Symbolism of The Snake in Literature Essay Sample

The image of a snake in literature can be conceived of as a traditional symbol. The snake, as it is written in the Bible, usually symbolizes the devil or evil forces. The portrayal of the devil in this poem can be seen multiple times, for instance: ‘For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous.‘ (Line 24) Naturally, the devil wants to look pleasantly to humans, therefore he is disguised in golden colours. The gold colour represents wealth or power and the devil possesses both of these features. Moreover, later in the poem the narrator refers to the snake as: ‘a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld…’ (Line 69) Similarly, the devil was exiled from the heaven to the hell. Therefore, this line can be considered as an allusion to the Bible, supporting the statement, that the snake in this poem represents the devil indeed. The snake is trying to immerse into our world – the earth, which is the reason why it is also described as: ‘Being earth-brown, earth-golden from the burning bowels of the earth…’ (Line 20) Hence, the reader may observe, that the purpose of this ‘earth’ camouflage was done excellently since the narrator really focused on the dull, ordinary appearance. In addition, the earth is where the devil (in the famous form of a snake) wanders around, trying to bring out the worst in humans. Under his influence they become cruel and forget about the ethical manners. In this case he made the narrator so proud and petty, that he decided to harm the animal. Some conclusion 

To deepen the snake metaphor, the realms of hell and earth are hinted quite frequently. These realms are where the devil operates, and even the earth’s nature senses his presence. The hell is most commonly described as a place, where it is unbearably hot. The plot of the poem also takes place during ‘a hot, hot day’ (Line 2) and ‘On the day of Sicilian July, with Etna smoking.’ (Line 21) Smoking volcano signalizes a possible danger of eruption, bringing lava from the blackness of the earth. In the poem, the nature of earth is abnormally hot and dangerous, which indicates the presence of the devil. Furthermore, after evoking fear and pettiness in the narrator, the snake descends ‘into that horrid black hole’ (Line 52) or ‘into the blackness’ (Line 53) where he presumably came from. These expressions clearly refer to the realm of hell. The influence of the snake is extremely profound, even the nature has to adjust to his presence.    

Apart from the clever usage of figurative language, the author incorporates sound devices as well. These devices are utilised to approximate the situation and make it more poetic. In this case, the poet used onomatopoeia - the typical ‘sss’ sound of a snake: ‘Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body, Silently.‘(Lines 12-13) The words softly, straight, slack and silently are stressed on their first syllable, making them stand out more. This sentence describes both, the sound of the animal but also its typical behaviour. It seems as if the snake was the only thing occupying the narrator’s mind which is the reason why he used the snake-sounding words. 

The onomatopoeia is not the sole example of the sound device usage. The poet also uses repetition, more precisely anaphora, which delivers two outcomes. Initially, it evokes urgent, dense atmosphere. It puts into relief the inner conflict the narrator is experiencing: ‘Was it cowardice, that I dared not kill him? Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him? Was it humility, to feel so honoured…’ (Lines 31-33) He tries to find a reason behind his behaviour and feelings, almost as if he was questioning his conscience. He wants the reader to understand his mind flow. Secondarily, the repetition sets the pace of the poem as well. The anaphora is used in the sequences, when the action unravels faster: ‘And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do, And flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips, and mused a moment…’ (Lines 18, 19) The repetitive ‘and’ moves the action of the poem. The plot is developing more swiftly which causes the reader being more interested in the possible ending of the narrators dilemma. 

These poetic and sound features create a genuine work of power. However, apart from the poetic, there is also a sense of a certain action. The poem possesses two types of climaxes. The physical climax is illustrated when the narrator chooses to harm the snake – the moment when he chooses violence. He has been challenged by the voices which constantly repeated that the snake should be eliminated. Ultimately, the narrator submits to them in the line 55: ‘I looked round, I put down my pitcher…’ The whole internal struggle, whether to harm, or not to harm the snake, leads to this incident. Currently, the narrator seems to be persuaded he is doing what he is required to do. Yet he looks around, as if he was making sure no one watches him. Even the snake had to turn around so the man feels brave enough to harm him. He wants to perform in complete anonymity. This physical act is the long awaited decision the narrator has been doing throughout the whole poem.  

Furthermore, the mental climax occurs just after the physical one: ‘And immediately I regretted it. I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!’ (Lines 63-64)  In these lines, the narrator expresses an overwhelming shame of the action he has committed. Even though his opinions of the snake were switching during the poem, at this point, it is clear the visit of the snake was an honour for him, not a humility. Undoubtedly, this decision will have a tremendous influence of the narrator’s vision of life. He already rethinks his values and his character. Because of this intense wave of enlightenment, these lines can be considered a mental climax of the poem.

Ultimately, even though this poem includes some hidden meanings, the moral is demonstrated clearly. The narrator of the poem has contradicting thoughts about the snake. He is unsure, whether he feels pleased or appalled by the company of the snake. As abovementioned, right after he tries harming the animal, his mind is set. In the moment when the snake is gone and the probability of its return is minimal if any, the narrator feels dismal. He is aware of what he has committed and yearns for the snake to return: ‘And I wished he would come back, my snake.’ (Line 67) This is an illustration of wanting something one cannot have, which goes hand in hand with the fact, that humans do not usually value something until they lose it. The message of the poem emphasises the value of the present moment and appreciation of the little things. The author suggests that we, as the humankind, should be more thankful for the things we have, since everything is temporary and may cease anytime.