Main Theme and Moral of “The Snake Trying” Poem Explained
The Snake Trying is a poem in the Class 9 English textbook Beehive. The poem is written by W.W.E.Ross. In this poem, the poet is telling us about a snake. A snake that is feared by humans and categorized as a symbol of death is actually a victim in the poem. The snake is trying to save himself from a man who is trying to kill him. Through this poem, the poet wants to send a message to the world that every creature is beautiful. We destroy or kill them based on our assumptions. The snake, whom we fear, is actually feared of us. Let us dive into the poem and read the summary.
Summary of the Poem- The Snake Trying
The poem is all about the situation of a snake. In this poem, the difficulty of a snake is described in a very beautiful manner. One fine day, a snake was resting near a water body. A man was also there at that time. Seeing the snake, he immediately got afraid. He ran with a stick towards the snake to kill him, assuming that the snake would harm him. The snake, on the other hand, was afraid and tried to save himself.
To save himself, the snake made curves in his body and glided through the water. The poet here tried to show the beauty of nature's creation. The snake looks very beautiful and fascinating to the poet when it moves its long and thin body through the water.
The snake tries to save himself. He tries to hide its green body behind the bushes. Anyone, be it humans or animals will try to save them from possible harm. The snake also tried to do the same. The poet here is sympathetic towards the snake. He tries to stop the man from harming the snake and requests the man to let the snake escape. A poet is a soft-hearted man who is affectionate towards the animals. He here tries to give a message that we, human beings, should be affectionate towards the animals. Not every animal is harmful.
The man, in turn, does not pay any attention to the poet’s plea and continues to chase the snake. The man here symbolizes an evil person. How much you try to stop the evil person, he is not going to stop. They keep on doing their evil act. But somehow, the snake was able to escape the danger and disappeared. The chase ended with this and the snake was able to save himself.
About the Author
The poem The Snake Trying has been written by a famous writer William Wrighton Eustace Ross also known in short as W. W. E. Ross. Ross was born on 14 June 1894 in the Peterborough city of Ontario which is located in Canada, to his parents Ralph and Ella Louise Ross (née Wrighton). Ross grew up in Pembroke, Ontario. In support of his studies, he also did summer work on the geological surveys in Northern Ontario and also studied geophysics at the University of Toronto.
He is known as the "First Modern Canadian Poet" because of his significant contribution to Canadian literature, particularly poetry. He was the first Canadian poet to flourish in surrealism and Imagist poetry. Imagism was a 20th-century poetry movement that began in Anglo-American poetry. It prepared the path for Anglo-American literature to embrace Modernism. Imagists emphasized free verse and focused on bringing back ancient traditional styles of poetry.
A poem, written in free verse, does not have to follow any rhyme, rhythm, or meter. It was delivered in a typical day-to-day manner. Imagism emphasized the use of physical imagery in poetry, as well as purity of speech and simplicity. Surrealism, on the other hand, was concerned with bringing the beauty and enchantment that can be found in even the most ordinary and non-traditional objects to the attention of the public. W.W.E. Ross was the first person in Canada to publish surrealist poems and Imagist poetry.
Ross was a well-known geophysicist other than being a poet. Geophysics is a natural science branch that studies or researches the physical properties of the surroundings of the earth in space. As a result, Ross’s poetry comprises a sense of the land and its inhabitants.
"Laconic," his first collection of poetry, had some of his most well-known poems, including "The Fish," "The Diver," and "The Snake Trying." His writings reflected the influence of imagist poets such as Ezra Pound and E.E. Cummings.
Structure of the Poem
W.W.E. Ross' poem 'The Snake Trying' comprises a total of 16 lines in it. The other thing about the poem is that it does not have a set rhyming scheme. It has been written in the form of free poetry, and the flow has been maintained by the poet's internal rhythm. On the other hand, slant rhymes have been used by the poet in a few situations. For example, "Green" and "children have a rhyming relationship. Furthermore, "ripples" inadequately rhymes with "reeds" in the last two lines. The anapestic and iambic meters are used throughout the poem. It doesn't have a traditional meter scheme because it's a modern poem. Aside from that, the poem's line contractions signify a shift in ideas and pictures.
Conclusion
Through the poem, The Snake Trying, the poet W.W.E.Ross wants to deliver a message that we should be empathetic towards the animals. We should not run behind innocent animals to kill them just because they are in front of our eyes. They may be venomous as the snake, but they don't harm us all the time. Rather, we, humans, try to kill these innocent animals just because we assume that they will harm us. We should respect each and every creature of the world and praise their beauty rather than trying to harm or kill them.
FAQs on The Snake Trying Summary: Easy Explanation & Key Takeaways
1. What is the snake in the poem 'The Snake Trying' attempting to escape from?
In the poem by W.W.E. Ross, the snake is trying to escape from a human being who is chasing it with a stick. The man, acting on the preconceived notion that all snakes are dangerous, tries to attack and kill the creature. The poem focuses on the snake's desperate attempt to save its life from this unprovoked human aggression.
2. What is the central message or moral of the poem 'The Snake Trying'?
The central message of the poem is that humans should not harm other living creatures based on fear and prejudice. The poet advocates for coexistence and appreciating the beauty of nature. He highlights that many creatures, like the 'small green' snake in the poem, are harmless and that our assumptions can lead to unnecessary violence and destruction of natural beauty.
3. How does the poet use imagery and word choice to describe the snake's movements?
The poet uses graceful and elegant imagery to describe the snake's movements, contrasting with the man's aggressive actions. Key descriptions include:
- "Sudden curvings of thin long body" to show its agility.
- How it "glides through the water" away from the stroke.
- The way it "vanishes in the ripples among the green slim reeds", emphasising its seamless connection with its natural habitat.
4. What is the significance of the snake being described as 'harmless even to children'?
This description is highly significant as it directly challenges the most common stereotype about snakes. By stating it is harmless even to the most vulnerable (children), the poet emphatically establishes the snake's innocence and the complete injustice of the man's attack. It serves to build empathy in the reader and underscores the poem's core theme that fear is often irrational and misplaced.
5. What does the man's action of chasing the snake with a stick reveal about human nature?
The man's action reveals a destructive aspect of human nature driven by ignorance and fear. He represents the tendency to destroy what is not understood. Instead of observing the snake's beauty and grace, he immediately resorts to violence. His character acts as a symbol for humanity's often hostile and thoughtless interference in the natural world.
6. How does the poet create a contrast between the snake and the person chasing it?
The poet creates a stark contrast through actions and descriptions. The snake is portrayed as a victim, described with words like 'graceful' and 'beautiful' as it tries to escape. In contrast, the man is the aggressor, associated with the violent 'pursuing stick' and the 'stroke'. The snake is in harmony with nature, while the man is a disruptive and violent force.
7. What is the importance of the setting, particularly the 'green slim reeds', in the poem?
The setting is crucial as it represents a sanctuary or safe haven for the snake. The 'green slim reeds' are part of the snake's natural world, offering it camouflage and a chance to escape. The setting highlights the theme of nature protecting its own from human intrusion. The snake's ability to vanish into the reeds symbolises its rightful place in the ecosystem, a place the man is violating.
