Class 10 Literature Reader Chapter 12 Extra Question Answers - Chapter 12 - Snake

Long Answer Type Question

Q1. Keeping in mind the poem, ‘Snake’, write out a speech for the morning assembly on the topic, ‘Snakes – a beautiful creation of God, an object of our love and not hatred’.
Ans: God has created human beings and the other creatures. He wants the human beings and other creatures to live in collaboration with nature. No creature should harm the other one. Nature gives every creature a space to live in and exist happily, without harming others. They should not trespass the habitats of each other. Man as a child has an innate understanding of the laws of nature. As a child he loves and protects nature. He is totally in sync with nature. 
Man’s education says that certain creatures are to be feared and that man must kill them in order to save himself. But each creature even snakes are beautiful creations of God. They don’t harm humans without any provocation. The snakes are the Lords of the earth and a beautiful creation of God it is a majestic creature which should be given its due.

Q2. At the end of the day the poet, D H Lawrence writes a diary entry in 120-150 words describing his encounter with the snake and expressing his remorse for throwing a log at him. Write his diary entry.
Ans: Dear Diary,
Today was an eventful day. When I went in my garden to drink water, I saw a snake drinking water from the water trough. I was enamoured by its beauty and magnificence. I waited for my turn as the snake had come to drink water first. But when I saw the snake slither back into the dark deep from when it had come, I was filled with anger. My feelings and emotions were overpowered by the voices of education which said that snakes were poisonous and they should be killed. I threw a log of wood at it and the snake disappeared into the hole in the wall. I am filled with the feeling of remorse and regret for acting so mean. I hate myself and the education which has urged me to act in such a manner.

Q3. The poem, ‘Snake4 reminds us of the fact that animals too have a right to life which we have no right to deny them. Describe how man should co-exist with nature and its creatures for ecological balance
Ans: Man is the most sensible creature on this planet. It is his duty to perform his work sensibly. He must take the onus of maintaining balance in our ecological system. First of all man should reflect on whether the actions done by him are justified or not. Then he should contemplate that God has made all the creatures in nature for a certain reason. The disappearance of any creature will cause a great imbalance in our ecological system. 
Then he will realise that the survival of all the creatures is essential for the existence of life on earth. Man has been exploiting birds, animals and various other creatures to satisfy his avarice. Now he has started witnessing the consequences of his indiscriminate killing of creatures of our ecological system. People are raising voice and strict laws have been framed to stop such exploitations.Now man should learn how to compromise. 
He should learn how to live in harmony with nature. Collective efforts should be made to bring awareness among the people for the safety and security of all the creatures of this planet.

Q4. Describe the poet’s feelings and actions as he watched the snake drinking from the trough.
Ans: In the beginning, the poet takes keen interest in the activities of the snake. He regards the snake his guest and becomes ready to be his host. He waits for taking water from his water trough as he is the second comer. When he comes to know that the snake is poisonous, his voice of human education asks him to take a stick and finish him off. But the poet likes the snake and feels pride that his water trough has been selected by the snake. After that a conflict begins in his mind. 
His human instinct asks him not to harm the snake whereas the selfish motive of his human education asks him to kill that poisonous snake as soon as possible for the sake of mankind. Ultimately, his evil notion prevails and the throws a clumsy log at the snake. Then he begins to repent for his petty act. He wants the snake to come again as he is like a king in exile, who should be crowned. He has extreme desire to amend his pettiness.

Q5. What conflicting thoughts came to the poet’s mind as he watched the snake?
Ans: Firstly, the poet began to take interest in the activities of the snake. He regarded the snake as his guest and waited for taking water. But all his good sense vanished into thin air when he came to know that the snake was poisonous. Then there started a conflict in his mind. His voice of education was telling him that being a man he must take a stick and finish the snake off before he harmed any human being. 
Contrary to it, his human instinct was telling him how he had liked the snake in his first sight. How glad he was to see his guest drinking water at his water trough.Later his voice of education prevailed over his human instinct. He contemplated that it was cowardice on his part to remain inactive on seeing a snake. In the long struggle of the two contradictory thoughts the evil one defeated the good one and the poet threw a clumsy log at the snake. He confessed his guilt and repented a lot for his mean act.

Q6. How has the snake been described by the poet, D.H. Lawrence?
Ans: The poet has given a unique description of the snake that he saw at his water trough.He says that the snake reached there from a crack in the earth’s darkness. He carried his yellow brown loose soft-bellied body over the edge of the water trough. He sipped the water with his straight mouth and through his straight gums silently into his long body. Like cattle, he lifted his head from drinking.
He moved his two-forked tongue from his lips and thought for a moment and knelt down. The poet further says that the snake was poisonous as he was golden colour. After drinking adequate water, the snake lifted his head like the one who had drunk. He seemed to lick his lips after drinking water. He looked around into the air. The poet was greatly impressed to see all these activities.
After throwing a clumsy log at the snake, the poet begins to regret. Then he compares the snake to a king in exile. He also calls the snake one of the lords of life. So the poet’s description of the poet is indeed applaudable.