This paper analyzes Denise Levertov's poem "To the Snake," examining how the snake functions as a symbol of sexuality, danger, and temptation. The analysis explores the poem's biblical allusions to the Garden of Eden, its depiction of female desire and agency, and the sensory language Levertov employs to convey both the pleasure and the lingering unease of a brief intimate encounter. The paper also considers how the poem's final extended lines emphasize the transitory yet haunting nature of physical desire, and how the speaker's emotional state in the aftermath reflects a complex interplay between power, vulnerability, and self-awareness.
Denise Levertov's poem "To the Snake" uses the presence of a snake to express the speaker's simultaneous fear of and attraction to sexuality and intimacy. The snake itself is an overt symbol of the male member and, as such, illustrates the dangers presented by desire. The speaker hangs the green snake "round my neck" (Levertov 1) and strokes its "cold, pulsing throat" (2), actions which are suggestive of sexual activities. However, the snake's response to the speaker's ministrations is rife with peril. Indeed, the snake is heavy on the speaker's shoulders and responds with hisses, suggesting that it is likely to bite or attack her.
The use of a snake in this context also evokes the biblical story of Adam and Eve, in which the serpent in the Garden of Eden tempted Eve to disobey God. Levertov builds on this imagery by writing that the "whispering silver of [the snake's] dryness sounded close at my ears" (6–7). These lines suggest that the snake is, in a sense, speaking to the speaker, thereby influencing her decisions and impeding her ability to think clearly for herself.
The sensuality of "To the Snake" does not seem unusual for a female poet. Indeed, the poem shows a very modern approach to sexuality in which women can take an active role in asserting their own desires. If one assumes that the speaker is female — which the poem does not state overtly — she can be seen as an aggressor of sorts: it is she who hangs the snake around her neck and strokes it. Although she is unsure of the danger she is placing herself in, despite her assurances to her companions, the speaker has engaged with the snake out of a need for physical closeness.
Levertov writes that the speaker was "only desiring / to hold you, for that joy / which left a long wake of pleasure" (10–13) even after the snake disappears into the underbrush. This suggests that the female speaker's need for sexual satisfaction does not hinge on a long-term relationship but is dependent only on immediate gratification — a dynamic more traditionally associated with male preoccupation. In this way, the poem participates in a broader feminist literary tradition that reclaims female desire as active and self-directed rather than passive or dependent.
"Extended conclusion and transitory nature of intimacy"
At the same time, the impact of her experience with the snake does not disappear as completely as the snake itself. The speaker is aware that the morning is "dark" (16), an unnatural juxtaposition that works together with her "haunted" (16) state of mind. The poem's final words evoke the ghostly presence of dreams while also illustrating that the snake was not quite "harmless" (9), because its lingering effects will be felt by the speaker long after the snake itself has gone forever.
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