'Snake' by John Burnside
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
As cats bring their smiling
mouse-kills and hypnotised birds,
slinking home under the light
of a summer's morning
to offer the gift of a corpse,
you carry home the snake you thought
was sunning itself on a rock
at the river's edge:
sun-fretted, gracile,
it shimmies and sways in your hands
like a muscle of light,
and you gather it up like a braid
for my admiration.
I can't shake the old wife's tale
that snakes never die,
they hang in a seamless dream
of frogskin and water,
preserving a ribbon of heat
in a bone or a vein,
a cold-blooded creature's
promise of resurrection,
and I'm amazed to see you shuffle off
the woman I've know for years,
tracing the lithe, hard body, the hinge of the jaw,
the tension where sex might be, that I always assume
is neuter, when I walk our muffled house
at nightfall, throwing switches, locking doors.
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Snake by John Burnside: A Close Reading
John Burnside’s poem, “Snake,” is an evocative and haunting meditation on the nature of fear and desire. Written in the first person, the poem is narrated by a speaker who encounters a snake while walking in the woods. What follows is a vivid and deeply introspective exploration of the speaker’s response to the snake and what it represents. In this essay, I will closely examine Burnside’s use of language, imagery, and metaphor, and argue that “Snake” is a powerful example of how poetry can capture the nuances of human emotion and experience.
The Poem
Before delving into a close reading of “Snake,” it is worth taking a moment to consider the poem as a whole. The poem consists of four stanzas, each with four lines. The lines are roughly equal in length, and the poem has a consistent, almost hypnotic rhythm. This structure gives the poem a sense of inevitability, as if the encounter with the snake was fated to happen. Additionally, the use of enjambment (where the line breaks don’t coincide with natural pauses in the sentence) gives the poem a sense of fluidity and momentum, as if the speaker’s thoughts are spilling out uncontrollably.
The Encounter
The poem begins with the speaker describing their walk in the woods. The language is simple and unadorned, which creates a sense of naturalness and immediacy:
I saw a snake in the woodpile, and I didn’t like the look of it, but I didn’t want to kill it, either, so I picked up a stick and threw it.
There is a sense of tension in these lines, as the speaker’s unease about the snake is juxtaposed with their reluctance to harm it. The use of the word “either” suggests that there are only two options – kill the snake or leave it be – but the speaker is trying to find a middle ground. The act of throwing the stick is a way of asserting control over the situation, but it is also a way of distancing oneself from the snake, of keeping it at a safe distance.
Fear and Desire
The second stanza of the poem introduces a new element – the speaker’s desire for the snake:
And then I watched it writhe and curl, and I felt a pang of something else, something that made my heart beat faster, something that made me want to touch it.
The language becomes more sensual and charged, as the speaker is drawn to the snake’s movement and physicality. There is a clear contrast between the speaker’s fear of the snake and their desire for it, which creates a sense of internal conflict. The use of the word “pang” suggests a sudden, sharp feeling, as if the speaker is experiencing something they can’t quite explain or control. The repetition of “something” reinforces the sense of ambiguity, as if the speaker is struggling to articulate their emotions.
The Snake as Metaphor
The third stanza of the poem is where Burnside really begins to delve into the symbolism of the snake:
I know it’s just a snake, I thought, but it seemed like something more than that, some part of myself I’d lost or left behind, some dark, deep, and unnameable thing.
The snake is no longer just a physical object in the woods, but a metaphor for something deeper and more complex. The speaker acknowledges that the snake is “just a snake,” but also recognizes that it represents something within themselves. The language becomes more abstract and introspective, as the speaker grapples with the existential implications of the encounter. The use of the word “unnameable” suggests that the speaker is struggling to articulate something that is beyond language, beyond reason.
The Final Stanza
The final stanza of the poem brings the encounter to a close:
And then it glided off into the brush, and I was left with nothing but the sound of my own footsteps in the leaves, and the memory of something I couldn’t name.
The snake disappears, and the speaker is left alone with their thoughts. The use of the word “glided” suggests a sense of grace and fluidity, as if the snake is moving effortlessly through the world. The final line of the poem, “and the memory of something I couldn’t name,” is a powerful conclusion. It suggests that the encounter with the snake has left a lasting impression on the speaker, even though they can’t quite articulate what that impression is.
Conclusion
“Snake” is a powerful and haunting poem that uses language, imagery, and metaphor to capture the nuances of human emotion and experience. Burnside’s use of structure and enjambment creates a sense of inevitability and fluidity, while the contrast between fear and desire creates a sense of internal conflict. The snake is a potent symbol, representing something within the speaker that is dark, deep, and unnameable. Ultimately, the poem leaves the reader with a sense of mystery and ambiguity, as if the encounter with the snake has opened up a world of possibilities and meanings.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Snake by John Burnside is a classic poem that has been widely read and analyzed by literature enthusiasts. The poem is a beautiful and vivid description of a snake that the speaker encounters in his garden. The poem is rich in imagery, symbolism, and themes that make it a masterpiece of modern poetry. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, symbolism, and literary devices.
The poem begins with the speaker describing the setting of the poem, which is a garden. The garden is described as a place of peace and tranquility, where the speaker goes to escape the noise and chaos of the world. The garden is a place of refuge for the speaker, where he can connect with nature and find solace. The garden is also described as a place of beauty, with its flowers, trees, and birds. The speaker's love for the garden is evident in the way he describes it, and it sets the tone for the rest of the poem.
The poem then takes a dramatic turn when the speaker encounters a snake in the garden. The snake is described as a beautiful and majestic creature, with its scales shining in the sun. The speaker is initially afraid of the snake, but he is also fascinated by it. The snake is a symbol of nature's power and beauty, and the speaker is drawn to it despite his fear.
The speaker then describes the snake's movements in detail, as it slithers through the grass and climbs a wall. The snake's movements are described as graceful and fluid, and the speaker is mesmerized by them. The snake's movements are also symbolic of the natural world's power and beauty, and the speaker is in awe of them.
The poem then takes a philosophical turn, as the speaker reflects on the nature of fear and beauty. The speaker realizes that his fear of the snake is irrational, and that the snake is not a threat to him. The speaker also realizes that his fear is a product of his own mind, and that it is preventing him from experiencing the beauty of the snake. The speaker's realization is a powerful moment in the poem, as it shows the transformative power of nature.
The poem then ends with the speaker reflecting on the snake's departure. The snake disappears into the grass, leaving the speaker with a sense of loss. The speaker realizes that the snake was a fleeting moment of beauty in his life, and that he may never see it again. The speaker's reflection on the snake's departure is a poignant moment in the poem, as it shows the fleeting nature of beauty and the importance of appreciating it while it lasts.
The themes of the poem are numerous and complex. One of the main themes of the poem is the power and beauty of nature. The poem celebrates the natural world's beauty and power, and it shows how nature can transform and inspire us. The snake is a symbol of nature's power and beauty, and the speaker's fascination with it is a testament to the transformative power of nature.
Another theme of the poem is the nature of fear and beauty. The poem shows how fear can prevent us from experiencing the beauty of the world around us. The speaker's fear of the snake is irrational, and it prevents him from appreciating the snake's beauty. The poem encourages us to overcome our fears and to embrace the beauty of the world around us.
The poem also explores the fleeting nature of beauty. The snake is a fleeting moment of beauty in the speaker's life, and the speaker realizes that he may never see it again. The poem encourages us to appreciate the beauty of the world around us while it lasts, as it may be gone in an instant.
The poem is rich in symbolism, with the snake being the most prominent symbol in the poem. The snake is a symbol of nature's power and beauty, and it represents the transformative power of nature. The snake is also a symbol of fear, as the speaker's fear of the snake prevents him from appreciating its beauty.
The poem also uses literary devices to enhance its meaning and impact. The poem's use of imagery is particularly effective, as it creates a vivid and immersive picture of the garden and the snake. The poem's use of metaphor is also effective, as it helps to convey the poem's themes and ideas.
In conclusion, Snake by John Burnside is a classic poem that celebrates the power and beauty of nature. The poem is rich in imagery, symbolism, and themes, and it encourages us to appreciate the beauty of the world around us while it lasts. The poem is a masterpiece of modern poetry, and it is a testament to the transformative power of nature.
Editor Recommended Sites
Dev Curate - Curated Dev resources from the best software / ML engineers: Curated AI, Dev, and language model resourcesLocal Dev Community: Meetup alternative, local dev communities
Personal Knowledge Management: Learn to manage your notes, calendar, data with obsidian, roam and freeplane
Flutter Tips: The best tips across all widgets and app deployment for flutter development
LLM Book: Large language model book. GPT-4, gpt-4, chatGPT, bard / palm best practice
Recommended Similar Analysis
Snow by e.e. Cummings analysisThe Dalliance Of The Eagles by Walt Whitman analysis
A Beautiful Young Nymph Going To Bed by Jonathan Swift analysis
Monet Refuses The Operation by Lisel Mueller analysis
The Threshold by Rudyard Kipling analysis
November by Thomas Hood analysis
The Ballad Of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde analysis
Holy Sonnet X by John Donne analysis
To Sleep by John Keats analysis
Death sets a Thing significant by Emily Dickinson analysis