Exploration Of Poetic Technique In 'HuntIng Snake' By Judith
WrightDiscuss ‘Hunting Snake’ in detail commenting on the ways in
which the poet presents the hunting snake.
Sun-warmed in this late seasons grace
under the autumn’s gentlest sky
we walked on, and froze half-through a
pace. The great black snake went reeling
by.
Head-down, tongue flickering on the
trail he quested through the parting
grass;
sun glazed his curves of diamond
scale, and we lost breath to watch him
pass.
What track he followed, what small
food fled living from his fierce intent,
we scarcely thought; still as we
stood our eyes went with him as he
went.
Cold, dark and splendid he was gone
into the grass that hid his prey.
We took a deeper breath of
day, looked at each other, and
went on.
Judith Wright presents “Hunting Snake” in a simple manner, one that corresponds to the
content of the poem. The simplicity of style employed is similar to the simplicity of the
moment narrated. The snake itself, despite being widely regarded as deadly and
venomous, is portrayed simply in the poem- straight, of one soled colour and moving in
one direction. Throughout the poem, a contrast is set up between the stillness of the
onlookers and the movement of the snake. This contrast seems to be the reciprocal of
most notions held today, for it is mankind that has the power to act, while nature stands
still, subservient. The poet intends for a feeling of confusion to arise in the reader, one
that is created by the emergence of two powerful emotions in the scene that unfoldsfear and awe. These feelings contradict each other and in so doing surprise both the
speaker and reader and contribute to the trance that washes over the moment. The
focus then shifts from the moment experienced to the expression of feelings. A realistic
moment is depicted; one that stirs the reader- the emotions stirred then become the
prime focus of the poem.
An interesting atmosphere is created by the poet’s choice of words. Opening with a
perfect picture “Hunting Snake” initially implies no emergence of a snake. A setting that
is ‘sun- warmed’ and peaceful is painted- the sudden streak of black on what is
otherwise an orange, yellow and gold canvas is indeed shocking. The use of the word
‘black’ does contrast with the preceding colour scheme and helps to indicate danger and
threat. However, the first two lines with words like ‘warmed’ and ‘gentlest’ help to
balance the upheaval of shock. The reader infers,despite the shock, that the snake is
part of the natural beauty described. This introduction kills the notion of the snake
being venomous or harmful- it is simply a component of a wider natural world. The later
use of the phrase ‘sun glazed’ corresponds to that of ‘sun warmed’. Undeniably, the
snake is a part of an extended palette of natural surroundings.
The introduction of the ‘Hunting Snake’ is also made prominent, not just within the
opening stanza, but as a part of the entire poem. The line ‘The great black snake went
reeling by,” is a sentence on its own. This quality sets it apart and gives it a distinct
recognition in the make-up of the poem and the fact that it starts with a capital letter
‘The’ gives it importance.
The sense of awe is conveyed by the use of evocative and carefully sought out words.
The word ‘reeling’, for example, corresponds to the moment and movement described.
The reader can visualize the rapid and swift movement of the snake, and the unwinding
quality of the word imparts a sense of shock and speeds up the moment. In addition to
‘reeling’, it is the words used that depict the movements of the snake; ‘quested’, ‘pass’,
‘followed’, and ‘went’. The use of these words is significant because they describe the
movement of the snake, whereas in comparison, the humans present are still, and not
moving at all. As we explore this observation further, we realize that throughout the
course of the poem, the humans do indeed stand still- it is only nature that is in motion;
the grass is ‘parting’ the prey of the snake is ‘fleeing’ and the entire time the humans
are breathless. This lack of action on the human’s part expresses the tremendous sense
of awe. In addition, the movements of the grass and the prey supplement the fluidity of
the snake’s movement, helping to convey it as an integral part of nature and not a
monstrous creature, waiting in dark crevices to poison mankind. The use of the word
‘flickering’ refers to the contrasting and confusing emotions of fear and awe as well as
adding life to an otherwise ‘frozen’ moment.
In the second stanza, as the snake has its head down we see it as oblivious to the
humans that stand watching. It does not even pause. It is completely incorporated into
the natural world and this very oblivion helps in making the snake appear somewhat
innocent even as it goes on to pursue its prey with ‘fierce intent’ in the following stanza.
The beautiful description of its iridescent scales also alleviates the ‘hunting’ quality we
will go on to witness. The core purpose of the poem, at this point, is that in order to
survive some creatures do need to kill others- but this death may not be bloody murderit is instead a vital stage in the cycle of life.
Indeed as the third stanza launches the image of the hunting snake following its prey,
the use of the word ‘quest’ is significant in reducing the conception of the snake as a
cold predatory creature. The word ‘quest’ relates to human nature- are we all not in
search of something greater? The parting grass serves metaphorically as the path of
life. All creatures have a role to play in this world. The fact that the grass is already
‘parting’ before the snake, indicates that even the grass has a life of its own. The scene
then becomes one of nature in its entire splendor, not just of one creature (the snake).
The word ‘glazed’ implies smoothness- the blending in of the snake and the natural
world. In the same line the words ‘curve’ and ‘diamond’ that follow ‘glaze’, seem to
contrast. A diamond is sharp and hard whereas the word curve indicates a smoother and
softer shape. This paradoxical description helps to balance the preconceptions humans
have for snakes with the realistic role it plays in the natural world. Each and every word
employed by the poet serves to reduce otherwise jagged images and stark contrasts.
Take the phrase ‘fierce intent’- the use of ‘intent’ lessens the harshness of the word
‘fierce’ and makes the snake out to be a tenacious creature deep in concentration.
‘Intent’ simultaneously describes the intense moment at play.
The phrase ‘went with him as he went’ hastens the already swift rhythm in order to
entail the disappearance of the snake ‘into the grass’. It also describes the wonder of
the onlookers that has yet to falter. The alliteration of ‘gone’ and ‘grass’ also serve the
purpose of the snake’s slippery and disappearing movement.
The poem is presented in a tightly controlled structure, divided into four quatrains not
only equal length but also of a similar rhyme scheme. The feelings of shock and awe
expressed by the speaker are not communicated to the reader through this repetitive
and rigid structure. The poet relies on the use of evocative words to convey the trancelike mood of the speaker. The structure does, however, put across several indications of
the poet. Firstly the reader understands that even though the speaker is encountering a
wild animal, the moment in itself, although shrouded in substantial shock, is still one
that is calm and peaceful. By separating the poem into quatrains, and not presenting it
in a single block like Halligan’s ‘Cockroach’ or as in ‘Pied Beauty’, the poet conveys that
the snake and the humans encountering it have a barrier between them. It is clear that
they both co-exist momentarily in one world and in that moment a shared ownership of
this world was established between the two but both are nonetheless two disparate
entities- snake and man.
The poem also follows an alternate rhyme scheme, one that does not falter, except in
the final stanza. The steady rhyme scheme appoints the poem a fast beat, one that
implies action and movement. In ‘Hunting Snake’, the reader can understand the
snake’s movements when the poem is recited aloud. One can visualize the snakes
flowing motion as it fluidly slithers ‘through the parting grass’ much like sand in an
hourglass. The pace is not abrupt, neither is it leisurely. It is ongoing and relentless. The
snake does not stop until its disappearance “into the grass” in the final stanza, which
explains why the AB/AB rhyme pattern changes to A/BB/A.
The rhyme also makes the poem striking, accounting for the lack of unusual structure
or style. In the first stanza, as the snake is introduced, the rhyme of ‘sky’ and ‘by’ is
remarkable as the words are short and hence constitute a sharp rhyme. This imparts
an abruptness in the leisurely flow of words created by the words ‘warmed’ and
‘gentlest’. More so, the rhyme of ‘sky’ and ‘by’ contrasts with that of ‘grace’ and pace’
(longer and somewhat softer words) further enhancing the feeling of shock uprooted in
the reader when the snake goes ‘reeling by’.
The exchange of a glance between the onlookers at the end of the poem is a
confirmation of their awe and wonder at the moment they shared. This silence
communication enhances the concept of the failure to interact with nature. The snake
moving with its ‘head down’ never looked up or communicated anything to the
onlookers. The mesmerized awe of the onlookers is depicted in the three words ‘cold
dark and splendid’- their use corresponds to that of ‘great black snake’ earlier. Despite
the recognition felt (of its role in the natural world), the snake is still cold and dark to
humans. This reminder makes the reader realize, that it is only in stolen and hidden
moments that the two realms of nature and the world we have created for ourselves
intertwine.
This entwinement is stunning at best and leaves all involved silent and daunted.