Chapter 9 – Snake

Snake

Check out the topics covered in Chapter before you start your preparation. Improve your grammar skills with the help of Bihar Board Class 12 English Poem 9 Snake pdf links. The solutions for Bihar State Board Class 12 English Textbook are prepared by the English experts. So, if you follow Bihar Board Class 12 English Textbook Solutions you can cover all the topics in Poem 9 Snake. This helps to improve your communication skills.

B. 1.1. Write T for true and F for false statements

(a) It was a hot day when the thirsty snake came to drink water.
(b) The speaker was in a haste to drink water.
(c) The colour of the snake was yellow-black.
(d) The speaker considered himself a second comer to the trough.
Answer:
(a) T (b) T (c) F (d) T.

B.1.2. Answer the following questions briefly 

Question 1.
Where did the speaker meet the snake?
Answer:
The speaker met the snake near water trough of his house. It had come there to drink water. The speaker had also went there for the same purpose i.e. for drinking water.

Question 2.
Why had it come out of its hole near the trough?
Answer:
It had come out of its hole near the trough to drink water because it was too hot and the snake was thirsty.

Question 3.
Why did the speaker decide to wait?
Answer:
The speaker decided to wait because the snake had come first near the water through and he (speaker) was a second-comer.

B. 2.1. Write T for true and F for false statements

(a) The snake looked at the speaker vaguely.
(b) The day mentioned in the poem is that of June.
(c) There was a superstitious belief in Sicily to kill a black snake.
(d) The speaker was glad playing host to a snake.
(e) The snake departed in an obliged way.
(1) The speaker had a desire to talk to the snake.
Answer:
(a) T (b) F (c) F (d) T (e) F (f) T

B.2.2. Answer the following questions briefly 

Question 1.
How did the snake drink water?
Answer:
The snake went to the water-trough and put his mouth upon the depth (bottom) of that trough. He sipped (drank slowly) the water with its straight mouth.

Question 2.
What is the meaning of ‘Sicilian July’ with Etna smoking?
Answer:
‘Sicilian July’ with Etna smoking means extreme heat like the one caused when Etna erupted i.e. it was so hot as the volcano Etna in Sicily.

Question 3.
What is the belief prevailing in Sicily about a snake?
Answer:
The belief prevailing in Sicily about a snake was that black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous. So yellow-brown (golden) snake would be killed.

Question 4.
Why did the speaker like the snake?
Answer:
The speaker liked the snake because it looked most innocent. It drank the water peacefully for which it came there.

Question 5.
Do you think he had a conflict in mind?
Answer:
Yes, I think that he had a conflict in mind. He was afraid of it and also thought that it was a guest which came to drink water at his house.

B. 3.1. Write T for true and F for false statements 

(a) The speaker found the slow movement of the snake quite impressive.
(b) The speaker did not like the snake going back to the dark hole.
(c) He threw the pitcher at the snake.
(d) He later regretted having hit it.
(e) He compares it to a sea-bird, albatross.
(f) The snake appeared like a king in exile.
Answer:
(a) T (b) T (c) F (d) T (e) T (f) T.

B.3.2. Answer the following questions briefly

Question 1.
What thing about the snake did appeal him most?
Answer:
It came to the poet’s house to drink water as a guest. It came calmly for the purpose and departed peacefully being satisfied, had appealed him most.

Question 2.
Why did he not like it going back to the dark hole?
Answer:
The poet did not like it going back to the dark hole because he was just thinking about the snake that it was just like a guest and as such like a god.

Question 3.
What was his reaction after hitting the snake?
Answer:
He (the speaker) regretted after hitting it (snake). He felt that he had done wrong. How mean, how much uncivilized was his act. By doing so he had committed a sin, was his reaction.

Question 4.
Why did the speaker consider it “a king in exile”?
Answer:
The speaker considered it ‘a king in exile’ because it was peaceful and had done nothing wrong with him. He was his guest as well. Its look was like a king in exite. It did not misuse its power.

C. 1. Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
The speaker was fascinated by the snake. Do you think the time mentioned and the place it belonged to has anything to do with fascination?
Answer:
It was an extremely hot summer’s night. The speaker felt thirsty and as such he came out of his room with a pitcher to take water to drink. He saw a snake near the water trough, who had come from a nearby hole for the same purpose i.e. to drink water, after feeling thirsty. Though it was a yellow-brown fierceful cobra with its eyes shinning but its manners were decent. It sipped the water softly and peacefully with its straight gums from the water-trough. Being pacified it returned back to the black hole of the earth, from where it had come. It vaguely looked at the speaker but did no harm. The speaker was so much enchanted with its action and behaviour that he liked its association for some time. He was so admired that he thought it to be his guest. Further¬more, he was so fascinated that it (snake) looked like a god to him. As such the time and the place of its arrival on the scene bears no importance, but its gentle and sober look and behaviour impressed the speaker.

Question 2.
What does he mean by ‘the voice of my education?’
Answer:
It is privilent that snakes become poisonous. If most of them who are poisonous bite a human being, he will not survive and is bound to die. People become frightened it a snake appears before them. As such they kill the snake. Such type of training to kill the snake is being imparted by elderly persons to youngers. Elderly persons instruct their youngsters to kill the snake as and when they happen to see it. Here voice of my education denotes the same meaning to kill the snake when it appears before you. Here there is a special reference, a special meaning of the above term. In Sicily, where the speaker resides, there is a proverb “the black serpant are innocent and the gold (yellow) are poisonous”. This cobra happens to be brown-yellow and ought to be killed.

Question 3.
There was a conflict in the mind of the poet How did he analyse this conflict?
Answer:
Of course, there was a conflict in the poet’s mind when he met with the cobra. The cobra feeling thirsty in the hot summer night had come to drink water in the out-house of his residence. The poet was in the state of confusion regarding his role at that time and situation Several ideas and feelings engulfed his mind, such as

• was it cowardise that he did not dare to kill it.
• was it improper, out of his coriosity not to talk with the snake?
• was it his humble act or feeling of humanity to feel so honoured (The poet had really felt honoured.)
• and then he remembered the advice of elderly persons that if he was not afraid he would kill it (snake)
• and feeling of its being a guest too haunted his mind.
• and for its (snake’s) humbleness and peaceful behaviour, it (snake) appears to him as uncrowned king in exile.

These were the issues of conflict in his mind.

Question 4.
In what roles did he find the snake and himself ? Describe.
Answer:
He (The poet) found the snake and himself in different roles according to the situation. The snake felt thirsty in the hot summer’s night and came out of the hole beneath the earth and moved towards the water-trough in the out¬house of the poet’s residence. Being thirsty, he also came out of his house with a pitcher and found the snake siping wafer from the water trough there. Poet, being the second person to go there thought it proper to wait. He considered the snake as his guest also, who had come there to drink water. He thought it proper to welcome his guest, at his place. The snake was gentle by behaviour according to the poet. It peacefully left the place after getting satisfied and did not cause any harm to him. So, both of them-the poet and the snake very well performed their roles.

Question. 5.
The snake seemed like a king in exile. What are the qualities that makes the snake so majestic?
Answer:
The snake was very sober and peaceful. It quietly came and satisfied its thirst by sipping water and looked around like a god. The poet was highly impressed with its make and gentle behavior. It caused no damage to the speaker nor it attacked on him. Most cordially it returned back to the black hole, through which it had come from. It did not react to the poet’s hitting its body by a stick. So it (snake) seemed to him like an uncrowned king in exile.

Question 6.
What makes you think that hitting the snake was quite against the sensibility of the speaker?
Answer:
Being panicky the speaker picked up an awkward piece of stick and threw it towards the snake which hit its latter part of the body. He thought that it did not hit it (snake). The part of the body left behind convulsed (suddenly shakened) which indicated that the stick had caused injury to its body that left behind. It was shocking to him. He became felt sorry for his indecent and undesirable act. He thought that he had committed a wrong. It shows that hitting the snake was quite against his sensibility.

Question 7.
What is the sin committed by the speaker that he wanted to expiate?
Answer:
A sort of horror and a sort of protest to see the snake, sipping water by its straight mouth from the water trough, compelled him to hit the snake by a stick (log). But immediately after hitting it (snake), the speaker regretted it. He thought that he had done a vulgar, shameful, and mean act. He felt that by doing this he had committed a sin, which he would not have done. He hated on himself and of such human education to kill a snake. He wanted to accept punishment for such ‘sin’.

Question 8.
Give in short the summary of the poem, “Snake”. [B.M. 2009]
Or, Write a short note on the poem, “Snake”.
Answer:
D. H. Lawrence is a noted poet, novelist, essayist, short story writer and letter-writer. In this poem, the poet describes how one night he felt thirsty and got up to drink water. While he was moving towards the tap he found a snake coming out from the fissure of the earth. The poet was fascinated by the look and movement of the snake. Instead of killing it, he began to watch its movement. It moved towards the tap and drank water. Thereafter it began to return towards the hole. A conflict seized the mind of the poet whether to kill the snake or not. In fact, he began to like it. The poet was confused. Sometimes he considered himself a coward, sometimes prevers and sometimes an honurable being. Finally, when the snake entered partly in the hole the poet killed it with a piece of log. The poet is filled with remorse. He considers this act of his as paltry, vulgar, and mean. He condemns human education that prompted him to kill it. The poet remembers and he thinks that he has done an albatross. To him, the snake was like a king in exile. He regrets that he has missed a chance “With o.ie of the Lords of Life”.

C. 3. Composition

Write a short essay in about 150 words on the following:
(a) Human greed and environmental degradation.
Answer:
All our Si mounding together forms our environment. It is the most essential part of our life. Nowadays the environment has degraded a lot. The most important cause of this degradation is human greed. It has increased the pollution to the extent that the earth has come in danger. We are over¬exploiting our resources. This has resulted in the depletion of resources. Harmful gases are spread all around inviting many diseases. So, human need to get aware to eradicate this problem.

(b) Religion teaches tolerance and humility.
Answer:
Religion is known to give a specific identity to one in the society. There are many religions in the world having their different religious customs and belief. All religions have many good qualities in them. All teach us to walk in the path of honesty, love, and humanity. It teaches us the lesson of tolerance and humility. One who is truly a religious person always respects not only his own religion but also other religions. This forms the basis of social development and prosperity. It improves fraternity and strengthens national unity.

D. Word Study :
D.l. Dictionary Use

Ex. 1. Correct the spelling of the following words:
fishure, streight, flikered, muzed, parvarsity, delibarately, convalsed, wreethed, fassination, uncrouned
Answer:
fishure — fissure streight
flikered — flickered
parvarsity — perversity
convalsed — convulsed
fassination — fascination
streight — straight
muzed — muzzed
delibarately — deliberately
wreethed — writhed
uncrouned — uncrowned

D.2. Word-formation

Read the following lines from the poem carefully:
But suddenly that part of him that was left behind cunvulsed in undignified haste. Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld.
In the above lines ‘undignified’ and ‘uncrowned’ have prefix ‘un—’ which make them ‘negative’ in meaning.
Add prefixes ‘un-‘, in-‘, il—’ir’, ‘dis-‘ to the following words and fill in the blanks to complete the sentences given below:
(i) Pragya could not get good marks in the ‘writing test’ because of her……………….. writing fast.
(ii) Man becomes……………….. because of his action.
(iii) His……………….. behavior is not liked by us.
(iv) You cannot win the case by your………………… arguments.
(v) There are still many…………………. planets and stars in the universe.
(vi) His blunt refusal to come was a sign of………………….
Answer:
(i) disability, (ii) immortal, (iii) irresponsible, (iv) unlogical, (v) unknown, (vi) disrespect.

D. 3. Word-meaning

Ex. 1. Read the poem carefully to find out where the following phrases have been used.
looked at, looked around, drew up, put down. left behind, the thought of
Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases listed above:
(i) Varsha…………………. her papers on the table and went out.
(ii) We could not a…………… better plan.
(iii) He ran slowly and soon was………………all other runners.
(iv) We…………. the painting in admiration.
(v) The acrobat……………. himself before jumping over the rope.
(vi) The thirsty man……………….. in search of water.
Answer:
(i) put down, (ii) drew up, (iii) left behind by, (iv) looked at, (v) drew up, (vi) looked around.

E. Grammar

Ex. 1. Go through the poem carefully and underline the lines where the following words/nouns have been used:
slackness clearness cowardice perversity
hospitality blackness pettiness humility

Q. Change the above words in adjectives and use them in the following sentences:
(i) Mr. John has very…………… ideas on the success of democracy in India.
(ii) …………..men die several times.
(iii) Films should not glorify sex……………. behaviors.
(iv) The sky suddenly turned………………….
(v) He often perturbs his parents with demands.
(vi) Though he occupies a high post, he is quite
(vii) His……………… approach aggravated the problem.
(viii) Mrs. Juber was quite………………. with her guests.
Answer:
(i) clear, (ii) Coward, (iii) slack, (iv) black, (v) petty, (vi) humble, (vii) perversive, (viii) hospitable.

Comprehension Based Questions with Answers

Q.1. Read the following extracts of the poem, “Snake” and answer the questions that follow: [B.M.2009A]
A snake came to my water-trough:

on a hot day, and I in Pyjamas for the heat,
To drink there.
In the deep, strange scented shade of the great dark,
I came down the steps with my pitcher
And must wait, must stand and wait,
for there he was at the trough before me.

5. The voice of my education said to me He must be killed,
For in a Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold is venomous.
And the voice in me said if you were a man
You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off.

Questions:
1. What is Sicillian belief?
2. What does the poet mean by “The voice of education”?
3. What does “The voice of education” tell the poet?
4. Why does the poet not kill the snake?
5. What should have he done if he were a man?
Answers:
1. The Sicilian belief is that a black snake must be killed because it is an evil creature.
2. “The voice of education” means a civilized intellectual approach to life as opened to the instinctive approach where man and nature are one.
3. The voice of education tells the poet to kill the snake them and there. It should not be allowed to move freely in the human world.
4. The poet does not kill the snake, going against the voice of education because he loves it, heart and soul.
5. He should have taken a stick and finished the snake off if he were a man.

2. He reached down from a fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom
And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down,
Over the edge of the stone trough
And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,

3. And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness,
He sipped with his straight mouth,
Softly drank through his straight gums into his long body, silently.
Someone was before me at my water-trough,
And I, like a second comer, waiting.

4. He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do,
And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do,
And flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips and mused a moment,
And stooped and drank a little more,
Being earth-brown, earth-golden from the burning bowels of the earth
On the day of “Sicilian July with Etna smoking.

5. The voice of my education said to me He must be killed,
For in a sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous.
And voice in me said if you were a man
You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off.

Questions:
1. What is the Sicillian belief?
2. What does the poet mean by “The voice of education”?
3. What does “The voice of education” tell the poet?
4. Why does the poet not kill the snake?
5. What should have he done if he were a man?
Answers:
1. The Sicilian belief is that a black snake must be killed because it is an evil creature.
2. “The voice of education” means civilized intellectual approach to life as opened to the instinctive approach where man and nature are one.
3. The voice of education tells the poet to kill the snake them and there. It shoul not be allowed to move freely in the human world.
4. The poet does not kill the snake, going against the voice of education because he loves it heart and soul.
5. He should have taken a stick and finished the snake off if he were a man.

6. But must I confess how I liked him,
How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink at my water- trough.
And depart peaceful, pacified and thankless,
Into the burning bowels of this earth?

7. Was it cowardice, that I dared not kill him?
Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him?
Was it humility, to feel so honoured?
I felt so honoured.
And yet those voices
“If you were not afraid, you would kill him”.

8. And truly I was afraid, I was most afraid
But even so, honoured still more
That he should seek my hospitality
From out the dark door or the secret earth,

9. He drank enough
And lifted his head dreamily as one who has drunken,
and flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black,
Seeming to lick his lips,
And looked around like a god, unseeing, into the air,
And slowly turned his head,
And slowly, very slowly, as if thrice adream,
Proceeded to draw his slow length curving round,
And climb again the broken bank of my wall-face,

10. And as he put his head into that dreadful hole,
And as he slowly drew up, snake-easing his shoulders and entered farther,
Deliberately going into the blackness, and slowly drawing himself after.
Overcame me now his back was turned.

11. I looked round, I put down my pitcher,
I picked up a clumsy log
And threw it at the water trough with a clatter.

12. I think it did not hit him,
But suddenly that part of him that was left behind convulsed in. undignified haste.
Writhed like lightning, and was gone into the black hole, the earth lipped fissure in the wall front,
At which, in the intense still noon, I stared with fascination.

13. And immediately I regretted it.
I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a meant act!
I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education.

14. And I thought of the albatross,
And I wished he would come back, my snake.

15. For he seemed to me again like L king?
Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld,
Now due to be crowned again.

16. And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords of life.
And I have something to expiate:
Pettiness.