Snake by Dh Lawrence

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Explicate “Snake” Lawrence’s “Snake” is a free verse poem that deals with the clash between education and conscience. It does this through the dilemma the speaker faces when he encounters a snake that comes to drink at his water-trough. Lawrence uses a variety of poetic devices to convey the internal conflict the speaker feels. The poem begins by describing the time and atmosphere by making use of vivid visual, olfactory, and tactile imagery. The speaker begins by waiting on the snake that came to his water-trough, just as he did to evade the heat they both feel, and treating it as if it is an honored guest at his house. As the snake continues to quench his thirst by the pond, the speaker observes it carefully, slowly getting drawn into its every movement. Then the “voice of education”(line 24), social rules and conventions, kicks in saying he must kill the snake for it is dangerous. He feels burdened by the intrusion of the “voice of education”, which symbolizes social rules, that regards the snake as a treacherous and lethal being for he simply feels honored by the humble, tranquil guest who comes to drink from his water-trough. But he succumbs to society education and the poem reaches its turning point where he flings a log at the snake. He immediately feels regret for his disgraceful act because he feels he has betrayed himself by doing so. The poem possesses no specific rhythm or rhyme scene for it is a free verse. The poem is also spatial poetry for the visual structure of the poem is like that of a snake’s body. The lines are deliberately crooked and uneven. Alliteration as in “slackness soft bellied”, “strange-scented shade” (line 4) and the constant repetition of sibilance adds to the importance of the snake in the poem and makes the poem flow easily. The speaker conveys his encounters through first person point of view and this enhances the

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