A discussion of the snake in the poem "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" by Emily Dickinson.
Written in 2006; 1,656 words; 4 sources; MLA; $ 53.95
Paper Summary:
The paper focuses on the central image of 'fellowship' that we share with all members of the animal kingdom in Emily Dickinson's "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass". The poem takes the view of the snake and suggests that even though the poet is afraid of snakes, she still acknowledges the fellowship or commonality between all human beings and animals. The paper refutes the image of the evil serpent. The snake in the poem does not speak, or seek to threaten her soul or even her life. She is simply afraid of its attitude and finds it distasteful. The paper suggests that Dickinson portrays the snake as never physically harming or tempting, but also not inspiring a feeling of connection, even though it is a "fellow" creature. The paper comments on the background and also on various sections of the poem.
From the Paper:
"The snake may be an unpleasant fellow, just as many human fellows might be narrow, unpleasant, and cold. Thus the poet sets herself the daunting task of making the description of this animal seem fresh, and frightening in a new, more human way. Like Blake's poem about the tiger, burning bright, Dickinson transforms the viewer's chance glimpse at a garden snake into something sinister because of the fellowship between humans and snakes. Thus Dickinson does not take the easy route of making the poem's subject more fearsome than it is, in reality. The snake of the poem does not speak, or seek to threaten her soul or even her life. She is simply afraid of its attitude and finds it distasteful. Thus the poet acknowledges her fellowship as a living being with the alien creature while still admitting the snake is not a living being she particularly likes, because of its silent and surprising nature, much as she would dislike a person of similar temperament. Thus, rather than a poem about the inherent evils of the snake or serpent, the poem is also a critique of what human beings find dislikable in the character of other humans as well as animals. The poem takes on the reflective tone, as the poet says of this chance visitor that she acknowledges fellow living kinship with, but not very willingly, given his narrow and mean qualities, and states that much like an unpleasant person, she would just as rather not see him around and about."
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