Snake Summary Class 10 English

Summary of Snake

In this article, you will be reading a snake summary, a poem by the renowned poet D.H. Lawrence. In this poem, the poet describes the conflict in his mind after he sees a snake in his water-trough. The snake is golden- brown in colour and as per the social education, it is poisonous and needs to be killed. But, due to his natural human instincts, the poet feels that it is a guest. It is thirsty and has thus come to drink water and so it will do no harm. Later, when after drinking the water, the snake is withdrawing in his black hole the poet throws a log of wood on him. This act of his is due to the social education that he has received through years. However, he regrets this act of his and decides that he shall give due honour to the snake if he comes again.

Snake Summary in English

The poem begins with the poet coming to the water-trough to fetch water on a hot day in his pyjamas to beat the heat. A dark carob tree shaded the place and a strange smell surrounded it. Here, he finds a golden-brown snake that has also come to quench his thirst. He waits for the snake to drink the water and go. While doing this he finds that the snake must have come out from a crack in the wall. He learns that the snake is golden-brown in colour, has a soft belly, straight gums and a slack long body. While the snake is sipping water, the poet is waiting for his turn like a second-comer.

The snake sensed the presence of the poet and thus lifted his head and looked inexplicitly at him in the manner similar to the cattle. It flickers his two-forked tongue, ponders for a moment, stoops and goes back to drinking water from the trough. This suggests to the poet that it is very thirsty. The poet feels that the snake has come out of the burning earth as it was a very hot day of July in Sicily. He also mentions that Mount Etna, a natural volcano on the Sicilian Island of Italy is smoking.

Now, the conflict begins in the poet’s mind. His social education says that the golden snakes are poisonous and therefore he shall kill it. His mind urges him to kill it if he is man enough. But, the poet’s natural human instincts make him like it and he feels happy that it came to his water-trough to drink water. He was feeling honoured on the visit of the snake. While the snake started to depart after drinking the water, back to the hole from where he had come from. The poet suddenly put his pitcher down, took a log of wood and threw it at the water-trough. The snake went inside the hole at a lightning speed. The poet further says that he thinks the log did not hurt it. But, he regrets doing this act of cruelty.

The poet concludes by saying that he shall apologize for his petty behaviour and will be very happy to have the snake as his guest.

Conclusion of Snake

The poem ‘Snake’ teaches us that we should always go with our natural human instincts and honour and respect all living beings.