natural tone. Some lines are quite short ("To drink there," "Silently"), while others are longer and more complex. The varying line lengths create visual and rhythmic variety on the page and in reading.

While the poem has no regular end rhyme, there are occasional internal rhymes and sound patterns that create musicality. Words beginning with "s" are particularly frequent ("strange-scented shade," "soft-bellied," "sipped," "slowly"), creating a sibilant effect that mimics the snake's hissing sound. This is an example of how Lawrence uses sound devices even without a formal rhyme scheme. Alliteration with other consonants also appears throughout: "clumsy," "convulsed," "dreadful," "dark," and "deliberately."

Assonance—the repetition of vowel sounds—appears in phrases like "He drank enough," where the repeated short "u" sound creates a particular rhythm. These subtle sound devices provide the poem with musicality and coherence without relying on traditional formal patterns. The free verse form allows Lawrence to prioritize meaning and emotion over technical structure, making the poem feel spontaneous and emotionally authentic.

The Snake by D H Lawrence – Themes

1. Instinct versus Education and Social Conditioning

The central tension of the poem is between the speaker's natural instincts and the cultural values he has been taught. His instinct is to respect the snake, welcome it as a guest, and admire its grace and beauty. His education, by contrast, teaches him that he must kill the golden snake because it is venomous. The "voice of his education" tells him that true manhood means killing dangerous animals. Throughout the poem, Lawrence critiques this education, calling it "accursed." He suggests that social conditioning forces humans to act against their genuine feelings and values. The speaker's regret at throwing the log shows that he recognizes his instinct was right and his conditioning was wrong. Lawrence argues that humans should listen to their natural, intuitive responses rather than blindly following inherited beliefs.

2. Respect for Nature and Non-Human Life

Lawrence emphasizes the dignity and worth of the snake as a living being deserving respect. The speaker honors the snake as a guest and a king, recognizing its equal right to the water and its inherent value. The snake is never presented as merely dangerous; instead, Lawrence emphasizes its grace, gentleness, and beauty. The speaker's treatment of the snake as "someone" rather than "something" asserts the snake's personhood. By comparing the snake to cattle and then elevating it to divine and royal status, Lawrence suggests all creatures possess dignity. His ecological consciousness—his belief that humans and nature should coexist harmoniously—is central to the poem. The speaker's regret stems from recognizing that he violated this principle by driving the snake away in an act of violence. Lawrence argues for a fundamental respect for all living things, not as resources to be dominated but as beings worthy of reverence.

3. The Conflict Between Fear and Courage

The speaker experiences genuine fear of the snake, yet he defines true courage as not killing despite that fear. The voices in his head suggest that courage means overcoming fear through violence, but the speaker discovers that true courage means respecting life despite danger. He admits "I was most afraid," yet he chooses hospitality over killing. This redefines masculine virtue away from domination toward compassion. The speaker's later throwing of the log, however, reveals that education and conditioning can override even this courageous instinct in a moment of panic. His regret shows his recognition that his impulsive act was cowardly—a surrender to inherited fear rather than a brave assertion of genuine values. Lawrence explores how fear can be taught and how social conditioning can make humans act against their own better judgment. True courage, the poem suggests, means trusting instinct and respect over fear and social pressure.

4. Loss and Regret as Consequences of Violating One's True Nature

The poem's conclusion emphasizes lasting regret and the concept of expiation for a single moment of weakness. The speaker violated his true values in a moment of panic and must live with the consequences. He "missed his chance with one of the lords of life," losing an opportunity for profound connection and mutual respect. The reference to the albatross from Coleridge's poem suggests that this small act will haunt him permanently, requiring spiritual penance. Lawrence uses this ending to show that choices matter—that allowing social conditioning to override instinct creates lasting guilt and regret. The speaker must "expiate a pettiness," acknowledging that his betrayal of his true feelings, though seemingly small, has significant moral and spiritual weight. This theme teaches that living authentically—being true to one's genuine feelings and values—is essential to avoiding a life of regret and self-contempt.

The Snake by D H Lawrence – Symbols

The Snake

The snake represents nature, instinct, and otherness in its most archetypal form. For centuries, snakes have symbolized danger, temptation, and evil in Western culture (the serpent in the Garden of Eden). Lawrence deliberately subverts this tradition, presenting the snake as noble, graceful, and worthy of respect. The snake embodies pure instinct, consciousness different from human consciousness but equally valid. It is described as "like a god," elevating it beyond the merely animal. The snake also represents the fear-inducing unknown and the mysterious underworld (both literal and psychological) from which it emerges. Its willingness to drink peacefully and depart without threat contradicts stereotypes about snakes as inherently vicious. The snake symbolizes everything humans have been taught to fear and destroy but which deserves acceptance and coexistence. By the poem's end, it represents "one of the lords of life," deserving equal dignity with humans.

The Water-Trough

The water-trough is the space where human civilization meets nature, where two different beings share a resource necessary for survival. It represents the boundary between the domestic sphere (the house, civilization) and the wild realm (the earth, nature). The fact that both the speaker and the snake come to drink from the same trough suggests fundamental equality—both creatures have the same basic needs. The trough becomes a stage for the drama of human-nature relations. It is also a domestic space, suggesting that nature intrudes upon human homes and civilized life. The water itself symbolizes life, necessity, and the natural flow of existence that transcends human social divisions. The trough represents a place where respect and hospitality could flourish between different beings, yet it also becomes the site of conflict when the speaker's panic leads to violence. The space symbolizes both potential harmony and the capacity for human betrayal of that harmony.

The Hole and Darkness

The hole in the wall represents the underworld, the unconscious, and the mysterious realm beyond human understanding. When the snake retreats into the hole, it moves from the visible, rational world into darkness and mystery. Lawrence emphasizes the speaker's horror at this disappearance—the speaker cannot bear to watch the snake enter "that dreadful hole" and the "horrid black hole." The darkness of the hole symbolizes the human fear of the unknown, the irrational, and death itself. The speaker associates the hole with consumption and oblivion, suggesting his anxieties about the earth's power to destroy and transform. Yet the hole is also the snake's rightful home, the place of its origin and peace. The speaker's inability to let the snake depart peacefully into darkness represents humanity's attempt to control and dominate nature, to keep everything visible and within rational understanding. The hole symbolizes the boundary between the known and the unknown, the living and the dead, consciousness and unconsciousness.

Mount Etna and Fire

Mount Etna, the volcano visible in the distance and actively smoking during the poem's setting, symbolizes the earth's raw power, danger, and creative/destructive force. Etna is described as producing the snake, which comes from "the burning bowels of the earth." The volcano represents the earth's interior heat and power—both nourishing and terrifying. It suggests that the earth itself is alive, active, and dangerous, not a passive stage for human activity. The fire of Etna connects to the speaker's perception of the snake, which he describes with fiery imagery ("forked night," "writhed like lightning," "burning bowels"). Fire symbolizes both the snake's vitality and the passion of life itself. Etna's ongoing activity during the poem's setting adds urgency and a sense of nature's indifference to human concerns. The volcano represents the larger natural forces that dwarf human existence and against which human attempts at control are futile. It symbolizes the sublime—something beautiful and terrifying at once, demanding respect and humility.

The Snake by D H Lawrence – Literary Devices

Extended Narrative

Example: The entire poem unfolds as a narrative of a specific encounter, told in first person with immediate, intimate detail.

Explanation: Lawrence structures the poem as a personal narrative rather than a formal lyric. The speaker recounts events in sequence, creating dramatic tension and emotional immediacy. This form makes the poem feel like a direct confession or testimony, drawing readers into the speaker's experience. The narrative form also allows Lawrence to show the speaker's internal conflict and evolution throughout the encounter, rather than simply describing static emotions.

Imagery and Sensory Detail

Example: "He sipped with his straight mouth, / Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body, / Silently" and "flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips."

Explanation: Lawrence uses vivid sensory details to immerse readers in the scene. Visual imagery (the snake's movement, coloring), tactile imagery (soft-bellied, straight mouth), and auditory imagery (silence, the "clatter" of the thrown log) create a multisensory experience. This concrete detailing makes the encounter feel real and emotionally powerful. The sensory focus on the snake's body and movement shows Lawrence's admiration for the creature's physical reality.

Alliteration and Sibilance

Example: "strange-scented shade," "soft-bellied," "sipped," "slowly," "snake-easing."

Explanation: The repeated "s" sound mimics the hissing sound of a snake. This sibilance creates a musical, whispering quality that echoes the snake's presence throughout the poem. Even when the snake is not explicitly present, the sibilant sounds evoke its presence sonically. This technique creates a subliminal connection between sound and subject, making the poem itself somewhat snake-like in its sibilant flow.

Repetition

Example: "must wait, must stand and wait," "slowly, very slowly," "hot, hot day," "dreadful...horrid...horrific."

Explanation: Repetition emphasizes key emotions and ideas. The repeated "must wait" stresses the speaker's enforced patience. The repeated "slowly" creates a dreamlike pace that mirrors the snake's movement. The accumulation of negative words ("dreadful," "horrid," "horror") builds the speaker's anxiety. Repetition also creates a rhythmic quality that compensates for the lack of regular meter in the free verse form.

Simile and Metaphor

Example: Simile: "as cattle do," "like a forked night," "like a king," "like lightning." Metaphor: "the burning bowels of the earth," "earth-lipped fissure," "one of the lords of life."

Explanation: Lawrence uses comparisons to elevate the snake and create vivid imagery. The simile comparing the snake to cattle emphasizes its peaceful nature, while comparing it to a god and king elevates its status. The metaphorical language describing the earth as having "bowels" and "lips" personifies nature and emphasizes its living, active power. These devices help Lawrence convey complex ideas about the snake's significance and the speaker's emotional responses.

Rhetorical Questions

Example: "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?"

Explanation: Lawrence uses a series of rhetorical questions to expose the speaker's self-doubt and internal conflict. The questions reveal the speaker's confusion about his own motivations and the contradictory voices within him. This technique makes readers identify with the speaker's struggle and witness his self-interrogation. The questions emphasize that there may not be simple answers to complex emotional and moral situations.

Enjambment

Example: Lines continue across line breaks without pauses, creating flowing syntax: "And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black, / Seeming to lick his lips..."

Explanation: Lawrence uses enjambment to create a flowing, natural speech rhythm that mimics the snake's sinuous movement. The lack of grammatical stops at line ends creates momentum and prevents the poem from feeling fragmented. This technique also allows for complex ideas to unfold across multiple lines, creating sophistication and subtlety. The flowing form reinforces the poem's theme of natural, instinctive connection.

Allusion

Example: "And I thought of the albatross," referencing Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner."

Explanation: Lawrence alludes to Coleridge's poem about a sailor who kills an albatross and spends his life regretting it. This reference connects the speaker's small act of violence to larger literary traditions about guilt and redemption. The allusion suggests that the speaker's throwing of the log will have lasting consequences, similar to the ancient mariner's burden. It adds literary weight and significance to what might otherwise seem like a minor incident.

Personification

Example: The "voice of my education," the snake as "a king," "the earth-lipped fissure," the hole "going into the blackness."

Explanation: Lawrence personifies abstract concepts (education), animals (the snake as royalty), and natural features (the earth with lips) to create vividness and emotional resonance. Personification makes these elements feel alive and active. It emphasizes the speaker's emotional engagement with them and transforms abstract ideas into concrete, living presences. The personification of the earth as having lips and the hole as deliberately going into blackness creates a sense of agency and intention in nature.

Oxymoron

Example: "And yet those voices" (contradiction between the speaker's feelings and the critical voices); the snake "unseeing" yet "looking"; "undignified haste" (lack of dignity in speed).

Explanation: Lawrence uses contradictory language to capture the complexity and paradox of the speaker's experience. The contradiction between the speaker's instinctive admiration and the voices commanding destruction creates tension that propels the poem. The oxymoronic language reflects the impossible situation of the speaker torn between opposing values. These contradictions emphasize the fundamental conflict that the poem explores.