Practice Questions: Snake | Practice Questions with Solutions for Class 10 PDF Download

Q1: Why did the narrator allow the snake to quench his thirst first?
Ans: The poet was a gentleman. He allowed the snake to quench his thirst first becausethe snake had come to the trough before him and moreover, he was a guest at the poet’s place. The poet thought that he should wait for his turn to come.’

Q2: What does the poet compare the snake’s drinking habits to? Why ?
Ans: The poet compares the snake’s drinking habits to cattle. As cattle lift their heads after drinking water in the same way the snake lifted his head after drinking some water from the trough. He waited for some time and again drank some more water.

Q3: Why does the poet experience conflicting emotions for the snake ?
Ans: The poet liked the snake a lot. He was full of appreciation for the creature. His heart was full of admiration for the majestic creature but his education had taught him that the snakes in Sicily were poisonous and they should be killed immediately when seen.

Q4: Why did the poet have to wait near the water trough?
Ans: The snake was the first comer and the poet was the second one. So the poet thought that the snake had the first right to quench his thirst. Being the second comer, he was supposed to wait. Moreover, the poet was the host and the snake was the guest. So the poet thought that he must wait until his guest had quenched his thirst.

Q5: What were the conflicting thoughts in the poet’s mind on seeing the snake?
Ans: The poet saw the snake at his water through. Firstly, he regarded him as his guest and allowed him to drink water. Later, he drew the conclusion from the colour of the snake that he (the snake) was poisonous. The first thought was guided by his human instinct that he should appreciate the snake and love animals. The second thought came from the voice of his accursed human education. It was rational thought which inspired him that a poisonous snake must be killed. So the conflict continued between his human instinct and his rational thought.

Q6: What were the poet’s thoughts after the snake had gone?
Ans: The poet confessed that he had committed a heinous crime. He attempted to harm a creature of God without any provocation. As the snake was his guest, he must have set an example of hospitality. He was repenting for what he had done. He compared himself to the Ancient Mariner who had killed an albatross without any provocation. He also said that the snake was one of the lords of life. He was like a king in exile due to be crowned again. Actually, the poet wanted to amend his pettiness.

Q7: 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.

Q8: 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.

Q9: What does his ‘voice of education’ tell the poet?
Ans: The voice of education of the poet is fully guided by the selfish motive of mankind.It tells the poet to finish the snake as soon as possible as the snake is poisonous and it can take away the life of any human being any time. The voice advocates the principle of self-defense at any rate. When the poet begins to listen to his human instinct, the voice of his education tells him that he is delaying the killing of the snake as he is a coward. Ultimately, the voice of education makes the poet do whatever it likes.

Q10: 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.

Q11: How did the snake react when the poet tried to harm it?
Ans: Using his sixth sense, the snake realised the danger at once. Without losing a fraction of a second, the snake made a violent movement with the part of his bo’dy which was outside the hole. He twisted and turned like lightning and went inside the black hole without losing any moment. The poet went on staring at the earth-lipped fissure in the front wall. As the snake was the creature made by God, he had the intuition that he must get inside his dark hole without losing even a fraction of a second.

Q12: Why does the narrator in the poem, ‘Snake’ consider himself a coward?
Ans: The poet was sure that the snake was venomous. His voice of human education was instigating him to kill the snake for saving the life of a human being. But his human instinct was not allowing him to do so. His selfish human motive misinterpreted his human instinct and told him that he was hesitant to kill the snake as he was afraid of him. Hence, he was a coward.

Q13: Why did the poet throw the log at the snake?
Ans: On seeing a snake at his water trough, two contradictory thoughts came in his mind.His human instinct said that he should wait for taking water and should be proud that the snake chose his water trough to quench his thirst. But the voice of his accursed human education prevailed. It told him that the snake was poisonous and must be killed. The poet could not resist the voice and threw a log at the snake.

Q14: 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.

Q15: How does the poet describe the snake while he was drinking water?
Ans: The poet says that the snake reached at his water trough from a crack in the darkness of the earth. The snake carried his yellow-brown loose soft-bellied body over the edge of the trough. He rested his throat on the stone bottom of the water trough. He sipped the water with his straight mouth. Like cattle the snake lifted his head from his drinking and looked vaguely in the direction of the poet.