Summary: Poem - The Snake Trying | English Literature for Grade 9 PDF Download

Summary

This is a beautiful poem about a snake. 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.

Summary (2)

This small poem of sixteen-lines deals with the idea that human beings should not be cruel towards snakes. The snakes must be left alone to enjoy themselves.
The poem opens with the image of a snake being chased with a stick and trying to save itself from being struck. The long-bodied snake curves and curls its slender, thin body as it makes an attempt to avoid the stick flung at it. The poet finds different shapes of his curling body to be very elegant and fascinating.
The snake moves softly through the water of the pond to hide among the reeds growing densely in the marsh so that he is not hit by the stick. The poet wants the person who is chasing the snake, to let him go safely to his hide-out among the reeds without being injured. This specific snake, green in colour and small in size, is non-poisonous and therefore, cannot harm even young children. He was lying comfortably and peacefully on the sandy bank of the pond before being noticed and chased with a stick by the people. But now he has taken shelter in the green, slender reeds beyond the pond where he creates ripples while slithering on the water.

Value Points

• The snake was trying to escape the man with a stick.
• With his thin long body, he runs making sudden carvings.
• The poet thinks that his curves are beautiful and impressive.
• To save itself from the blow of stick, he prefers to go through water.
• He is harmless even to children.
• He finally vanishes among the green thin reeds.

Useful Expressions

•  to escape the pursuing stick – The snake is trying to get away from the man who is chasing him with a stick.
•  into the reeds to hide – The snake runs into the reeds to escape the man.
•  harmless even to children – Some snakes do not bite even children.
•  he lay until observed – The snake lies in the hiding place until it is noticed by someone.
•  among the green slim reeds – When the snake is chased away by people, it vanishes into the bushes of the green thin reeds for protection.