‘The Mouse and the Snake’ Poem Explanation and Analysis in English and Hindi. Vikram Seth wrote this poem as poetry for children. This poem is explained in easy and meaningful way to help learners, readers and school children get it in its right sense.
The Mouse and the Snake Poem
by Vikram Seth
One fine morning two small mice,
Much against their friend’s advice,
Visited a room where grain
Undisturbed for months had lain.
Other mice had entered; none
Lived to eat and tell–not one.
But the two friends, unpoliced,
Broke in and began to feast;
And their laughter fell and rose,
Till their blood with horror froze.
Gold and shiny, vicious, long,
Venom-fanged, hypnotic, strong–
Slid a snake towards the pair,
Swallowed one right then and there,
Hissed obscenely at the other:
“That’s the first; and here’s another!”
And, when she stood shocked and still,
Sprang at once to make his kill.
Glared at him, and twitched her nose.
Every time he slid or sprang,
Dripping venom from each fang,
Out beyond his reach she leapt,
Till the snake, grown tired, crept
To his hole, slid first his head,
Then his gleaming, overfed
Trunk in, so that just his tail
Jutted out to thrash and flail.
Swift as rage the little mouse
Rushed towards the killer’s house,
Bit his tail once, twice, again,
Clung to it till, wild with pain,
Hissing wrath, the snake backed out,
Swerved his body round about,
Lunged towards the mouse and tried
Swallowing her–but she leapt wide
Every time he lunged, till he,
Wriggling back exhaustedly,
Slid inside his hole once more.
Then, exactly as before,
Down she clamped with might and main
On his tail till, mad with pain,
Yet again the snake emerged.
This the battle ebbed and surged
And the mouse fought on and on
Till her strength was almost gone
–When the snake, without a sound,
Spat the dead mouse on the ground,
And, with mangled slither, stole
Unopposed into his hole.
Then the mouse came up and cried
Bitter tears for her who’d died.
Squeaking sadly, and bereft,
Corpse in mouth, she sobbed and left.
This was seen by Mr. Yang.
When his friend the poet Chang
Heard the mouse’s story later,
Eager to commemorate her,
As he walked back to his house,
He composed “The Faithful Mouse”–
Where in elegiac metre
He extols the Snake-Defeater
And in couplets sad and stoic
Celebrates her acts heroic–
Acts that prove that shock and pain,
Death and grief are not in vain–
Which fine lines, alive or dead,
Neither of the mice has read.
Line by Line Explanation of ‘The Mouse and the Snake’
Provided below is a simple yet thorough explanation and in-depth analysis of the poem “The Mouse and the Snake”. These explanations, presented in easy-to-understand language, will be beneficial for school students and children.
Lines 1-4:
“One fine morning two small mice,
Much against their friend’s advice,
Visited a room where grain
Undisturbed for months had lain.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- Two small mice decide to explore a room filled with grain.
- Their friends had warned them not to go, but they ignore the advice.
- The grain has been left untouched for months.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Much against their friend’s advice” shows that the mice are disobedient and curious.
- The untouched grain symbolizes a dangerous temptation.
Lines 5-6:
“Other mice had entered; none
Lived to eat and tell–not one.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
Other mice had gone into the same room before but never returned.
Deeper Analysis:
- The phrase “not one” emphasizes that no mouse has survived, creating suspense.
- This foreshadows danger—something deadly awaits inside.
Lines 7-8:
“But the two friends, unpoliced,
Broke in and began to feast;”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
The two mice, feeling free because no one is watching over them, enter the room and start eating.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Unpoliced” means without restrictions or rules—they feel no fear of consequences.
- This represents reckless behavior.
Lines 9-10:
“And their laughter fell and rose,
Till their blood with horror froze.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The mice are happily enjoying their meal, laughing.
- Suddenly, something terrifies them, and they freeze in fear.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Laughter fell and rose” suggests excitement and joy.
- “Blood froze” is a metaphor for extreme fear.
Lines 11-12:
“Gold and shiny, vicious, long,
Venom-fanged, hypnotic, strong–”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- A golden, shiny, long, and dangerous snake appears.
- It has venomous fangs and a hypnotic presence.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Gold and shiny” – The snake is visually striking, perhaps beautiful but deadly.
- “Vicious” – It is aggressive and merciless.
- “Long” – Emphasizes its size and strength.
- “Venom-fanged” – It has sharp, poison-filled teeth.
- “Hypnotic” – Its movements are mesmerizing, making it appear calm yet deadly.
- “Strong” – It is physically powerful, making it a formidable predator.
Lines 13-14:
“Slid a snake towards the pair,
Swallowed one right then and there,”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The snake moves smoothly (slid) towards the two mice.
- It quickly eats one of them immediately.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Slid” – Instead of saying “moved”, the poet uses “slid” to highlight the silent, smooth, and sneaky movement of the snake.
- “Right then and there” – Shows how fast the attack happens.
Lines 15-16:
“Hissed obscenely at the other:
‘That’s the first; and here’s another!'”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The snake hisses in a threatening way at the remaining mouse.
- It tells the second mouse, “I have eaten one, and now I will eat you!”
Deeper Analysis:
- “Hissed obscenely” – The snake’s hiss is not just scary but disgusting and cruel.
- “That’s the first; and here’s another!” – The snake sees the mice as mere food, showing its hunger and arrogance.
Lines 17-18:
“And, when she stood shocked and still,
Sprang at once to make his kill.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The second mouse is frozen in fear.
- The snake immediately jumps forward to attack her.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Stood shocked and still” – Fear paralyzes the mouse for a moment.
- “Sprang” – The snake is fast, efficient, and merciless.
Lines 19-20:
“Glared at him, and twitched her nose.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- Instead of running away, the mouse glares (stares angrily) at the snake.
- She also twitches her nose—a sign of readiness.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Glared” – Instead of being weak, the mouse shows defiance.
- “Twitched her nose” – This small action shows that she is thinking, strategizing.
Lines 21-24:
“Every time he slid or sprang,
Dripping venom from each fang,
Out beyond his reach she leapt,
Till the snake, grown tired, crept”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The snake keeps sliding forward or attacking.
- Its fangs are dripping venom, meaning it is deadly.
- The mouse jumps away every time to avoid being bitten.
- Eventually, the snake gets tired and retreats.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Dripping venom” – The snake is not just dangerous but full of poison, ready to kill.
- The mouse’s agility saves her—brains can outmatch brute strength.
Lines 25-28:
“To his hole, slid first his head,
Then his gleaming, overfed
Trunk in, so that just his tail
Jutted out to thrash and flail.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The snake retreats into his hole, first putting his head inside.
- His body is “overfed”, meaning he has eaten too much.
- Only his tail is left outside, moving wildly.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Gleaming, overfed trunk” – The snake has eaten too much, making him lazy and vulnerable.
- “Jutted out to thrash and flail” – The tail’s movement suggests frustration.
Lines 29-30:
“Swift as rage the little mouse
Rushed towards the killer’s house,”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
The mouse, filled with anger, moves quickly toward the snake’s hole.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Swift as rage” – This simile compares the mouse’s speed to anger, showing her fury and determination.
- “Killer’s house” – The snake’s hole is referred to as a house, but it is also a place of death.
Lines 31-34:
“Bit his tail once, twice, again,
Clung to it till, wild with pain,
Hissing wrath, the snake backed out,
Swerved his body round about,”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The mouse bites the snake’s tail multiple times.
- She holds on tightly, causing intense pain.
- The snake, furious and hissing, backs out of the hole and starts twisting its body in pain.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Clung to it till, wild with pain” – The mouse’s persistence forces the snake out.
- “Hissing wrath” – The snake is angry and suffering at the same time.
- “Swerved his body” – The snake is desperate and struggling.
Lines 35-38:
“Lunged towards the mouse and tried
Swallowing her–but she leapt wide
Every time he lunged, till he,
Wriggling back exhaustedly,”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The snake tries to attack and eat the mouse, but she jumps away every time.
- After many failed attempts, the snake becomes exhausted and retreats again.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Lunged” – The snake is desperate now, acting aggressively.
- “Leapt wide” – The mouse is quick and smart, avoiding every attack.
- “Wriggling back exhaustedly” – The mighty snake is tired out by the tiny mouse—intelligence defeats strength.
Lines 39-42:
“Slid inside his hole once more.
Then, exactly as before,
Down she clamped with might and main
On his tail till, mad with pain,”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The snake hides inside the hole again.
- The mouse, using all her strength, bites his tail again.
- The snake, in extreme pain, is forced to come out again.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Exactly as before” – The mouse follows the same strategy, showing her intelligence.
- “Might and main” – She is using all her power despite being much smaller.
- The repetition of attacks weakens the snake further.
Lines 43-46:
“Yet again the snake emerged.
Thus the battle ebbed and surged
And the mouse fought on and on
Till her strength was almost gone.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The snake keeps coming out as the fight continues.
- The mouse fights bravely but is growing weaker.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Ebb and surge” – The battle goes back and forth, like waves in the ocean.
- The mouse is relentless, showing courage and loyalty.
Lines 47-50:
“–When the snake, without a sound,
Spat the dead mouse on the ground,
And, with mangled slither, stole
Unopposed into his hole.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The snake, in silence, finally spits out the dead body of the first mouse.
- Badly injured (“mangled slither”), the snake slowly retreats into his hole without resistance.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Without a sound” – The snake admits defeat silently.
- “Spat” – The snake is forced to release the dead mouse, showing the living mouse’s victory.
- “Unopposed” – The mouse no longer needs to fight; the snake gives up.
Lines 51-54:
“Then the mouse came up and cried
Bitter tears for her who’d died.
Squeaking sadly, and bereft,
Corpse in mouth, she sobbed and left.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The surviving mouse mourns the death of her friend.
- She carries the dead body in her mouth and leaves, crying.
Deeper Analysis:
- “Bitter tears” – Her grief is deep and painful.
- “Squeaking sadly” – The poet personifies her emotions; animals feel loss too.
- “Bereft” – She feels alone and heartbroken.
- “Corpse in mouth” – A final act of respect and love.
Lines 55-56:
“This was seen by Mr. Yang.
When his friend the poet Chang”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- A man named Mr. Yang witnesses the mouse’s brave fight and grief.
- He later tells his friend, Chang, who is a poet.
Deeper Analysis:
The shift from animals to humans suggests the story has a larger meaning beyond nature.
Lines 57-60:
“Heard the mouse’s story later,
Eager to commemorate her,
As he walked back to his house,
He composed ‘The Faithful Mouse'”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
The poet Chang writes a poem about the brave mouse, calling it “The Faithful Mouse.”
Deeper Analysis:
- The mouse’s courage and loyalty become a legend.
- Art preserves heroism, even in the smallest creatures.
Lines 61-64:
“Where in elegiac metre
He extols the Snake-Defeater
And in couplets sad and stoic
Celebrates her acts heroic–”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The poem praises the mouse as “The Snake-Defeater” in an elegiac (sad, mournful) style.
- It describes her bravery in couplets (rhyming lines).
Deeper Analysis:
- Even the smallest heroes deserve to be remembered.
- Stoic – The poem is serious, not overly emotional, just like the mouse’s calm bravery.
Lines 65-68:
“Acts that prove that shock and pain,
Death and grief are not in vain–
Which fine lines, alive or dead,
Neither of the mice has read.”
Explanation of Poem Lines:
- The poem teaches that pain and loss have meaning.
- But ironically, the mice will never read it—they don’t know their story became famous.
Deeper Analysis:
- Heroic sacrifices have meaning beyond death.
- “Neither of the mice has read” – The mice’s bravery exists beyond recognition—true courage needs no reward.
