Hunting Snake (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE English Literature): Revision Note

‘Hunting Snake’

Here is a detailed guide to Judith Wright's poem 'Hunting Snake’, from the Songs of Ourselves Volume 1 anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a line-by-line “translation” of the poem’s meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of Wright’s poetic choices and potential effects

• Understanding the text: an exploration of the themes and ideas within Wright's poem

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is important to understand what it is about. This section includes:

• An overview of the poem

• A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Judith Wright’s intention and message

‘Hunting Snake’ overview

Judith Wright’s poem ‘Hunting Snake’ describes an encounter between two walkers and a snake that crosses its path. The poem reflects on the mixed emotions resulting from a brief sighting of a dangerous but beautiful predator in the wild. 

‘Hunting Snake’ breakdown

Lines 1-3

Translation

• The speaker describes the weather: it is a calm and a sunny “late” autumn day

• The speaker is walking with someone else, “we”, when they suddenly stop

Wright’s intentions

• The poet sets a harmonious and calm scene, full of “grace” under the “gentlest sky”

• This allows for an abrupt mood shift, as “sun-warmed” is contrasted with “froze”:

  • The fact that they froze halfway through their steps reinforces the idea of surprise; they were stopped in the middle of action 

Line 4

Translation

• The speaker explains why they stopped walking: a large snake slides by

Wright’s intentions

• The end-stopped line (opens in a new tab) conveys tension as a “great black snake” suddenly passes:

  • The word “black” suggests something evil or menacing, juxtaposed (opens in a new tab) with “great” which suggests the watchers experience both fear and awe at the sight of the snake

Lines 5-7

Translation

• The next stanza (opens in a new tab) describes the snake in detail:

  • Its tongue flicks across the path as he moves through the grass 

• The sun shines on its “diamond” scales as it wriggles its body 

Wright’s intentions

• The snake is described with imagery (opens in a new tab) that suggests its beauty and strength

• The snake’s movements are determined (“head down”, it “quested”):

  • A “quest” suggests a noble cause, again reinforcing the mixed feelings of the speaker towards the snake

  • Imagery of precious gems, such as “glazed” and “diamond” implies both reverence and awe

Line 8

Translation

• As they watch the snake, the speaker and companion become breathless

Wright’s intentions

• Again, Wright ends a stanza by turning from a description of nature back to the speaker and their companion’s reactions

• The poet describes the experience of seeing a wild animal as moving, which highlights the power of nature

Lines 9-10

Translation

• The speaker wonders about where the snake is going, and if it is hunting a small animal that has run (“fled”) from the snake’s “fierce” intention, which is to eat it

Wright’s intentions

• Wright’s speaker turns inward as they imagine the snake as a frightening predator

• The poem depicts an individual reflecting on the life of a wild animal:

  • The speaker conveys the power of the snake via its “fierce intent”

Lines 11-12

Translation

• The speaker and their companion are transfixed by the snake

• Although the sighting of the snake is brief, the speaker and their companion are entranced

Wright’s intentions

• Wright shows the mixed reactions of humans coming into contact with a dangerous, predatory animal:

  • They are in awe, but there is also a sense of fear (they stand “still”)

Lines 13-16

Translation

• The snake is described as dangerous, yet majestic and beautiful

• The snake goes into the grass to hunt small animals

• At this, the speaker and their companion take a deep breath and acknowledge the moment by looking at “each other” before they continue their walk

Wright’s intentions

• Wright returns to the imagery used to describe the snake at the start of the poem

• Wright’s description of the observers’ breathlessness at seeing the snake alludes to both their own fear, and the profound effect of seeing nature up close:

  • The subtle mention of the look the speaker shares with their walking companion connotes to a mixed sense of relief and wonder

Writer's methods

Although this section is organised into form, structure, and language, it is worth remembering that all of these are considered “writer’s methods” in the CIE Literature for English poetry mark scheme. With this in mind, consider the poet’s choice of form (the way the poem looks or the type of poem it is), its structure (especially how it ends: is it cyclical or resolved?) and, of course, the language used to create effect and, thus, meaning.  

By focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas rather than identifying poetic techniques or translating quotes, you will gain far more marks. That is why all the analysis below is arranged by theme and includes Judith Wright’s intentions in terms of her choices of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

Judith Wright’s poem ‘Hunting Snake’ uses a regular, steady form that reveals each unfolding event as walkers stop to watch a snake cross their trail.  

Structure

Wright’s poem conveys the mixed reactions of humans seeing a wild, predatory snake.

Language 

In ‘Hunting Snake’, Judith Wright uses vivid imagery that highlights the beauty of nature, alongside emotive language that conveys the human being’s response to it. 

Understanding the text

The poetry questions in the CIE Literature for English exam ask for an informed, personal response. This means that you will want to develop a thorough understanding of the poem’s themes, main ideas, settings, situations and events so that you can explore the writer’s intentions and methods. This section explores the main theme that Judith Wright conveys in her poem ‘Hunting Snake’:

• Humans and nature

Humans and nature 

• Judith Wright was born in 1915 in Australia:

  • She was a poet, short-story writer, conservationist and campaigner for Aboriginal Australian land rights

• She was a founder of The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland

• Her poetry often describes Australia’s natural environment:

  • In her poem, ‘Hunting Snake’, she shows the “grace” of an autumn day, and a “splendid” snake that moves “head-down, tongue flickering on the trail”

• Australia has over a hundred species of snake:

  • The snake described in Wright’s poem is likely poisonous

  • It is described as “fierce” and after small “prey”

• In addition, Wright’s poetry often covers themes that explore global and societal pressures on individuals, as well as ideas of identity and belonging:

  • Her poetry often uses a controlled voice with sensory, lyrical descriptions

• In ‘Hunting Snake’, a poem published in 1964, Wright describes the snake with sensory imagery:

  • Yet lines that mention the speaker’s response are straightforward, like “looked at each other, and went on.”

• Her writing often examines profound moments in life:

  • Her poem, ‘Hunting Snake’,  contemplates the moment a pair of walkers “freeze” and become transfixed with a brief observation of a snake

For further advice and guidance on how to answer the poetry question, please see our detailed guides on Paper 1 Section A: what the question is asking (opens in a new tab) and how to get full marks (opens in a new tab). You will also find an example of a full, annotated model answer (opens in a new tab). 

It is important to remember that no marks are given for comments on any of the other poems studied in the anthology. Your response should concentrate only on the poem given. 

Sources

https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/414779-2020-specimen-mark-scheme-1.pdf (opens in a new tab)
Songs of Ourselves: Volume 1: Cambridge Assessment International Education Anthology of Poetry in English. Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2018.
https://www.uwa.edu.au/news/article/2022/may/judith-wright-an-activist-poet-who-was-ahead-of-her-time (opens in a new tab).