Poetic Devices In Snake By D. H. Lawrence

POETIC DEVICES IN SNAKE BY D.H. LAWRENCE

the poet made use of carefully selected words in describing the actions of the snake: "He lifted his head from his drinking as cattle do and looked vaguely as drinking cattle do. And flickered his two forked tongue from his lips and mused a moment..."


The poet made use of images such as "Sicilian July" "Accursed human education"


He personified the snake with the use of the third person pronoun "a king in exile"


"and l like a second comer, waiting" "his head as cattle do" "like a king" are few examples of similes in the poem.


In line 2 "on a hot, hot day" carries a repetition. "Must wait, must stand and wait" in line 6 as well has repetition

Alliteration also existed in the poem "brown slackness soft" "softly drank through his straight gums" and rhetorical question in the poem are:

"Into the burning bowels of t
his earth?

Was it cowardice, that I dare not kill him?

Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him?

Was it humility, to feel so honoured?"


D.H. Lawrence wrote about his encounter with a snake he found drinking from a water pot. He explained his own reaction and also explained the reaction of the snake he then wondered what made him to allow the snake walk away safe without trying to kill it.

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Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings swinging in the sky)