Snake by D.H. Lawrence - Analysis

Snake by D.H. Lawrence is a narrative poem that has a very interesting message. Although the poem speaks merely of the interaction between a man and a snake, the implications are much more complex than that. Snake takes a look at how we as humans are taught to deal with things that are "different."

Simply put, a man is confronted by a snake that he finds beautiful, but he has always been taught that the snake is ugly. Throughout the poem, Lawrence explains the snake's every movement as he watches with fascination. He gives a detailed description of how the snake came to his water trough and drank. Although he enjoys the snake, he is confronted with what to do with it.

"The voice of my education said to me He must be killed, For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous."
At this point, the poem shifts and begins to deal with a moral consciousness. The narrator has been taught that this particular snake is poisonous and should killed, while other snakes are okay. This has a direct correlation to today's society and how we place limits on what is acceptable and what should be condemned. The poem also shows how due to these societal norms we question ourselves, "And voices in me said, If you were a man You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off." This stands out to me because the narrator questions his manhood only because he was taught that this snake should be killed, but instead he enjoyed it. In his mind he has gone against the norm and he is now internally conflicted. Is it morally acceptable to kill what has not harmed you for the sake of others? Even more so, is it morally acceptable to not be yourself to satisfy a norm? We are confronted with these issues daily and more than likely, we conform. We often times kill the snake because if we were normal, we would do so.

Snake is a poem that has a unique way of dealing with the moral consciousness of society. Although not written during our lifetime, I believe the message has a clear correlation to our generation. We are often taught to rid ourselves of all things different. We all have a snake, and more than likely, we have done all we can to kill it.