Emotions in the poem Snake by DH Lawrence

569 Words2 Pages

Snake by DH Lawrence

In Snake, Lawrence tells of a confrontation with a snake he had at his water trough. This poem is actually based on an incident that occurred to him and obviously reflects his feelings and emotions.
Lawrence was honored by the snakes presence, but was also afraid. “If you were not afraid, you would kill him”, he said to himself. He simply waits for the snake to finish drinking its water, and then throws a log at it to scare it away. After doing so he immediately regrets doing it because he missed a chance with one of the “lords of life.” Throughout the poem Lawrence illustrates his point about strife and the clash of opposites. Education and social conventions make
Lawrence think that the poisonous snake must be killed, and that a brave man should undertake the task. For a brief moment Lawrence lacked the faith of his own intuition and missed his chance with one of the lords of life. (Internet, 3) He compares the snake to domesticated farm animals and to a human by referring to the snake as “someone” and describing “him” as amusing. Lawrence compares the snake to a god, a king, and a lord of life. It almost seems as he feels the snake is above him. The snake is the first one on the scene, and the first to leave. Lawrence wonders why “petty” mankind always tries to rob the dignity from all Godly creatures
(Masterplots, 1930).
Some religious themes could be drawn from the poem as well.
There was a snake in the Garden of Eden. Lawrence is drawn by the snake, just as Eve was in the Bible. He is in complete awe of it, and can not decide to turn away from it or get a chance to understand it.
Lawrence’s act of scaring it away could illustrate an attempt to draw closer to God. His inner feelings are fear of the snake “And truly I was afraid, I was most afraid, But even so, honoured still more.” His
Garden was both honored and violated by the snake (Masterplots,
1931). This poem, along with others, convey his inner feelings and conflicts. He is confused on how he should feel about the snake. He is torn between what he thinks society would have him do, and what would be morally right. He has been taught that a snake is something

Open Document