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Extra Questions, Notes, Assignment and study material for Class 9th as Per CBSE Syllabus
Chapter- 9.1
The Snake Trying Class 9 Extra Questions and Answers
By– W.W.E. Ross
Introduction of the lesson- THE SNAKE TRYING
The snake is ominously depicted in a lot of poems, as a symbol of death. But other poets have different opinions on the subject. Presented here, is one such interpretation – that the snake will not harm anyone so long as it’s not disturbed. The snake will only make people feel harm when they think it’s a danger for its own life. In this poem, the snake itself becomes the victim of human hardness.
(हम में से अधिकतर सांपों को मृत्यु के एक भयानक प्रतीक के रूप में लेते हैं । लेकिन इसके बारे में कवि का एक भिन्न मत है उसके विचार में यदि सांपों को तंग न किया जाए तो वे हानिकारक नहीं होते हैं । वे मानव को तभी क्षति पहुँचाते है जब उन्हें लगता है कि मानव उनके जीवन के लिए एक ख़तरा बन गया है । इस कविता में तो स्वयं सांप ही मानव की कठोरता का शिकार बन जाता है।)
INTRODUCTION (2) THE SNAKE TRYING:
W.W.E. Ross wrote this small poem in unrhymed, free-verse form with unequal lines and pleads to humans to treat snakes in a kind manner. Most people will kill snakes on just their grounds, but the poet reveals that not all snakes are poisonous and not all would harm human beings.
THEME – THE SNAKE TRYING
The poem is supported by the theme of preventing cruelty towards animals and this idea is developed by asking people to maintain ecological balance, not harming any species, in this case – snakes. All the snakes are not venomous, or they attack only when they need to protect themselves. They have a right to life, too.
THEME – THE SNAKE TRYING
The poem shows the author’s concern in preventing cruelty towards animals, but also encourages people to preserve the ecological balance. The poet has stated that all snakes are not poisonous and they only attack humans when they feel threatened. This is why it is important to respect their right to exist.
TITLE – THE SNAKE TRYING
The title tells the reader that the snake is ‘trying’. It’s repeated in the first line to reinforce this action by the snake and prepare him for what comes next. It makes people want to find out more and they read on to learn that the snake is a victim and trying to save himself from someone who’s chasing him with a stick, in order to kill him with it. So, the title is apt because it prompted curiosity in the reader, who wanted to find out more about the snake’s efforts.
LITERARY DEVICES THE SNAKE TRYING
Transferred Epithet
A transferred epithet is an adjective that grammatically qualifies a noun other than the person or thing it is actually describing.
Examples:
- to escape the pursuing stick
Here, the adjective ‘pursuing’ is used with ‘stick’. But it is not intended to show that the stick is pursuing. Actually, it is to suggest that some person with a stick in his hands is chasing the snake. Hence, the epithet (adjective) is transferred from the person to the stick.
RHYME SCHEME THE SNAKE TRYING
As the poem is written in free verse with lines unequal in length and no metre, there is no rhyme scheme in the poem.
Poetic Devices THE SNAKE TRYING
- Imagery
The poet uses a certain description that is appealing to the senses.
Example:
- He describes the beauty of the snake as small and green and the reeds as green shin reeds.
- Personification
We find that the poet refers to the snake as he would refer to a human being.
Example:
- He glides through the water.
- O let him go.
Value Points THE SNAKE TRYING
- The snake was trying to escape the man with a stick.
- With his thin long body, he runs making sudden carvings.
- The poet thinks that his curves are beautiful and impressive.
- To save itself from the blow of stick, he prefers to go through water.
- He is harmless even to children.
- He finally vanishes among the green thin reeds.
Useful Expressions THE SNAKE TRYING
- to escape the pursuing stick – The snake is trying to get away from the man who is chasing him with a stick.
- into the reeds to hide – The snake runs into the reeds to escape the man.
- harmless even to children – Some snakes do not bite even children.
- he lay until observed – The snake lies in the hiding place until it is noticed by someone.
- among the green slim reeds – When the snake is chased away by people, it vanishes into the bushes of the green thin reeds for protection.
Paraphrasing THE SNAKE TRYING
| STANZA | MEANING |
| The snake trying
to escape the pursuing stick, with sudden carvings of thin long body. How beautiful and graceful are his shapes! | The snake is trying to escape the man with a stick. It runs with some unique curves which make some beautiful and graceful shapes. It tries to escape from the stroke. |
| He glides through the water away
from the stroke. O let him go over the water into the reeds to hide without hurt. Small and green he is harmless even to children. | The poet pleads with the man to let the snake goes over the water into the reeds to hide without getting hurt. The snake is not willing to hurt anyone. Although it looks small and green, it is harmless even to children. |
| Along the sand
he lay until observed and chased away, and now he vanishes in the ripples among the green slim reeds. | The poet further adds that the snake likes to lie on the sand until it is noticed and chased away by some people. Finally, it vanishes away in the ripples of green reeds. Thus, the snake tries to save itself from the man. |
VOCABULARY THE SNAKE TRYING
Escape— to get free; Pursue— to follow; Curvings—bends; Thin—not fat; Graceful—attractive; Glide—move; Stroke—hit; Reeds—tall plant like grasses; Hide—put out of view; Hurt—being hit; Harmless—can not cause any damage or harm; Observe—look; Chase—follow; Vanish—to disappear; Slim—thin.
MESSAGE THE SNAKE TRYING
The poem, in very simple and clear words, conveys the message that all creatures of nature need to be treated in a kind and sympathetic manner. Even snakes must not be attacked because they do not bite unless they sense a danger to their life. Moreover, there are certain varieties of snakes that are not poisonous and are hence harmless.
Important Word-Meanings of difficult words from the lesson- THE SNAKE TRYING
Word-Meanings: Escape = to get clear away,बच निकालन ा; pursuing = chasing, पीछे लगी हुई ; curving= turns, घुमाव; graceful = attractive, मनमोहक; glides = creeps, सरकता ह ै; stroke = hit, प्रहार । Reeds = hollow stems, सरकंडे ; hurt = injury, चोट; harmless= not dangerous,हानि रहित I Observed = was seen, देख लिया गय ा; chased away = was followed, पीछा किया गया ; vanishes = get out of sight,अद्रश्य होना ; ripples = waves,लहरें ; slim = thin,पतले I
Short and Simple Summary of the lesson in English– THE SNAKE TRYING/ Summary in simple Words/ Critical appreciation of the lesson – THE SNAKE TRYING
This is a beautiful poem about a snake. One day, a snake was lying in the sand of a river or pond’s bank and someone observing it ran after it with a stick and tried to kill, it. The snake ran away so quickly that they couldn’t keep up and looked like they were moving in slow motion or gliding through water. Poet sees all this, he asks the hunter to let the small green snake go away without any harm. He says that it is a tiny green snake. It can’t make any harm even to a small child. But the hunter does not listen to poet, he’s after the snake and it runs from him through the reeds.
Summary THE SNAKE TRYING (2):
This sixteen-line poem deals with the idea that humans should not be cruel towards snakes. The snake must live on its own accord, without humans constantly interfering in its life and possibly hurting it. The poem opens with the image of a snake trying to avoid being struck with a stick from one human. Long-bodied and thin, yet still has the strength needed to be elusive, the poet finds the motion of this snake’s body to be both elegant and fascinating. The snake moves quietly through the water of the pond to try to avoid being hit by the person with the stick. The poet wants for the person chasing him, to let him go safely into his hide-out among the green, slender reeds without injuring this specific snake, which is non-poisonous and cannot hurt even young children. He was comfortably resting in his sandy patch on the other side of the pond before someone noticed and began to chase him with a stick. Now he has taken refuge in these green, thin reeds across the pond where he’s creating silky ripples while slithering through them on water.
Summary in Hindi/ THE SNAKE TRYING
यह सांप के बारे में एक सुंदर कविता हैं । एक दिन एक तालाब या नदी के किनारे रेत पर एक सांप लेटा हुआ था । कोई व्यक्ति इसे देख लेता है और डंडा लेकर उसके पीछे लग जाता है । वह उसे मारना चाहता है । सांप पीछे पड़ी हुई लाठी से बचने का प्रयास कर रहा है । वह अचानक अपने शरीर में घुमावदार मोड़ डालकर भागता है । यह बहुत ही सुन्दर और मनमोहक लगता है । वह अपने आपको लाठी के प्रहार से बचाने के लिए पानी के ऊपर से सरकता है ।
कवि इस सारे दृश्य को देखता है । वह पीछा कर रहे उस आदमी से कहता है कि वह सांप को बिना कोई चोट पहुँचाए चले जाने दे । वह कहता है कि यह एक छोटा-सा हरे रंग का सांप है । यह तो एक छोटे-से बच्चे को भी हानि नहीं पहुँचा सकता है । लेकिन पीछा करने कवि की बात नहीं सुनता है । वह सांप के पीछे पड़ा हुआ है लेकिन साँप हरे सरकंडों के बीच लहरों में ओझल हो जाता है ।
COMPREHENSION OF STANZAS THE SNAKE TRYING
STANZA 1
The snake trying
to escape the pursuing stick,
with sudden carvings of thin
long body. flow beautiful
and graceful are his shapes!
He glides through the water away
front the stroke.
हिंदी अनुवाद – सांप अपने पीछे पड़ी हुई छड़ी से बचने के लिए अचानक अपने लंबे और पतले शरीर में बल खाता हुआ जाता है । उस समय वह देखने में कितना सुंदर और मनमोहक लगता है । वह लाठी के प्रहार से बचने के लिए पानी के ऊपर से सरकता हुआ चला जाता है ।
Questions :
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) What is the snake trying to escape from?
(c) Why does he take sudden carvings of his body?
(d) What looks beautiful and graceful?
(e )Where does the snake go and why?
Answers :
(a) The name of the poem is ‘The Snake Trying’ and the name of the. poet is `W.W.E. Ross’.
(b) The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick.
(c) He takes sudden curves of his body to escape himself from the stroke of the stick.
(d) His shapes of the body while taking curvings look graceful and beautiful.
(e) The snake goes through the water to save himself.
STANZA 2
0 let him go over the water
into the reeds to hide
without hurt Small and green
he is harmless even to children.
हिंदी अनुवाद – अर े! उसे पानी के ऊपर से जाने दो ताकि वह बिना किसी चोट के सरकंडों में जाकर छुप जाए । वह छोटा –सा हरे रंग का सांप बच्चों को भी कोई हानि नहीं पहुँचा सकता है ।
Questions :
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) Who does ‘him’ refer to in the first line of the stanza?
(c) Where is he going?
(d) Of what size and colour is he?
(e) What is his nature?
Answers :
(a) The name of the poem is ‘The Snake Trying’ and the name of the poet is ‘W.W.E. Ross’.
(b) ‘Him’ refers to the snake.
(c) He is going over the water into the reeds.
(d) He is of small size and green colour.
(e) He is of good nature.
STANZA 3
Along the sand
, e lay until observed
and chased away, and now
he vanishes in the ripples
among the green slim reeds.
हिंदी अनुवाद – वह तब तक रेत के बीच में लेटा रहा जब तक कि किसी ने उसे देख नहीं लिया और उसका पीछा नहीं किया और अब वह हरे रंग के पतले सरकंडों के बीच लहरों में ओझल हो गया है ।
Questions :
(a) Who does `he’ refer to in this stanza?
(b) Where was he lying?
(c)When was he chased?
(d) Where does he vanish?
(e) Of what colour are the reeds?
Answers :
(a) ‘He’ refers to the snake.
(b) He was lying on the sand.
(c) He was chased when someone observed him.
(d) He vanishes in the ripples among the reeds.
(e) The reeds are of green colour.
Very Short Answer Type Important Questions THE SNAKE TRYING
I. What is the snake trying to escape from?
Ans. The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick.
2. How is the snake’s body??
Ans. The snake has a thin long body.
3. How does the snake go through the water?
Ans. He glides through the water away.
4. Where is the snake trying to hide?
Ans. The snake is trying to hide into the reed4.
5. What is the colour of the snake?
Ans. The colour of the snake is green.
6. What type of snake is it?
Ans. It is a harmless snake.
7. What does the poet wish for the snake?
Ans. The poet wishes that the snake should escape unhurt.
8. Where was the snake before anyone saw it?
Ans. The snake was lying on the sand before anyone saw it.
9. Where does the snake vanish?
Ans. The snake vanishes in the ripples among the green reeds.
10. Who is the poet of the poem ‘The Snake Trying’?
Ans. W.W.E. Ross is the poet of this poem.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS THE SNAKE TRYING
(to be answered in about 30 – 40 words each)
Q1. What is the snake trying to escape from? (Textual)
Ans:- The snake defends himself against the man with a stick, by running away. The snake fears that the man plans to kill him by striking him. The snake is trying to avoid being struck by the stick.
Q2. Why does the snake suddenly curve his body?
Ans:- The snake, lying comfortably on the sands on the bank of a pond, suddenly notices a person trying to kill him with a stick. Naturally, he cannot remain to lie at rest when face to face with death. He twists and wriggles his body to avoid being struck by the stick.
Q3. How does the snake look when he curves his slender body?
Ans:- Despite the large number of non-stopping motions, the snake’s body is quite fascinating and it looks elegant to the poet. The various shapes that are formed by twisting and turning are not at all frightening or ugly.
Q4. Where does the snake start moving to avoid being killed?
Ans:-The snake starts moving towards the pond to avoid being killed. He glides on the surface of the pond’s water to reach the bank on the other side which has slim and green reeds like the snake’s body. Here he can easily camouflage himself and avoid being detected and killed.
Q5. Does the poet support the person with the stick?
Ans:- No, the poet does not at all support or approve of the person who intends to kill the snake with his stick. He does not find any reason why a harmless, non-poisonous, beautiful, and graceful snake should be put to death. He wants the snake to be spared and allowed to live.
Q6. What is the poet’s request to the person chasing the snake?
Ans:- He asked the person chasing the snake with a stick to let the snake go so he can finally lead his life without fear. He wants to be able to slither away from the person through the riverocean, into some reeds where he’ll be safe.
Q7. Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour? (Textual)
Ans:- The snake is green in colour and is small in size. It is absolutely harmless as it is non-poisonous. It is harmless even to the children and hence need not be feared or killed merely because human beings consider snakes as harmful creatures.
Q8. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty. (Textual)
Ans:-The poet uses the words ‘beautiful and graceful’ to describe the shapes of the snake’s body. He uses the words ‘small and green’ to describe the snake’s size and colour respectively. All these words connote admiration.
Q9. Why does the poet want the snake to be spared?
Ans:- The poet wants to spare the snake because it’s non-venomous and since it cannot harm a human being, there is no reason to kill him. The poet does not want to put any rhyme or reason in killing something that poses no threat to humans.
Q10. Where was the snake before anyone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear? (Textual)
Ans:- Before being seen by anyone, the snake was lying comfortably on the sandy banks of the pond. After getting noticed and chased, he moved swiftly to the pond, got in the water and reached the other side to disappear in the slim and green reeds growing over there.
Q11.Where did the snake hide and how?
Ans:-The snake hid among the green reeds growing on the other side of the pond. He did this by merging his slender and green body with the slim and green reeds. This camouflage helped him deceive the person who was trying to kill him.
Q12. What idea do you form the poet’s attitude towards all living creatures?
Ans:- The poet seems to be an environmentalist who has a loving attitude towards all living beings. He seems to be conscious of the need to preserve the diversity of creatures to maintain balance in the environment. Moreover, he believes that most species of snakes are non-poisonous and they do not harm unless attacked.
Q13. What does the poet wish for the snake? (Textual)
Ans:- The poet wishes a safe and free life for the snake. He does not want any human being to feel threatened by the snake and wants him to be left alone. He desires a peaceful coexistence for the snake and human beings.
Q14. What is the snake trying to escape from?
Ans. The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick. Human beings try their level best to kill the snake. They believe that the snake is poisonous and harmful.
Q15. What does the poet wish for the snake?
Ans.
The poet envisions a scenario where the snake is being pursued by a man with a stick and wants to be allowed to escape. It is not harmful, just as it occurred in true nature.
or
The poet pleads with the reader to allow a venomous snake to escape and not to harm it. The poet implores the reader not to hit it nor trap it but instead help it find freedom as they are not harming anyone; this is a harmless snake.
Q16. How does the snake look when it tries to escape?
Ans. The snake is lying along the sand when someone sees it. The person chases it with a stick. The snake glides away through the water. The way it curves is very beautiful and graceful.
Q17. What is the message of the poem The Snake Trying’?
Ans. The poet loves animals. He conveys the message that we should love them. We should not kill the animals and other creatures of God, especially when they are not harmful.
Q18. Describe the movement of the snake.
Ans. The snake’s movement is beautiful and graceful. To see the zig-zag movement of the snake was quite mesmerising to the poet.
Q19. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty.
Ans. The poet uses the following words: beautiful and graceful, glides, small and green. The snake is small and green. He finds the snake beautiful and graceful. The way it moves is also a delight to watch.
Q20. Why does the poet think that it is foolishness to kill the snake?
Ans. When we see the snake, we try our utmost to kill it. It is our foolishness. We know that snakes are poisonous but it will do no harm to us unless it sees any danger from us. Snakes always bite in self-protection otherwise they are harmless to even children. However, human beings often try to kill them.
Q21. Where did the snake finally vanish away?
Ans. The snake’s path away from the hunters and across the thin green reeds was finally noticed by some people. The ripples on the thin green reeds are part of the sky for the snake. It went across thin green reeds, vanishing into them.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS THE SNAKE TRYING
(to be answered in about 100 – 150 words each)
Q1. The poem “The Snake Trying” by W.W.E. Ross presents two divergent attitudes towards the snake. Discuss both attitudes.
Or
How does the attitude of the poet towards the snake differ absolutely from that of the man with the stick?
Ans:-
A poem by W.W.E. Ross illustrates the different reactions towards a snake coming in to contact with a human being and killing them. The man with the stick believes that all snakes are poisonous and dangerous, so he is ready to kill the snake without any hesitation when he sees him on the sandy bank of the pond, even though this particular snake has not shown any intention to harm anyone yet. At the same time, he feels a sense of solidarity with it, and instead of finding this reptile repulsive or icky, he is able to see beauty in its body. The author of this text reveals the man with the stick about his knowledge about snake varieties, assuring him that their green snakes are definitely harmless. He tells him that the snake will be allowed to escape from danger by hiding among the reeds instead of being killed.
Q2. Which values can be noticed about the poet from his attitude towards snakes?
Ans:- The poet’s concern and caring attitude towards the snakes emphasizes his values of gentleness, kindness, and sympathy. His thoughtfulness towards all living beings can also be noticed after reading this poem. We know that his thoughts are based on sound scientific reasons when he tells that all snakes are not poisonous. The small and green ones, in particular, are absolutely safe and cannot harm even children.
We learn that the poet is an environmentalist and believes in the preservation of animals when he dissuades the man with the stick from killing the snake.
His profound sense of love for the innocent snake is also revealed when he requests the man to let the snake go and hide amidst the slim, green reeds. The poet’s deep understanding of the behaviour of snakes can be seen when he remarks that the snake can camouflage and deceive the hostile person by merging itself into the green reeds.
The poet, with his great concern for the snake, inspires the readers to develop the values of love and concern towards all living beings.
Q3. The poem “The Snake Trying” has a deep moral lesson. Which moral values come out of it?
Or
How is the poem “The Snake Trying” an inspirational poem?
Ans:- In this poem’s moral lesson, the poet implores his readers to cultivate an empathetic and loving attitude towards all living things. He demonstrates the beauty in all creations of God, even the curling shape of a snake. He wants this beauty to be preserved so that it can live on beyond his lifetime and beyond. The poem is a request by the poet for everyone to preserve the diversity of nature. The poem motivates readers to learn about nature by stressing that it’s unfair to kill animals without any reason. It also encourages readers to gain deep knowledge of the animal world which they can use to differentiate between harmful and harmless animals. Thus, the poem encourages people to adopt humanistic and friendly feelings towards all living creatures.
Q4. Do you agree that a snake does not want to bite man, it bites man only when it feels that man is going to kill it?
Ans. I agree with this statement that a snake does not bite a man unless it feels that a man is going to kill it. But people are of the opinion that all snakes are poisonous and it is their nature to bite a man. So, they want to kill them. Though it is also true that it is very difficult to decide on which snake is poisonous and which one is not. Even if a snake is poisonous, it does not bite anyone, if it is not disturbed. So we should not kill a snake as soon as we see it.
Q5. Snakes are not harmful to human beings and we should avoid killing them. Explain with respect to the poem ‘Snake Trying’.
Ans. In this poem, someone tries to hit a snake with a stick. But the snake saves itself from the pursuing stick and escapes into the reeds. The snake is small and hides and the poet feels that he is harmless even to children. Snakes are shy creatures and avoid man. Only when they are under threat they try to bite human beings.
Further, they are a friend of the environment. So we should try to avoid killing them. They keep the rat population under check and cause no harm to man.
Q6. The snake described in the poem The Snake Trying’ is a beautiful creature. Discuss the sympathy and appreciation the poet has for the snake.
Ans. In the poem, the snake is described as graceful and beautiful. The speaker is sad that a person tries to hurt the snake; he wants for the snake to be allowed to go into the reeds. He doesn’t want the snake to be hit and hurt. The snake is smaller than most snakes, even to children.
QUICK REVIEW OF THE POEM THE SNAKE TRYING
1. What is our opinion about most of the snakes?
(A) fearsome symbols of death (B) faithful friends
(C) loyal to the human being (D) not harmful to us
Ans. (A) fearsome symbols of death
2. In the poet’s views, the snakes are
(A) harmful to us (B) not harmful to us
(C) enemy to us (D) all of the above
Ans. (B) not harmful to us
3. What is the snake trying to escape?
(A) stone (B) bullet
(C) mud (D) stick
Ans. (D) stick
4. The snake has a _____.
(A) thin long body (B) thick small body
(C) huge body (D) all of the above
Ans. (A) thin long body
5. How does the poet describe the shapes of the snake’s body?
(A) graceful (B) beautiful
(C) ugly (D) both (A) and (B)
Ans. (D) both (A) and (B)
6. What does the snake glide through?
(A) mud (B)ice
(C) water (D) all of the above
Ans. (C) water
7.Of what colour snake is the poet talking about?
(A) red (B) white
(C) green, (D) black
Ans. (C ) green
8. Who is the Snake harmful too?
(A) men, (B) Women
(C) children (D) none of the above
Ans. (D) none of the above
9. What Is the nature of the green snake who is trying to escape?
(A) harmless (B) furious
(C) harmful (D) annoyed
Ans. (A) harmless
10. Where did the snake lie until observed?
(A) in a tree (B) on the water
(C) on the sand (D) in the mud
Ans. (C) on the sand
11. Where does the snake vanish?
(A) in the water (B) in the reeds
(C) in a house (D) none of the above
Ans. (B) in the reeds
12. Who chased the snake?
(A) man (B) Mongoose
(C) crocodile (D) eagle
Ans. (A) man
13. What does the poet wish for the snake?
(A) killed (B) escape unhurt
(C) caught (D) all of the above
Ans. (B) escape unhurt
14. Who is the poet of the poem ‘The Snake Trying’?
(A) Edward Lear
(B) W.W.E. Ross
(C) Gieve Patel
(D) William Wordsworth
Ans. (B) W.W.E. Ross
