Summary of Poem The Snake Trying by W.W.E. Ross Beehive Class 9
Introduction of The Snake TryingMost of us think snakes as fearsome symbols of death. But the poet has a different opinion about it. In his view that snakes are not harmful if they are not disturbed. They make harm to the human body only when they think him a danger for their own life. In this poem, the snake itself becomes a victim of human hardness.
Summary of The Snake Trying
Snakes are one of the many beautiful creatures of the nature. This poem is all about a snake and how a snake is trying to escape the onslaught by someone‘s stick. The poem, in very simple and clear words, conveys the message that all creatures of nature need to be treated in a kind and sympathetic manner. Even snakes must not be attacked because they do not bite unless they sense a danger to their life.
The poem opens with the image of a snake being chased with a stick and trying to save itself from being struck. One day a snake was lying on the sandy bank of a pond or a river. Someone observes it and runs after it with a stick. He wants to kill it. The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick. It runs with sudden curves in its body. It looks very beautiful and graceful. It glides through the water to save itself from the stroke. The poet sees all this. He asks the chaser to let the snake go away without any hurt. He says that it is a small green snake. It can‘t make harm even to a small child. But the chaser does not listen to the poet. He is after the snake but it disappears in the ripples among the green slim reeds.
Stanza 1
The snake trying
to escape the pursuing stick,
with sudden curvings of thin
long body. How beautiful
and graceful are his shapes!
He glides through the water away
from the stroke.
Killing a tree is a tough job. It is not a simple job which can be done by simple strike of knife. The tree has been considered ironically as enemy of human beings. The tree slowly consumes earth. It uses earth resources. It is feed by those resources on earth‘s crust. It rises by consuming air, sunlight, water for years. By consuming Earth‘s resources leaves have grown from its leprous like bark.
Stanza 2
O let him go
over the water
into the reeds to hide
without hurt. Small and green
he is harmless even to children.
The poet is pleading the person who is following snake with stick to leave the snake. Poet is telling him to let the snake go in the water. Let him hide behind the reeds without getting hurt. Reeds are types of plants like long grasses. The poet says the snake is small and green. It would not harm anyone. It would not harm children.
Stanza 3
Along the sand
he lay until observed
and chased away, and now
he vanishes in the ripples
among the green slim reeds.
He was lying on sand until he was not observed. After that he was chased away. Then it vanishes in water, and then he hide himself among the green slim reeds.