Essay About Dh Lawrence And Religious Themes

Snake by Dh Lawrence
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Snake by DH Lawrence
In Snake, Lawrence tells of a confrontation with a snake he had
at his water trough. This poem is actually based on an incident that
occurred to him and obviously reflects his feelings and emotions.
Lawrence was honored by the snakes presence, but was also afraid. “If
you were not afraid, you would kill him”, he said to himself. He
simply waits for the snake to finish drinking its water, and then
throws a log at it to scare it away. After doing so he immediately
regrets doing it because he missed a chance with one of the “lords of
life.”
Throughout the poem Lawrence illustrates his point about strife
and the clash of opposites. Education and social conventions make
Lawrence think that the poisonous snake must be killed, and that a
brave man should undertake the task. For a brief moment Lawrence
lacked the faith of his own intuition and missed his chance with one
of the lords of life. (Internet, 3) He compares the snake to
domesticated farm animals and to a human by referring to the snake
as “someone” and describing “him” as amusing. Lawrence compares the
snake to a god, a king, and a lord of life. It almost seems as he
feels the snake is above him. The snake is the first one on the
scene, and the first to leave. Lawrence wonders why “petty” mankind
always tries to rob the dignity from all Godly creatures
(Masterplots, 1930).
Some religious themes could be drawn from the poem as well.
There was a snake in the Garden of Eden. Lawrence is drawn by the
snake, just as Eve was in the Bible. He is in complete awe of it, and
can not decide to turn away from it or get a chance to understand it.
Lawrences act of scaring it away could illustrate an attempt to draw
closer to God. His inner feelings are fear of the snake “And truly I
was afraid, I was most afraid,