WBBSE 10th Class English Solutions Chapter 8 The Snail

About the Poet: William Cowper (1731-1800) was one of the most popular poets of his time. Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing about the scenes of the English countryside and the everyday lives of people. His famous works include ‘Olney Hymns’, ‘The Diverting History of John Gilpin’ and ‘The Task’.

William Cowper was born on November 26, 1731 in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England. In 1763, through family connections, he accepted a clerkship of the journal in the House of Lords. Cowper’s twenty-six years in Olney and later at Weston Underwood were marked by great achievement as poet, hymn writer and letter writer. His first volume of poetry, Poems: By William Cowper, of the Inner Temple’ was published in 1782 to wide acclaim. William Cowper died on April 25, 1800.

‘The Snail’ by William Cowper takes us to the private world of a snail where he is seen to lead a selfsufficient life. We are allowed to observe in minute details, the small yet safe and secure world in which a snail lives.

In a snail’s world, besides loneliness, we can find selfsufficiency and robustness of attitude. Wherever a snail may be, on a grass-blade, on a leaf, on a fruit or advancing over a wall, he sticks so close to it that there is no chance of falling. Thus in a snail’s movement and attitude, safety and security are prominently found. If any kind of danger appears, he has nothing to be worried about as he is always carrying his own home with himself. So the minimum smell of danger or the slightest touch from anything or anyone makes the snail enter his robust home. Thus he feels secure. Again, when his loneliness is disturbed by any means, a snail’s attitude reveals much displeasure.

In poetic eye, these individualities of a snail make him a subject of literature. Normally a snail is considered a mere insignificant creature of almost no importance as if he is not sensible. But here the snail is presented as a creature of extra sensibility. So the snail is romanticized. He is not fearful about other’s touch, but better to say, he rejects other’s intervention into his own world of sufficiency. A snail is not unsocial, rather he prefers to remain in isolation like a hermit. So we may say that the presentation of a snail is partly symbolic. It may refer to the individuality of a poet, who is over sensitive, living in a society but consciously separating himself/herself from the humdrum of everyday life.

The poem deals with a snail’s relation with his house. It also talks about the way a snail likes to live his life. The snail finds comfort in his shell, that too with himself only. To separate a snail from his house would surely be a futile effort. The title is apt as the poem highlights the qualities found in a snail.

The snail sticks close to a grass or a leaf or a fruit or a wall. He has no fear to fall. It seems as if he grew there with his shell. In times of danger, he hides in his house for security. If his horns are given the slightest touch, he shrinks into his shell with much displeasure. He dwells alone, has no friend and is satisfied to be his own whole treasure..

So the snail’s life is compared to a hermit, who is alone, self-sufficient and meditative. In his banquet, there is no need of partners as he himself is whole, complete. So he and his house is inseparable.

B. pleasure

C. pain

D. surprise

A. parents

B. friends

C. relatives

A. traveller

B. king

C. vagabond

A. a room

B. a hut

C. a cottage

A. homeless

B. heartless

D. lifeless

A. grass

B. leaf

C. wall

B. insecure

C. careless

D. frightened

A. outside the house

B. beside the house

D. far from the house

A. self-centred

C. self-respect

D. self-confidence

A. pleasure

C. happiness

D. joyance

B. personal dwellings

C. personal materials

D. personal pleasures

A. with his fate

C. with his family

D. none of the three

A. tree

C. rock

D. blind man

Ans. False

Ans. False

Ans. True

Ans. False

Ans. True

Ans. False

Ans. True

Ans. True

Ans. The snail never fears to fall.

Ans. The snail grows with his house and all.

Ans. The snail keeps himself secure in his house.

Ans. The snail hides when his horns get the slightest touch.

Ans. In the poem the snail is compared to a hermit.

Ans. In his banquet, the snail needs no partner.

Ans. Whenever the snail meets one he feeds the faster.

Ans. The snail usually sticks himself to a grass, leaf, fruit or a wall.

Ans. The snail likes to live alone. He is a self-contained creature. He needs no personal belongings. So to have himself as his whole treasure satisfies him well.

Ans. He sticks so close to it that there is no chance of falling.

Ans. The snail hides in the house at the time of impending danger. So the smell of danger or the slightest touch from anything makes the snail enter its house.

Ans. The snail may face the danger of the weather and the storm. Besides, he may also face other attacks from outside.

Ans. The snail always lives alone without any personal belongings. But it is not a matter of displeasure to him. Rather he is satisfied to be his own whole treasure.

Ans. When the snail meets someone else, he feeds faster because he is unwilling to share his meal.

Ans. The one who finds the house of the snail but not its master, is described as worse than blind.

Ans. A hermit loves to live lonely life because it helps him to meditate. The snail also loves the loneliness. So the snail is compared to a hermit.