Hunting Snake

1. Hunting Snake Judith Wright 1915-2000

2. About the Poet • Judith Wright was born in Armidale, New South Wales in 1915 where she spent most of her formative years in Brisbane and Sydney. She spent most of her time in the country until her death in 2000. • One of only two Australian poets considered for the Nobel Prize for Literature • Her Poetry describes the feeling most Aboriginals have about the Australian landscape and their love for it • Became a major force in Australian poetry by the mid-60’s when she was widowed. Her style became more hardy and muscular with the freer rhythms of direct speech and anger.

3. Hunting Snake Sun-warmed in this late season’s graceRelaxed and calm under the autumn’sgentlest sky we walked, and froze half-through a pace. Sudden shock The great black snake went reeling by. Head-down, tongue flickering on the trail he quested through the parting grass; sun glazed his curves of diamond scale, Positive, breath-taking image and we lost breath to watch him pass. Admiration What track he followed, what small food fled living from his fierce intent, Fear we scarcely thought; still as we stood our eyes with him as he went. Cold, dark and splendidhe was gone Admiration into the grass that hid his prey. We took a deeper breath of day, Relieved that danger has passed looked at each other, and went on. Links to beginning, carries on with life as if nothing had happened

4. TASK • Identify the language features in this poem by circling / highlighting / underlining them directly in your Anthology. • Annotate the features by making small notes around the poem – which poetic technique is used? Comment on the reason it has been used. To create what effect? (This can be anything from emphasising an idea to creating tone or atmosphere, or creating pattern or rhythm).

5. Language Features • “autumn’s gentlest sky” – personification • “great black snake” – adjectives • “reeling”, ”flickering”, “quested through” – verbs • “Cold, dark and splendid” - adjectives

6. The Plot - TASK • State what is happening in each stanza in the poem. One or two sentences is sufficient to identify the action taking place

7. Hunting SnakePlot STANZA ONE The poet is walking with an unknown person in a warm sunny day in late autumn when suddenly a snake passes them. STANZA TWO The snake is moving and parted the grass. The sun is reflected off its skin. They are either amazed or scared.

8. Plot Continued STANZA THREE They are wondering what animals fled from it. They are still watching it carefully as it moves. STANZA FOUR The snake has gone into the grass for his food. They take a sigh of relief.

9. The Structure - TASK Elements of structure include: • Form of poem • Rhyme scheme • Construction of lines and verses • Metre / syllables Language of structure includes: • Stanza • Quatrains • Couplets • Rhythm / rhyme • Lines • Caesura • Enjambment *Annotate the features of this poem’s structure on the poem itself.

10. Structure • The poem is very controlled with the traditional four-lined stanzas. • Has 16 lines all together • 4 quatrains • It has simple rhyme and rhythm • There is an alternate rhyming scheme of ABAB “grace, sky, pace, by” except for last stanza which is ABBA “gone, prey, day, on” What possible reasons are there for such an orderly, tightly structured poem? How does this choice of structure complement the themes?

11. Structure • 8 beats per line (except for line 5) recreating the movement /pace of the snake in the poem • Reflecting the balance of nature and the control the snake has over people. • Does this conflict with or reflect the human world? • Change in rhyme scheme in final stanza indicates change in mood of poem as the people feel relief and carry on with their walk. • Effect is to create a certain (definite) purpose “head down”, “quested... Fierce intent” • Snake oblivious to people watching –People powerless to do anything but watch.

12. Tone Wright’s attitude towards the subject changes from firststanza to last stanza, each having differenttone. The persona of this poem is Wright herself. STANZA ONE– warmth and shock Describes nature’s warmth and surroundings andin the last line a sense of shock • “sun-warmed in this late seasons grace” • “froze half-through”

13. Tone Continued. STANZA TWO – mysterious and admiring The feeling of admiration is conveyed as the persona comments on the snake’s action, appearance and beauty of the wild animal. • “tongue flickering” • “sun glazed his curves of diamond scale”

14. Tone Continued STANZA THREE – suspenseful The poem reaches a intriguingly suspenseful mood, as she starts to use serious adjectives to enhance the action of the poem towards the readers as if experiencing it themselves • “fierce intent” • “scarcely thought” • “eyes went with him as he went”

15. Tone Continued. STANZA FOUR – mystical Lastly she portrays the attitude of being frightened, afraid, dark, evil type mood, which is effective as we are left with a pondering yet cold and mystical feeling. • “cold, dark and splendid he was gone” • “deeper” • “prey” Overall the changes in tone are deliberate as she leads us to becoming and realizing the appreciation of nature, a marvelling attitude especially at the end.

16. Themes Humans cant have the pleasure of interacting with nature, we will always be intruders. Power of nature – • “The great black snake” a title that links with “lost breath to watch him past” showing the snake as a king, admiring nature. • “what small food fled living” compared to the snake, if he wants to eat you then you’re all ready food. • “cold, dark, splendid” amazing power drawing in the audience • “we scarcely thought” links with “looked at each other and went on” showing how we can never understand nature because it is too complex.

17. Complete the paragraph you have started today. Check your ideas and proofread for mistakes you can correct in grammar, spelling, punctuation. • Hand in to me on a clean piece of refill or A4, named clearly.