I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act !
I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education.
And I thought of the albatross,
And I wished he would come back, my snake.
Tliese lines have been taken from the poem ‘Snake’ written by D.H. Lawrence. The narrator was full of happy thoughts as he stood near the trough admiring the beauty and majesty of the golden yellow snake. After quenching the thirst, the snake, however, started withdrawing into its hole in the wall. He was offended at its bebaviour and struck it with a piece of wood, at which the snake disappeared into the dark hole.
The narrator at once realised that he had behaved like a mean and petty fellow. He was no different from the common, low people who would also want to hit a snake whenever they saw one. The snake had exercised a charm on him and he had felt honoured on the visit of the snake. If he had been more sensible, he would not have obeyed his reason, but followed his heart, in such a situation. He hated himself and his so-called human education which had made him act as he did, towards a guest, a king, a god, as the snake undoubtedly was all these. Surprising he had killed the snake, he would have brought on him the worst type of bad luck. As sailors are afraid of shooting a bird like an albatross, if it comes to perch on their mast, on the high seas, because they know it to be a mean and vulgur act, besides bringing them bad luck, in the same way, the narrator was unhappy and sad. He wished and prayed that the snake would come back and give him a chance of feeling sorry over his foolish act.
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