D.H. Lawrence's poem "Snake" is a complex exploration of conflicting emotions and reactions upon encountering a snake. Set in the heat of a summer day in Sicily, the poem captures the poet's internal struggle as he comes face to face with a creature that triggers a range of emotions, including fear, reverence, guilt, and a sense of moral dilemma. The conflicting emotions in the poem reflect Lawrence's deep connection to nature, his psychological complexity, and his exploration of primal instincts juxtaposed with societal conditioning.
The poem begins with a vivid description of the speaker's encounter with the snake. The "golden colour" and "green of gold" used to describe the snake create a sense of richness and beauty, highlighting the creature's allure. The snake, a "king in exile," is portrayed as majestic and regal, invoking a sense of awe and reverence. However, the initial reaction of the speaker is fear, as he describes feeling a "tight, throaty terror" in the presence of the snake.
The conflicting emotions emerge immediately, as the speaker grapples with the instinctual fear of the snake while simultaneously being captivated by its beauty and grace. This ambivalence sets the tone for the poem and establishes the internal conflict that Lawrence explores throughout the verses. The speaker's fear is rooted in a primal, instinctual response to a potentially dangerous creature, echoing the deeply ingrained human instinct to fear snakes.
As the poem progresses, the conflict intensifies, and the speaker experiences a shift in emotions. Despite his initial fear, the speaker begins to perceive the snake not as a threat but as a fellow creature sharing the same natural environment. This shift is evident in the lines, "And immediately I regretted it. / I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!" The speaker's regret reflects a moral conflict, as he realizes the pettiness of his fear in the face of the snake's natural existence.
The snake, in contrast, appears indifferent to the speaker's presence. Its unflinching gaze and languid movements convey a sense of self-assurance and a complete lack of concern for the human observer. The creature's "earth-lipped" hiss is described as "ancient, right, and ceremonious," further emphasizing the snake's connection to primordial forces and its role as a symbol of nature's timeless rhythms.
Lawrence uses the encounter with the snake as a metaphor for the clash between civilization and the untamed, primal aspects of human nature. The snake represents an elemental force, untainted by societal norms or moral judgments. The speaker's conflicting emotions can be seen as a manifestation of the tension between his ingrained fear, shaped by cultural conditioning, and a deeper, instinctual connection to the natural world.
The poem takes a psychological turn as the speaker reflects on his conflicting emotions. He becomes acutely aware of the societal conditioning that has shaped his fear of the snake. The use of the word "paltry" suggests a realization of the pettiness of his initial reaction, highlighting the artificiality of human fears in the face of nature's authenticity. The speaker grapples with a sense of shame for harboring such baseless fear, recognizing that his reaction is a product of societal norms rather than a genuine threat from the snake.
This moment of reflection marks a turning point in the poem, as the speaker's perception of the snake undergoes a profound transformation. The fear gives way to a sense of admiration and identification with the creature. The snake becomes a symbol of authenticity and primal life force, in contrast to the artificial constraints of human society. Lawrence uses this shift to explore the tension between the civilized self, shaped by societal norms, and the untamed, instinctual self that connects with the raw, unfiltered forces of nature.
The conflicting emotions also extend to the speaker's cultural and religious upbringing. The poem is set in Sicily, a region with a rich history of diverse cultural influences, including Greek, Roman, and Arabic. The snake, with its associations to temptation and evil in Judeo-Christian traditions, becomes a symbol of the forbidden and the primal. The conflict between the speaker's fear and fascination reflects the tension between inherited cultural biases and a more primal, unfiltered connection to nature.
As the speaker grapples with his conflicting emotions, he contemplates the symbolic significance of the snake. The creature is described as a "god," and its departure is likened to a "dying god." This anthropomorphic portrayal of the snake adds a layer of complexity to the poem, suggesting that the encounter transcends the realm of the ordinary and enters the realm of the sacred. The snake's departure is treated with a sense of ritualistic solemnity, reinforcing its symbolic importance in the speaker's psyche.
The poem concludes with a sense of loss and longing as the snake disappears into the "black hole" of the earth. The speaker is left with a feeling of emptiness, as the creature that embodied authenticity and primal life force vanishes from his immediate experience. The final lines convey a sense of yearning for a connection with the untamed aspects of existence that the snake represented. The conflict within the speaker's emotions lingers, suggesting that the encounter has left an indelible mark on his consciousness.
In summary, D.H. Lawrence's "Snake" delves into the complex web of conflicting emotions that arise when faced with the primal forces of nature. The poem explores the tension between fear and admiration, societal conditioning and instinctual responses, and the clash between the civilized self and the untamed aspects of human nature. Through the encounter with the snake, Lawrence invites readers to reflect on the artificial barriers that separate humanity from the authenticity of the natural world and to question the cultural and psychological factors that shape our perceptions and reactions. The poem stands as a testament to Lawrence's keen psychological insight and his ability to capture the intricate nuances of human emotion in the face of the primal forces that shape our existence.
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