Poem: A Cobra Speaks His Mind written by Zai Whitaker | Summary and Explanation | Class 6 English #eduvictors

A Cobra Speaks His Mind | Poem Summary and stanza wise Explanation

by Zai Whitaker

"I am heading back to my forest home,

Circled by rice fields green:"

The cobra dreams of returning to its natural home in the forest, surrounded by lush green rice fields. It yearns for the freedom it once had.

"In any case I am unable to hear

A single note from this been,"

The snake explains that it cannot hear the music of the charmer’s instrument (been), debunking the myth that it dances to its tune.

"My food was rats but now it’s milk

Quite strange and new to me:"

The snake recalls its natural diet of rats, contrasting it with the unnatural milk it is now forced to consume in captivity. This highlights the discomfort and unnaturalness of its life.

"Life in a basket is not much fun

Not a good place to be."

Living in a confined basket feels like a prison to the snake, making its life dull and unpleasant.

"People think I do a dance,

To sounds of Master's flute"

The snake points out the common misconception that it dances to the snake charmer's flute, which it reveals to be untrue.

"But such is not the case at all

If you want to know the truth!"

The cobra clarifies that its movements are instinctive and not influenced by the music. This exposes the misunderstanding people have about snake charming.

"Tonight when the village is asnore,

And Master on his cot"

The snake plans to escape at night when the village is asleep and the snake charmer (it's master) rests.

"Is counting up the cash we made,

I'll escape this awful Jot"

While the charmer counts the money earned from the snake’s performances, the cobra resolves to free itself from the misery of its captive life.

"And find my cobra family

In the rice fields green:"

The snake looks forward to reuniting with its family in the rice fields, where it can be free and happy again.

"And rediscover snaky joy...

Far from people mean."

Finally, the snake hopes to reclaim the joy of living in its natural habitat, away from the cruelty and exploitation of humans.

Poem Summary

The poem tells the story of a captive cobra longing to return to its natural habitat. Once free in a forest surrounded by rice fields, the snake lives in captivity, performing for a snake charmer. The snake expresses its discomfort, contrasting its previous diet of rats with the strange experience of drinking milk in captivity. Despite people believing it dances to the charmer's flute, the snake reveals it only moves instinctively. Yearning for freedom, the cobra plans to escape one night and reunite with its family, rediscovering joy far from the cruelty of humans.

Tone:

The tone is reflective and melancholic, with a sense of hope and determination towards the end.

Rhyme Scheme:

The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABCB.