The Snake Trying

 

Introduction

In the poem, the poet says that the snake tries to escape from being hit by the stick held by a person who is trying to kill it. The poet wants to say that all snakes are not harmful. Humans have a notion that snakes are dangerous and try to kill them as soon as they spot one but this is not true.

Meanings

cursing: chasing, following

curvings:  twistings

glides: moves

stroke: hitting of the stick

reeds: water or marsh plants with thick stems

vanishes: disappears

Literary devices

1. Rhyme scheme is absent. The poem is written in free verse.

2. Transferred epithet: the adjective used with a noun refers to a noun other than the one with which it is used.

Pursuing stick - pursuing refers to the person who is holding the stick and not the stick itself.

3. Alliteration: the repetition of a consonant sound in 2 or more consecutive words.

He is harmless - ‘h’

Summary

In this poem, a harmless green-colored snake tries to save itself from being hit by a person who is chasing it with a stick to kill it. The poet says that the snake is harmless even to children. People fear snakes and when they see one, they try to kill it with a stick. The snake tries to save itself and hides behind the green-colored bushes of marshy plants growing in the water. It hides in the ripples of the water body in order to save itself. The snake disappears behind the marshy plants.

Thinking about the poem (Page 125)

1. What is the snake trying to escape from?

The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick. Human beings try their level best to kill the snake. They take it for granted that the snake is poisonous and harmful.

2. Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour?

No, it is not a harmful snake. Its colour is green.

3. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty.

The poet uses the following words to convey the beauty of the snake: beautiful and graceful, small and green.

4. What does the poet wish for the snake?

The poet wishes that the snake should be allowed to go. It should not be killed by the perusing man.

5. Where was the snake before anyone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear?

The snake was away from its secure area. It was basking in the sun along the sand. Finally, it disappears in the reeds.