Snake poem Summary Stanza-wise
Stanza 1: Introduction and Setting
"It was summer in the hills and I was eight.
The cottage we had rented for the season was a hundred feet below road level,
and a long winding gravelly path, pocked with stones, led to it."
These lines introduce the time and setting. The summer in the hills suggests a warm, perhaps idyllic environment. The speaker's age—eight—implies a youthful innocence and curiosity perspective, which can influence how they perceive their surroundings. The cottage is "a hundred feet below road level" emphasizing its secluded and somewhat remote location. This detail contributes to a sense of isolation or separation from the outside world, setting the stage for a more personal or introspective experience. The description of the path as "serpentine" suggests it winds and twists, which can create a sense of mystery or unease. The path being "pocked with stones" adds a rugged and uneven quality, reinforcing the idea of the journey to the cottage being somewhat challenging or rough.
In the context of Rafat's poem, these lines likely serve to ground the reader in a specific setting that influences the mood and the events that follow. The remote and winding path might symbolize the journey of exploration or discovery that the speaker, in their youth, is about to undertake. The setting helps frame the experiences and encounters described in the poem, including those involving the snake, which can be a metaphorical or literal element in the narrative.
Stanza 2: The Ball Game:
On sunny days, I rolled a ball down the path from the very top,
and I would run after it, heel-weighted to try and catch it before it got too far.
The point I had caught at the earliest was marked with a boulder with white veins.
I was furious because the record still stood at the first day's attempt."
In these lines, the speaker recalls a childhood game played on sunny days at the cottage. They would roll a ball from the top of a winding path and then sprint after it, trying to catch it before it rolled too far. The furthest point they successfully caught the ball was marked by a boulder with distinctive white veins. Despite their repeated attempts, the speaker is frustrated because their best performance—catching the ball at the earliest point—has not improved since their first day of playing. This highlights their ongoing struggle to surpass their initial achievement and adds a layer of determination and frustration to their nostalgic recollection.
Stanza 3: Daily Routine
Afternoons, when the others were away,
riding, playing cards, and picnicking,
I would take up the ball and make my dozen tries.
I had limited myself to this number to be fair to the record.
Half an hour later I would come back to my room,
put away the ball, scrape the mud from my knees,
and shouldering my roller skates, start off for the rink."
In the afternoons, while others were occupied with various activities like riding, playing cards, or picnicking, the speaker would devote time to their game with the ball. They would make up to twelve attempts to improve their record, a limit they set to ensure fairness to their previous best. After finishing this routine, the speaker would return to their room, clean the mud from their knees, and then prepare for a different activity by putting on their roller skates and heading to the rink. This routine underscores the speaker's dedication to both their game and their roller skating, illustrating a structured approach to balancing their pursuits and interests.
Stanza 4: The Incident
"Passing the boulder with the white veins,
I would give it a baleful eye-cornered glance.
But this particular time, it was towards the end of our stay,
the ball simply kept rolling and rolling,
and I charged desperately after it,
heedless of the menace of being tripped by a stone,
and in places I remember it could have been dangerous,
but I was afraid of losing the ball,
and was perhaps annoyed by its elusiveness.
Anyway, I followed it as fast as I could, when the expected happened:
it missed a turn sharper than usual, and disappeared over the edge into a khud."
As the speaker passed the boulder with the white veins, which marked their previous record, they cast a resentful glance at it. On this particular occasion, towards the end of their stay, the ball continued to roll uncontrollably down the path. The speaker chased after it urgently, ignoring the risk of tripping over stones and navigating dangerous spots in their frantic effort to catch it. Their determination to retrieve the ball, coupled with frustration over its elusive nature, drove them to follow it as quickly as possible. Ultimately, the ball veered off course and fell over the edge into a khud (a steep ravine), marking a dramatic end to their pursuit.
Stanza 5: The Descent
"As luck would have it, it was the deepest,
darkest, deadliest khud of all in the high hill-town.
But I was so mad at that stubborn ball,
I only hesitated a moment, then started down the khud.
There was no path at all for who would want to go down that sinister hill-side.
Only a boy who has lost a ball, or his mind, or both.
Gripping the nameless evergreens which covered the slope,
I kept going down and down, and the slope seemed endless."
The speaker, filled with frustration over their elusive ball, watches as it rolls uncontrollably and eventually disappears into a khud, a steep and treacherous ravine. Despite the khud being the most dangerous and forbidding one in the area, the speaker, driven by anger and determination, immediately descends into it. There is no established path, making the descent perilous and seemingly endless. The speaker navigates the slope by clinging to the evergreens, driven by their desperation to retrieve the ball, illustrating their reckless determination and the overwhelming challenge of the descent.
Stanza 6: Encounter with Fear
"It was clammy and dark like all khuds,
but I was blinded by passion,
and even forgot it was snake-infested. (I could not stand snakes.
I still lived with the terror of being chased by one in our valley house;
my brother heard my screams;
he killed it with a stick, and buried the pulpy carcass in a rose-patch.
I avoided the place as long as we lived there.)"
The khud, being damp and dark, added to the daunting and treacherous nature of the descent. However, the speaker's intense passion and frustration over the lost ball caused them to overlook the fact that the khud was also infested with snakes—a fearsome detail for them. The speaker recounts a past trauma involving a snake that had terrified them at their valley house, where their brother had to intervene by killing and burying the snake. This past experience left the speaker with a deep-seated fear of snakes, which they had avoided for as long as they lived in that house. Despite this fear, their desperation to retrieve the ball made them momentarily forget the danger posed by the snake-infested khud.
Stanza 7: The Snake
"I was there at last, at the bottom of the khud,
and began to look for the ball poking with a stick that I broke off a bush,
when a snake slithered past me into a cleft.
It was dark there, but not too dark to recognize that slimy form.
I was petrified. I know I did not scream.
When life returned to my limbs,
I started clambering up the slope with a haste that encumbered traction,
forgetful of the ball, forgetting everything, but the desire to be out again."
Upon reaching the bottom of the khud, the speaker began searching for the ball using a stick they had broken from a bush. Suddenly, a snake slithered past them and disappeared into a crevice. Despite the darkness, the speaker could clearly identify the snake’s slimy form, which paralyzed them with fear. Unable to scream, they were overwhelmed by terror and quickly began scrambling up the slope, their haste making it difficult to gain traction. In their panic, they forgot about the ball and everything else, focused solely on escaping the khud and reaching safety.
Stanza 8: The Return:
"Somewhere along the way I must have wept,
for my cheeks were tear-stained when I reached the top.
Quickly I entered the cottage by the back door,
went straight to the bathroom and washed,
and after changing clothes, picked up my skates, and left."
As the speaker finally made their way back up the khud, they realized they had been crying, as evidenced by their tear-stained cheeks. Upon reaching the top, they hurriedly entered the cottage through the back door, went directly to the bathroom to wash up, and changed into fresh clothes. Afterward, they collected their roller skates and left, seemingly in an effort to escape the traumatic experience and regain a sense of normalcy.
Stanza 9: Symbolic Act
"When I reached the boulder with the white veins,
I wrenched it from its place like a bad tooth,
and carried it painfully, for it was heavy,
to the spot where the ball vanished,
and heaved it down to keep the lost ball company forever and ever."
Upon reaching the boulder with the white veins, which had marked their previous record, the speaker felt a deep sense of frustration and finality. They forcibly removed the boulder from its original position, carrying it with difficulty due to its weight, and placed it at the spot where the ball had disappeared into the khud. The speaker then threw the boulder down the ravine, symbolically consigning both the boulder and the lost ball to remain together in the depths of the khud for eternity, marking the end of their pursuit and their emotional turmoil.
ANALYSIS:
"Snake" is a richly detailed narrative that explores themes of childhood obsession, fear, and the confrontation with danger. The poem's structure in free verse allows for a natural, story-like progression that mirrors the narrator's reflective and meandering thought process.
Theme of Obsession:
The boy's repeated attempts to break his record by catching the ball signify an obsessive nature. He sets strict limits on himself (a dozen tries) and is determined to surpass his initial achievement. This obsession is highlighted by his frustration at being unable to beat his first-day record, which he marks with a boulder with white veins. The boulder becomes a symbol of his unfulfilled ambition and the challenge he has set for himself.
Theme of Fear:
Fear is a central theme in the poem, manifesting in the boy's past and present experiences. The boy's fear of snakes is deeply ingrained, stemming from a traumatic incident in his valley house where a snake had chased him, and his brother had to kill it. This fear resurfaces when he encounters the snake in the khud, causing him to abandon his quest for the ball and hastily retreat.
Theme of Confrontation with Danger:
The poem vividly describes the boy's reckless descent into the khud, driven by his determination to retrieve the ball. The khud is depicted as a perilous place, "clammy and dark," and "snake-infested," emphasizing the danger he willingly faces. This confrontation with danger is a pivotal moment in the poem, marking a turning point where the boy's obsession is overridden by his primal fear.
Symbolism:
Several symbols enrich the narrative. The ball represents the boy's ambition and desire for achievement. Its elusiveness mirrors the boy's struggle to reach his goals. The boulder with white veins symbolizes the boy's initial success and the challenge he sets for himself. Its removal and subsequent throwing into the khud signify the boy's acceptance of his limitations and the relinquishment of his obsessive pursuit. The snake is a potent symbol of fear and danger. Its appearance triggers a flight response in the boy, highlighting the intensity of his fear. The khud itself stands for the undefined, as well as represents the boy’s daring to go there even against all odds a childlike adventurousness and an inevitable face-off with frights.
Psychological Insight:
The poem gives psychological insight into the boy’s mind giving readers a feel of how intense his emotions are and the impact past traumas have on him. The boy's obsession with baseball also reveals his need for control and accomplishment. This fear of snakes is a reminder that childhood wounds never heal completely; growing up does not erase what happened in earlier years.
Imagery and Tone:
These images employed by the poet create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind. The gravely path, dangerous khud, snake descriptions are particularly noticeable hence make us feel we are there. Playful but serious to scared is how we can describe this piece therefore indicating different emotional stages of the protagonist.
Structure and Style:
With its open-form structure, this poem unfolds like a tale before our eyes – it has an easy rhythm that echoes how the young narrator thinks. Because it lacks regular rhyme or meter, the poem reads like natural speech. It features enjambment and highlights the importance of continuing a sense of urgency from start to finish just as the unending pursuit of their score helps them escape danger later on. The powerful narrative poem of “Snake” captures the contradictory emotions and experiences of childhood. With its vibrant imagery, symbolism and psychological insight, the work addresses themes like obsession, terror as well as how to face danger.
The author’s intention to portray a common aspect of man’s journey for ambition amidst apprehension is seen in the boy’s attempt to reach his acme by meeting a snake. This poetry reveals the encounters that make us realize who we are and what our world can be when metaphorically broken down into pieces; this might have happened with someone else.