Review of Snake by D.H. Lawrence
Vocabualry:
*Carob-tree: a red flowered tree originally in the Mediterranean area.
* pitcher : tall, round container with an open top and large handle.
* flickered: moved
* mused : think about
* bowel: bottom of earth
* perversity: offensive
* log: tree trunk
* clatter: v. loud sound of hard things hitting
* convulsed : violent movement
* writhed: to twist and turn in great pain
* paltry: worthless
Background :
D.H. Lawrence belongs to the 20th Century. He was interested in the
idea of contrasts. Most of his writings deal with the conflict between
opposities such as instinct and artificiality apects of modern life,
good and evil, light and darkness, man and animal. He believed that
human nature in general is made of opposities.
"Snake" is a 74 line free verse poem. It incorporates a narrative
element recording the poet's encounter with a snake at his
water-trough .This poem was written when D. H. Lawrence and his wife
were living in Taormina ,Sicily in 1920. This poem is derived from
Lawrence's actual experience there.
Theme:
The setting is a hot July day upon which the poet takes his pitcher to
the water-trough , where a snake is drinking The poet here recreates
the image of the traditional snake which is usually associated with
evil. He introduces two types of snakes ; the literary snake and the
allegorical one. He suggests an allegorical(metaphorical) meaning to
the idea of the snake. The snake , according to Lawrence represents
Nature that ties Man to the earth .However, he criticizes the way the
Man in modern age deals with this nat...
... middle of paper ...
...nique of modern poetry. Moreover, he
used this technique to make the reader share with him his feelings and
draw a realistic picture of his experience.
However, at some points, the writer uses different vocabulary to
atrract the attention to turning points in the poem , for example
words like "mused", "dignified" , "humility" , " proceed" to refer to
the majesty of the snake.
To sum up, it is clear that D. H. Lawrence is interested in the idea
of contradictions in life. He believes that life is bounded with
oppositions. However, in this poem he shows how he appreciates nature
and rejects all man's reason and teachings which is based on the
stereotype image of the snake. This confusion in the poet's mind is
illustrated successfully and effectively in a way that made us
identify and sympathize with this snake .
A snake that guards the tree.” Many things can be symbolized by this dream, but most importantly it is a metaphor for the murders he has just committed and his poor actions in the past. The tree of diamonds stands for the money he aims to steal from the Clutter family, while the snake is Dick and the police, who hold him back. The smell of the tree is a warning that there is consequences in life and is very deterring, although not enough to stop him. Perry doesn’t seem to care about the repercussions of his actions as he is more focused on what he has set his mind to: “What it comes down to is I want the diamonds more than I’m afraid of the snake.” Perry isn’t fazed by the threats he sees or the ramifications that come with decisions. Yet again, another metaphor is presented by the mentioning of a bird that continuously rescues Perry from his misfortunes. Capote states, “the parrot appeared, arrived while he slept, a bird ‘taller than Jesus, yellow like a sunflower,’ a warrior-angel who blinded the nuns with its beak, fed upon their eyes, slaughtered them as
In the novel Chulito author Charles Rice-Gonzalez creates a familiar world seen through the eyes of a young, gay Latino from New York to strip the reconstructed masculinity that is inherent to the urban Latin communities' sense of machismo and expose the realities of outdated views on gender roles and sexual orientation, and the internal power struggle against the machismo aspects that entrap its members in a cycle of poverty and violence. The majority of young Latinos growing up in impoverished areas of urban society think machismo is necessary for survival and acceptance within the community. Rice-Gonzalez reveals this to be an oversimplification by the members of the community of the social dynamics that are at work behind the scenes and,
When I was little, I used to stay up late at night, watching old movies with my father. He worked at night, so on his nights off, he often could not sleep. Our dad-daughter bond was, no doubt, forged by our love of old black and white and even cheesy films. It was on one of those late nights that I first saw a huge snake coiled next to a tree, draped in a glittery sheep’s fur. I am sure that my eyes were big in awe the whole time, for to this day, when I watch or even read mythological stories, I feel the same childhood awe.
The effect the reader perceives in the passage of Rattler is attained from the usage of the author¡¯s imagery. The author describes the pre-action of the battle between the man and the snake as a ¡°furious signal, quite sportingly warning [the man] that [he] had made an unprovoked attack, attempted to take [the snake¡¯s] life... ¡± The warning signal is portrayed in order to reveal the significance of both the man¡¯s and the snake¡¯s value of life. The author sets an image of how one of their lives must end in order to keep the world in peace. In addition, the author describes how ¡°there was blood in [snake¡¯s] mouth and poison dripping from his fangs; it was all a nasty sight, pitiful now that it was done.¡± This bloody image of snake¡¯s impending death shows the significance of the man¡¯s acceptance toward the snake. In a sense, the reader can interpret the man¡¯s sympathy toward the snake because of the possibility that he should have let him go instead of killing him.
Introduction:A careful reading of the opening passage from The Poisonwood Bible indicates that Kingsolver’s characterization of the life, both human and animal, conveys a tone of malignancy and frailty, which suggests a very hostile environment for which you need to be wary. Therefore shows a juxtaposition of the infirmity of the peace given by the Okapi in the final chapter.
The book “The House of the Scorpion” was written by Nancy Farmer which was a very good book that all middle schoolers and up should read.
The salamander can be seen as something that stays constant, since it is preserved, or protected in a sense. The salamander is also said to be the symbol of fire, temptation, and burning desire (Salamander, Web). This symbol would make sense if it were related to Guy Montag. Guy Montag ends up being the odd man out, the guy who goes against the grain, and the guy who tries to preserve and read books. This is a sinister crime, especially for a fireman, whose sole job is to burn books. Guy Montag has a burning desire to not just be the average robot this government has made its’ citizens be. He has a burning desire to feel something again, and have his own thoughts, or actually hold a conversation with someone, not the parlor walls. His wife
In not only Pikuni culture but many others, people are challenged and pushed to become themselves, and the book Fools Crow demonstrates it perfectly. The main character White Man’s Dog or Fools Crow is faced with many situations in which he could prove himself. He is not the only one of the Pikuni people that is coming of age. Along with him he has Red Paint, Fast Horse, Heavy Shield Woman, And Yellow Kidney that experience some sort of coming to age along with White Man’s Dog.
Jeff Zentner’s, “The Serpent King,” has been by far, my most favorite book of the semester. I was very unsure of what to expect based off of the title. It was not what I expected at all. The plot is not easy to define. To say, “a coming of age novel about three misfit seniors in the south” doesn’t quiet cut it. The pages of this novel are filled with so much beauty and the reality of growing up. I feel like there is a voice for everyone in this novel. Maybe not literally, but most people can find a little of themselves in one of our main characters. Dill grew up in an extremely religious home, endured his father being imprisoned for child pornography, lives in poverty with his mother, and longs to escape Forrestville
1. Life is composed of a touch of sadness and a hint of happiness. We spend every day with little excitement, with some anticipation, and occasionally in silent disappointment. In this complex world, we experience feelings of suffering, loneliness, and torment, but sometimes also cheerfulness. Painful experiences are an unavoidable constant in our lives. However, everyone’s personality has its strengths and weaknesses, as there is no ideal person on the planet. In the short story “Tooth and Claw” written by T. Coraghessan Boyle, the protagonist, Junior, is a man who lacks motivation and is full of disappointment. He falls in love with a girl named Daria who brings him happiness. He also wins a wild cat in the bar where Daria works. However, Daria eventually leaves Junior. “I steeled myself, pulled open the door, and slipped inside. And then- and I don't know why- I pulled the door shut behind me” (Boyle 83). This is a meaningful ending that makes people think more deeply about life. I hope that Junior finds a way to change himself. In the story, he loses himself, but in a way he also finds himself. I have had a similar experience to what Junior went through because I also used to be a disappointed person without any
Lawrence uses figurative language in order to present his ideas of societies expectations of a man. Lawrence changes the structure and style of “Snake” in order to highlight the struggles of the narrator. Specifically, when writing about the snake he uses repetitive and flowing words. He also uses traditional devices like alliteration, for example “and flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips.” The use of these technics gives the snake an almost human like feel that the reader can connect to. At the same time, Lawrence writes about the log used to hurt the snake in a different style creating such a contrast between the snake’s description and the log. The words describing the log are much different, “and threw it at the water trough with a clatter.” The changing styles helps emphasize the internal struggle the narrator is experiencing as he tries to figure out if he should do as society dictates and kill the snake like a man or do as he wishes and leave the snake in peace as his guest at the water
Lawrence, D. H. Phoenix II; Uncollected, Unpublished, and Other Prose Works. 1st ed. New York: Viking, 1968. 529. Print.
This case study will look at the irrational fear of snakes as portrayed by the character Indiana Jones. Over the course of four movies, Indiana Jones has confronted his fear many times. He has even stated on many occasion that he hates snakes. At other times he has lamented why he is always confronted with snakes. This fear is clearly irrational, as most of the time, the snakes he is confronted with are neither poisonous nor overly dangerous.
... Nature, including human beings, is `red in tooth and claw'; we are all `killers' in one way or another. Also, the fear which inhabits both human and snake (allowing us, generally, to avoid each other), and which acts as the catalyst for this poem, also precipitates retaliation. Instinct, it seems, won't be gainsaid by morality; as in war, our confrontation with Nature has its origins in some irrational `logic' of the soul. The intangibility of fear, as expressed in the imagery of the poem, is seen by the poet to spring from the same source as the snake, namely the earth - or, rather, what the earth symbolizes, our primitive past embedded in our subconsciouness. By revealing the kinship of feelings that permeates all Nature, Judith Wright universalises the experience of this poem.
challenges a goddess and faces the consequences. Arachne is a very good spinner and weaver in Ancient Greece. The myth starts when the