Snake Subjective Question

1. Where did the speaker meet the snake?

Ans. The speaker met the snake near the water trough when he went to drink water.

2. Why had it come out of its hole near the trough?

Ans. It had come out of its hole near the trough to quench its thirst.

3. Why did the speaker decide to wait?

Ans. The speaker was partly scared and somewhat fascinated to see the snake. He de- cided that he must wait and let the snake quench its thirst first.

4. How did the snake drink water?

Ans. The snake sipped water with its straight mouth from the place where clear water was dripping from the tap. It softly drank water through its straight gums into its long slack body. It did it very silently.

5. What is the meaning of Sicilian July, with Etna smoking’?

Ans. The month of July in Sicily is extremely hot due to intense heat released by erup- tions in Etna.

6. What is the belief prevailing in Sicily about a snake?

Ans. The common belief in Sicily is that the snakes of earthen brown colour are highly venomous and the black snakes are not so poisonous.

7. What did the speaker like the snake?

Ans. The poet was fond of primitive life and that was why he liked the snake. Besides, the poet was fascinated by the way the snake was sipping water from the dripping tap.

8. Do you think he had a conflict in mind?

Ans. Yes, I think poet had a conflict in mind. At times he considered that God had come to him in the form of a snake, but at the same time he was scared because of its poisonous nature. At a result of those thoughts his mind was in a state of conflict.

9. Was the snake conscious of the poet’s presence?

Ans. Yes, the snake was conscious of poet’s presence as it saw the poet vagnety.

10. What things about the snake did appeal him the most?

Ans. The snake had come out from a fissure in the earth and had trailed over the edge of the stone trough. It was sipping water dripping from a tap. It sipped with its straight mouth and softly drank through its straight gums into its slack long body. That sight was very fascinating and appealed the poet the most.

11. Why did he not like it going back to the dark hole?

Ans. The poet had developed a liking for the snake. He was glad that the snake had come as a guest to drink at his water trough and was departing in a peaceful and pacified manner. He felt honoured to have such a guest to him the snake appeared like God or a King in exile. That was why he did not like it going back to the hole.

12. What was his reaction after hitting the snake?

Ans. The poet repented a lot after hitting the snake. He despised himself for that act of cowardice and the voices of his accused human education.

13. Why did the speaker consider it a king in exile’ ?

Ans. The fearless manner in which the snake sat at trough, picked up its head as if in dream looked majestically all around and sipped the water dripping from the tap in a carefree manner gave him the impression of a king in exile.

14. The speaker was fascinated by the snake. Do you think that the time men- tioned and the place it belonged to has anything to do with this fascination?

Ans. It was a hot summer night when the poet woke up from his sleep and felt thirsty. He came down the stairs to fetch some water from the trough. There he saw a snake of yellow brown colour with its soft belly down over the edge of stone trough. The snake had reached there from a fissure in the earth wall. The snake was sipping water which dripped from a tap with its straight mouth and it was sitently going down into its long slack body. Since it was the night time, the water trough was under a great dark carobtree and total calm prevailed everywhere so the poet felt that God in the form of a snake had come as a guest. In that way, the time, atmosphere and surroundings justify the fascination which the poet developed for the snake.

15. What does he mean by ‘the voice of my education’ ?

Ans. The voice of education’ refers to the concept or thinking prevalent amongst the educated people about the poisonous nature of snakes and the resultant deaths on account of snake bites. For this reason people tend to kill snake as and when they come across it. Although it is a fact that snakes are usually poisonous and danger- ous but it is also true that they usually do not harm people unless they are pro- voked. So a snake should be killed only when they pose danger to human life.

16. There was a conflict in the mind of the poet. How did he analyse this con- flict?

Ans. The poet had come down to fetch water in small pitcher from the trough down the stairs under the carobtree. As he approached the trough he found a snake of yellow brown colour over the edge of stone trough. The snake was sipping water with its straight mouth which dripped in small cleardrops of water from the tap. The snake appeared to be innocent and it moved its head all around in a careless manner and resumed sipping water which dripped from the tap. The poet developed a fascination for the snake and this helped him to overcome his desire to harm the snake. After quenching its thirst the snake started retreating towards its hole. The author was in dual mind and could not differentiate between cowardice and humanity within himself. He picked up a clumsy log of wood and hit the snake. The poet felt that it was a mean act and regretted for that. In that way he analysed the conflict within his mind.

17. In what roles did he find the snake and himself? Describe.

Ans. Initially the poet considered snake as God and was fascinated by its quiet and inno- cent look. He quietly kept down his pitcher which he had brought to fetch water from the trough and looked at the snake with admiration and fascination. The fear overcame the poet when the snake was departing after quenching its thirst in a thankless manner and that impelled him to throw a clumsy log at the snake.

18. The snake seemed like a king in exile’. What are the qualities that make the snake so majestic?

Ans. The snake had come out from a deep long crack in the earth and trailed over the edge of the stone trough. It sipped water that dripped from the tap very silently with its straight mouth and it lifted its head and vaguely looked at the poet. Its calm and quiet look, intent sipping of dripping water from the tap and in between raising its head and looking all around made it look very majestic.

19. What makes you think that hitting the snake was quite against the sensi- bility of the speaker?

Ans. The speaker was fond of primitive life and was greatly fascinated by the snake at the initial stage. He kept looking at the snake with admiration and his conscience inhib- ited him from doing any harm to snake. He felt as if God had come to him as guest in the form of a snake. However, the voice of education made him realise that the snakes were highly poisonous and should be killed. This second thought instigated the poet and he decided to hit the snake. The snake was instantly hit by the log of wood. The poet deeply regretted his action. This act infact was against the sensibil- ity of the poet.

20. What is the ‘sin’ committed by the speaker that he wanted to ‘expiate’?

Ans. The speaker had committed the sin of hitting an innocent snake who had done no harm to him. Besides, after drinking water the snake was peacefully returning to his place of abode. It was the fear of the snake that compelled the speaker to hit it snake. This thought had come to his mind instanteously when the snake was retreating to its place of abode. Since the snake had partly entered the hole, this helped the speaker to overcome his fear psychosis and he immediately hit the snake. Since the decision to hit the snake was taken on the spur of moment, the speaker later on deeply regretted it.