Hunting Snake

Stanza 1
1.
a. What words create a pleasant and soothing effect? What other technique is
used in these lines to convey this idea (that is not used later in the stanza?)
b. Why does the poem start like this? What ideas does it convey about the life/
world of the couple/ white Australians?
2. What phrase marks a change in atmosphere in stanza 1?
3. What techniques does the writer use to emphasise this change?
4. How is the snake/ Aboriginal people first presented to the reader (consider
vocabulary choices)
5. Write the introduction to an essay on the following question. In your introduction
explain how the poem is an allegory:

Explore how the poet conveys a sense of fear and admiration in the poem Hunting
Snake

Stanza 2
1.
a. How is the snake presented in the first two lines of this stanza? (What
techniques does the poet use to convey this idea)?
b. What is the tone of the speaker in these lines?
2. Why is it significant that his head is down?
3. What ideas are conveyed in line 3 of this stanza? (what techniques are used to
convey this idea)?
4. Explain why they lost breath in line 4 of this stanza.
5. Write the introduction to an essay on the following question. In your introduction
explain how the poem is an allegory:

Explore how the poet conveys a sense of fear and admiration in the poem Hunting
Snake




Stanza 3
1.
a. What ideas about the snake/ Aboriginal life are presented in the first 2 lines
of this stanza? (what techniques are used to convey this idea)?
b. What is the tone of the speaker in these lines?
2.
a. In lines 3 and 4 of this stanza, how do the people feel? (what techniques are
used to convey this idea)?
b. If we analyse the poem through its surface meaning, what does this suggest
about humanitys attitude towards and perceptions of nature?
c. If we analyse the poem through the allegorical meaning, what does this
suggest about white Australians attitude towards and perceptions Aboriginal
people?
3. Write the introduction to an essay on the following question. In your introduction
explain how the poem is an allegory:

Explore how the poet conveys a sense of fear and admiration in the poem Hunting
Snake


Stanza 4
1.
a. What ideas are conveyed in the first two lines about the snake/ Aboriginal
people or culture (what techniques are used to convey this idea)?
b. From the imagery and vocabulary choices, how do the people feel towards
the snake/ Aboriginal people?
2. How do the people feel in line 3? Why, and what techniques help to convey this
feeling?
3. How do the people feel in line 4? Why, and what techniques help to convey this
feeling?
4. If we take the allegorical meaning, or the idea that the snake represents the power
and beauty of the natural world, how could the ending of this poem be understood
as quite tragic, pessimistic and sad?
5. Write the introduction to an essay on the following question. In your introduction
explain how the poem is an allegory:

Explore how the poet conveys a sense of fear and admiration in the poem Hunting
Snake