Important Question Answers: Poem - The Snake Trying | English Literature for Grade 9 PDF Download

Additional Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What is the snake trying to escape from?
Ans: The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick.

Q2. How is the snake’s body?
Ans: The snake has a thin long body.

Q3. How does the snake go through the water?
Ans: He glides through the water away.

Q4. Where is the snake trying to hide?
Ans: The snake is trying to hide into the reed.

Q5. What is the colour of the snake?
Ans: The colour of the snake is greeNn

Q6. What type of snake is it?
Ans: It is a harmless snake.

Q7. What does the poet wish for the snake?
Ans: The poet wishes that the snake should escape unhurt.

Q8. Where was the snake before anyone saw it?
Ans: The snake was lying on the sand before anyone saw it.

Q9. Where does the snake vanish?
Ans: The snake vanishes in the ripples among the green reeds.

Q10. Who is the poet of the poem ‘The Snake Trying’?
Ans: W.W.E. Ross is the poet of this poem.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. What is the snake trying to escape from?
Ans: The snake is trying to escape an assault on him. He is being chased by a man with a stick in his hand. The snake fears that the man wants to kill him by hitting him with the stick. The snake intends to evade being struck by the stick.

Q2. Why does the snake suddenly curve his body?
Ans: The snake, lying comfortably on the sands on the bank of a pond, suddenly notices a person trying to kill him with a stick. Naturally, he cannot remain to lie at rest when face to face with death. He twists and wriggles his body to avoid being struck by the stick.

Q3. How does the snake look when he curves his slender body?
Ans: While curving his slender body with quick movements to avoid being attacked, the snake looks quite fascinating and elegant to the poet. The various shapes formed by the twisting and turning of his body do not at all look frightening or ugly.

Q4. Where does the snake start moving to avoid being killed?
Ans: The snake starts moving towards the pond to avoid being killed. He glides on the surface of the pond’s water to reach the bank on the other side which has slim and green reeds like the snake’s body. Here he can easily camouflage himself and avoid being detected and killed.

Q5. Does the poet support the person with the stick?
Ans: No, the poet does not at all support or approve of the person who intends to kill the snake with his stick. He does not find any reason why a harmless, non-poisonous, beautiful, and graceful snake should be put to death. He wants the snake to be spared and allowed to live.

Q6. What is the poet’s request to the person chasing the snake?
Ans: The poet’s request to the person chasing the snake with a stick is to let the snake go free to lead his life. He wants the person to let the snake slither away through the water to the reeds where he may hide himself to safety.

Q7. Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour?
Ans: The snake is green in colour and is small in size. It is absolutely harmless as it is non-poisonous. It is harmless even to the children and hence need not be feared or killed merely because human beings consider snakes as harmful creatures.

Q8. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty.
Ans: The poet uses the words ‘beautiful and graceful’ to describe the shapes of the snake’s body. He uses the words ‘small and green’ to describe the snake’s size and colour respectively. All these words connote admiration.

Q9. Why does the poet want the snake to be spared?
Ans: The poet wants the snake to be spared because he is non-venomous and hence harmless. He is so safe that he cannot harm even a young child. Since the snake is not a threat to any human being, there is no rhyme or reason in killing him.

Q10. Where was the snake before anyone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear?
Ans: Before being seen by anyone, the snake was lying comfortably on the sandy banks of the pond. After getting noticed and chased, he moved swiftly to the pond, got in the water and reached the other side to disappear in the slim and green reeds growing over there.

Q11. Where did the snake hide and how?
Ans: The snake hid among the green reeds growing on the other side of the pond. He did this by merging his slender and green body with the slim and green reeds. This camouflage helped him deceive the person who was trying to kill him.

Q12. What idea do you form the poet’s attitude towards all living creatures
Ans: The poet seems to be an environmentalist who has a loving attitude towards all living beings. He seems to be conscious of the need to preserve the diversity of creatures to maintain balance in the environment. Moreover, he believes that most species of snakes are non-poisonous and they do not harm unless attacked.

Q13. What does the poet wish for the snake? 
Ans: The poet wishes a safe and free life for the snake. He does not want any human being to feel threatened by the snake and wants him to be left alone. He desires a peaceful coexistence for the snake and human beings.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. The poem “The Snake Trying” by W.W.E. Ross presents two divergent attitudes towards the snake. Discuss both attitudes.
Or
How does the attitude of the poet towards the snake differ absolutely from that of the man with the stick?
Ans: The poem The Snake Trying” by W.W.E. Ross presents two divergent attitudes towards the snake. The man with the stick shows a cruel and unsympathetic attitude, He believes that all snakes are poisonous and a threat to human beings. Therefore, although this particular snake is lying comfortably on the sandy bank of the pond with no intention of harming anyone, the man gets ready to kill him the moment he sees him.
The poet, on the contrary, has a loving and kind attitude towards the snake. He does not find it to be ugly or terrifying. Instead, he finds beauty and elegance in his body and displays appreciation for the appealing looks of this creature.
Moreover, the poet seems to have a thorough knowledge of the behaviour of the different varieties of snakes. He informs the man with the stick that the snakes with thin, green bodies are absolutely harmless and cannot harm even children. He does not want such a harmless snake to be killed. Instead, he should be permitted to escape to safety by hiding himself among the reeds.

Q2. Which values can be noticed about the poet from his attitude towards snakes?
Ans: The poet’s concern and caring attitude towards the snakes emphasizes his values of gentleness, kindness, and sympathy. His thoughtfulness towards all living beings can also be noticed after reading this poem. We know that his thoughts are based on sound scientific reasons when he tells that all snakes are not poisonous. The small and green ones, in particular, are absolutely safe and cannot harm even children.
We learn that the poet is an environmentalist and believes in the preservation of animals when he dissuades the man with the stick from killing the snake.
His profound sense of love for the innocent snake is also revealed when he requests the man to let the snake go and hide amidst the slim, green reeds. The poet’s deep understanding of the behaviour of snakes can be seen when he remarks that the snake can camouflage and deceive the hostile person by merging itself into the green reeds.
The poet, with his great concern for the snake, inspires the readers to develop the values of love and concern towards all living beings.

Q3. The poem “The Snake Trying” has a deep moral lesson. Which moral values come out of it?
Or
How is the poem “The Snake Trying” an inspirational poem?
Ans: The poem has a deep moral lesson as it inspires the readers to cultivate a sympathetic and loving attitude towards all living creatures. The poet shows how there is beauty in all creations of God, even in the curling and curving body of the snake. He wants this beauty to be preserved. The poet’s plea to the man chasing the snake is, in fact, his request to all to preserve the diversity of nature.
The poem inspires in the readers a sense of justice by stressing that killing an innocent snake without any provocation is unfair. Animals may be killed only for self-defence, else they must be saved. The poem further motivates the readers to attain a deep knowledge about the phenomenon of nature. By gaining a thorough knowledge, one may be able to distinguish between the harmful and the harmless animals.
Thus, the poem motivates people to adopt humanistic and friendly feelings towards all living creatures.