Hunting Snake Judith Wright
Sun-warmed in this late season’s grace
under the autumn’s gentlest sky
we walked, and froze half-through a pace. *in awe
The great black snake went reeling by.
Head down, tongue flickering on the trail
he quested through the parting grass, *searched
sun glazed his curves of diamond scale
and we lost breath to see him pass. *in awe
What track he followed, what small food
fled living from his fierce intent, *poignant awareness of
we scarcely thought; still as we stood danger
our eyes went with him as he went.
Cold, dark and splendid he was gone *in nature, beauty
into the grass that hid his prey. co-exists with danger
We took a deeper breath of day, and the snake is
looked at each other, and went on. the embodiment of this
The environmentalist Judith Wright shares her experience of an
encounter with a snake whilst with a friend. Whilst the poet
provides a description of snake hunting she chooses to entitle the
poem “Hunting snake” thereby emphasising the predatory nature
of the snake. This creature is defined by its hunting natue and this
is reflected in the title of the poem. The title therefore highlights
the instrinsic nature of the snake.
The poet recalls the warm autumn day, which she describes as
possessing grace. Whilst taking the relaxing nature walk, they
witness a black snake “reeling by”. The verb “reeling”
effectively conveys the notion of the snake spiralling past them;
the verb describes a smooth, flowing, twisting motion.
Sun-warmed in this late season’s grace
under the autumn’s gentlest sky
we walked, and froze half-through a pace. *in awe
The great black snake went reeling by.
Head down, tongue flickering on the trail
he quested through the parting grass, *searched
sun glazed his curves of diamond scale
and we lost breath to see him pass. *in awe
What track he followed, what small food
fled living from his fierce intent, *poignant awareness of
we scarcely thought; still as we stood danger
our eyes went with him as he went.
Cold, dark and splendid he was gone *in nature, beauty
into the grass that hid his prey. co-exists with danger
We took a deeper breath of day, and the snake is
looked at each other, and went on. the embodiment of this
The environmentalist Judith Wright shares her experience of an
encounter with a snake whilst with a friend. Whilst the poet
provides a description of snake hunting she chooses to entitle the
poem “Hunting snake” thereby emphasising the predatory nature
of the snake. This creature is defined by its hunting natue and this
is reflected in the title of the poem. The title therefore highlights
the instrinsic nature of the snake.
The poet recalls the warm autumn day, which she describes as
possessing grace. Whilst taking the relaxing nature walk, they
witness a black snake “reeling by”. The verb “reeling”
effectively conveys the notion of the snake spiralling past them;
the verb describes a smooth, flowing, twisting motion.
