Exploration Of Poetic Technique In 'HuntIng Snake' By Judith Wright
Exploration Of Poetic Technique In 'HuntIng Snake' By Judith Wright Discuss ‘Hunting Snake’ in detail commenting on the ways in which the poet presents the hunting snake.Sun-warmed in this late seasons graceunder the autumn’s gentlest skywe walked on, and froze half-through a pace.The great black snake went reeling by.Head-down, tongue flickering on the trailhe 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 foodfled living from his fierce intent,we scarcely thought; still as we stoodour eyes went with him as he went. Cold, dark and splendid he was goneinto 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 unfolds- fear 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 ...
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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 murder- it 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 trance-like 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.