10.(b) You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off. But must I confess how I liked him, How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink at my water-trough And depart peaceful, pacified, and thankless, Into the burning bowels of this earth ? (Snake) (iv) What did the poet compare the snake's visit to ?
10.(b) You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off. But must I confess how I liked him, How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink at my water-trough And depart peaceful, pacified, and thankless, Into the burning bowels of this earth ? (Snake) (iv) What did the poet compare the snake's visit to ?
The poet compared the snake's visit to the visit of a guest — he says it 'had come like a guest in quiet' to drink at his water-trough, treating the reptile as an honoured, welcome visitor.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark: answer stating the poet compared the snake's visit to that of a guest ('like a guest in quiet').
- 2Full mark for 'a guest' / 'a quiet, welcome guest'.
- 3No mark for images from other parts of the poem (king/lord) since the extract specifies a guest.
Hint
Find the simile — the word 'like' points to what the visit is compared to.
Quick Oral Answer
The poet compared the snake's visit to that of a guest — he says it 'had come like a guest in quiet' to drink at his water-trough.
Analysis & Explanation
Question testing recognition of a simile in D. H. Lawrence's 'Snake'.
Concept
- In 'How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet', the poet compares the snake's arrival to the visit of a guest — a quiet, dignified, welcome visitor.
Key points
- The marker word 'like' signals the simile.
- The comparison shows the poet's genuine regard and hospitality towards the creature, treating it as an honoured caller rather than an intruder.
Common mistakes
- Answering 'a king' or 'a lord' — those images ('one of the lords of life', 'like a king in exile') belong elsewhere in the poem; this extract specifically uses the guest comparison.
Real-world tip
- In reference-to-context questions, always quote the exact phrase from the given extract rather than recalling images from other parts of the poem.
Common Mistakes
- 1Answering 'a king' or 'a lord of life' — those comparisons come from other lines, not this extract.
- 2Missing that the comparison is a simile signalled by the word 'like'.
- 3Explaining the poet's feelings at length instead of naming the comparison in one line.
Previously Asked
Whenever we act against the voice of our conscience, the result is suffering. Explain with reference to the poet's action against the snake.
From the poems 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' and 'The Snake', discuss how the characters, the albatross and the snake view human attitude and perspective towards creatures.
Interesting Facts
Elsewhere in the same poem Lawrence uses two more royal comparisons for the snake — 'one of the lords of life' and 'like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld' — showing his deep reverence for the creature.
The 'guest' image reflects the ancient value of hospitality; by treating the snake as a guest, the poet grants it the courtesy owed to a visitor rather than the hostility owed to a pest.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What did the poet compare the snake's visit to in 'Snake'?
He compared it to the visit of a guest — the snake 'had come like a guest in quiet' to drink at his water-trough, so he treated it as a welcome, honoured visitor.
What figure of speech is used in 'like a guest in quiet'?
It is a simile, because the snake's arrival is directly compared to a guest's visit using the word 'like'.