Judith Wright was born into a prominent New England pastrol family in 1915. She was an ardent conversationalist and her poems often focus on the natural world. She explains her actions in the poem:

Question

I had not realized that my fear came from inside me and was not solved by killing the snake, but would stay inside me and might lead to my killing other innocent creatures-that in fact, my fear was my enemy, and not the snake at all... The poem was a.way of making myself realize that fear is what must be conquered, not anything in the outside world that makes us afraid.

Read the poem titled "The Killer" by Judith Wright, below and answer the questions that follow:
The Killer

The day was clear as fire,
the birds sang frail as glass,
when thirsty I came to the creek
and fell by its side in the grass.

My breast on the side moss
and shower embroidered weeds,
my lips to the live water
I saw him turn in the reeds.

Black horror sprang from the dark
in a violent birth,
and through its cloth of grass
I felt the clutch of earth.

O beat him into the ground.
O stirke him till he dies-
or else your life itself
drains through those colorless eyes.

I strike again and again.
Slender in black and red
he lies and his icy glance
turns outward, clear and dead.

But nimble my enemy
as water, is or wind.
He has slipped from his dead aside
and vanished into my mind.

He has vanished where he came,
my nimble enemy;
and the ants come out to the snake
and drink at his shallow eyes.

Now answer the following questions:
1. Why has the poet called her poem 'The Killer'?
2. What is the poet's purpose in this poem?
3. Who is the poet's intended audience?
4. How does the poet convey the impression of intense heat in the first stanza?
5. Explain the meaning of 'black horror sprang from the dark in a violent birth'.
6. What feelings does the poet experience when she first sees the snake?
7. Why does the poet refer to the snake as 'nimble?
8. How has poet's attitude to the snake changed by the end of the poem?
9. What does the poet reveal about herself during the course of the poem?
10. What do the final two lines reveal about the natural world?

Answer 1

1. The poet has called her poem 'The Killer' because she initially tries to kill the snake out of fear, but ultimately realizes that fear is what must be conquered, not the snake itself.
2. The poet's purpose in this poem is to explore the theme of fear and its effects on our actions and perceptions.
3. The poet's intended audience is likely anyone who has experienced fear or grappled with their own inner demons.
4. The poet conveys the impression of intense heat in the first stanza by describing the day as "clear as fire" and the birds singing "frail as glass".
5. The line 'black horror sprang from the dark in a violent birth' conveys the sudden and terrifying appearance of the snake, as if it emerged violently from the darkness.
6. The poet experiences fear and shock when she first sees the snake by the creek.
7. The poet refers to the snake as 'nimble' to emphasize its quick and agile movements, as well as its ability to evade capture.
8. By the end of the poem, the poet's attitude towards the snake has changed as she realizes that her fear was what needed to be conquered, not the snake itself.
9. The poet reveals about herself during the course of the poem that she initially acts out of fear and aggression, but later comes to a realization about the true nature of her fear.
10. The final two lines reveal about the natural world that it has a way of reclaiming and transforming things, as seen in the ants coming out to drink at the snake's eyes after its death.

Answer 2

Are you sure about your answers in question 1. and 5.

Answer 3

I apologize for the confusion in my previous response. Let me correct the answers for questions 1 and 5:

1. The poet has called her poem 'The Killer' because in the poem, she tries to kill the snake out of fear and a sense of self-defense. However, she realizes that her fear is what needs to be overcome, not the snake itself.

5. The line 'black horror sprang from the dark in a violent birth' refers to the sudden appearance of the snake from the darkness of the reeds, evoking a sense of fear and menace. The image of a violent birth suggests the sudden and intense nature of the snake's appearance.

Answer 4

I thought question 5 was describing how the snake evoke fear in her

Answer 5

I apologize for the confusion in my response. You are correct. The line 'black horror sprang from the dark in a violent birth' describes how the sudden appearance of the snake evokes fear in the poet. The imagery of a violent birth conveys the intense and frightening nature of the snake's arrival. Thank you for pointing that out.