Garden Snake — Muriel L. Sonne

'I saw a snake and ran away... But now I know he will not harm me.'

1. About the Poem

'Garden Snake' by Muriel L. Sonne captures a child's JOURNEY from FEAR to UNDERSTANDING. The child sees a garden snake and RUNS away in terror. But then the child learns about snakes — that garden snakes are HARMLESS and even BENEFICIAL. The child's fear TRANSFORMS into ACCEPTANCE.

Why This Poem

• Teaches about OVERCOMING irrational fears
• Scientifically accurate — distinguishes between harmful and harmless snakes
• Encourages compassion for ALL creatures
• Simple, relatable narrative
• Promotes ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS

2. About the Poet

Muriel L. Sonne

• Poet and author
• Known for POEMS about NATURE and CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES
• 'Garden Snake' appears frequently in school curricula
• Her poems address COMMON CHILDHOOD FEARS with understanding

3. The Full Poem

I saw a snake and ran away... I ran away in fear. My mother said, 'Come back, come back. That snake will not hurt you.'

'It is a garden snake,' she said. 'It eats the insects in the grass. It is not dangerous. It will not hurt you.'

Now I see a snake and do not run. I do not run in fear. I know he will not hurt me. He is a garden snake.

4. Summary

A child SEES a snake and IMMEDIATELY runs away in TERROR. The child's MOTHER calls them back and explains: that snake is a GARDEN SNAKE — it eats insects and is NOT dangerous. The snake will not hurt you.

The child LISTENS and LEARNS. Now when the child sees a garden snake, they do NOT run. They know the snake is HARMLESS. Fear has been replaced by KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING.

5. Poetic Devices

Narrative Structure

The poem tells a STORY with a beginning (fear), middle (learning), and end (transformation).

Contrast

• BEFORE (fear, running) vs AFTER (calm, staying)
• CHILD'S reaction vs MOTHER'S REASSURANCE
• IGNORANCE (fear) vs KNOWLEDGE (understanding)

Repetition

'Ran away... ran away' — emphasises the CHILD'S PANIC 'I saw a snake and ran away... Now I see a snake and do not run' — CONTRAST through REPETITION

Simple Rhyme

'Away/fear', 'back/hurt', 'said/grass' — SIMPLE, easy rhyme scheme (ABCB pattern).

Imagery

• Kinetic: 'ran away' (motion of fear)
• Auditory: mother's voice saying 'come back'
• Tactile: implied 'danger' vs 'safe'

Dialogue

The MOTHER'S words are quoted directly — giving her a VOICE of REASSURANCE.

First-person Narrative

We see the child's FEAR and TRANSFORMATION from the inside.

Symbolism

• The SNAKE = things we fear without understanding
• Running = the FEAR RESPONSE
• Mother's words = KNOWLEDGE that dispels fear

Turning Point

A CLEAR shift in the poem: from 'I saw a snake and ran away' to 'Now I see a snake and do not run.' This marks the child's GROWTH.

6. Vocabulary

7. Important Quotes

1. 'I saw a snake and ran away... I ran away in fear.'
2. 'Come back, come back. That snake will not hurt you.'
3. 'It is a garden snake. It eats the insects in the grass.'
4. 'Now I see a snake and do not run. I do not run in fear.'
5. 'I know he will not hurt me. He is a garden snake.'

8. Themes

1. Overcoming Fear

Fear of snakes is COMMON. But the poem shows that KNOWLEDGE is the ANTIDOTE to fear.

2. Knowledge Dispels Ignorance

The child runs because they do NOT KNOW about garden snakes. After learning, the fear disappears.

3. Mother's Guidance

The mother's calm, REASSURING voice is essential. She gives the child INFORMATION and COURAGE.

4. Coexistence with Nature

Not all animals are dangerous. We can SHARE our environment with creatures like garden snakes.

5. Growth and Learning

The poem is about GROWING UP and learning to see the world MORE ACCURATELY.

6. Ecological Balance

Garden snakes eat INSECTS — they are USEFUL. Every creature has a ROLE in nature.

9. Short Answer Questions

1. What did the child do when they first saw the snake? The child RAN AWAY in fear.

2. What did the mother tell the child? The mother told the child that it was a GARDEN SNAKE, it eats insects, and it would NOT hurt them.

3. How does the child react now when seeing a garden snake? The child does NOT run. They stay calm because they know the snake is harmless.

4. Why are garden snakes useful? They eat INSECTS that might damage plants in the garden.

5. What is the main lesson of the poem? Fear of something can be overcome by LEARNING about it. Knowledge is the antidote to fear.

10. Long Answer Questions

6. Explain how the child's attitude changes in the poem.

Step 1 — First reaction. The child sees a snake and IMMEDIATELY runs away. This is an INSTINCTIVE fear response — the child does not THINK, just FLEES.

Step 2 — The mother intervenes. She tells the child to COME BACK. She explains that this is a GARDEN SNAKE — harmless, beneficial (eats insects), not dangerous.

Step 3 — The child learns. By LISTENING to the mother, the child gains KNOWLEDGE. The fear is replaced by UNDERSTANDING.

Step 4 — New reaction. Now when the child sees a garden snake, they do NOT run. They are CALM and CONFIDENT.

Step 5 — The transformation. The child has GROWN. Not just about snakes — about how to RESPOND to the unknown. Instead of FEAR, the child now uses KNOWLEDGE.

7. What is the poem's message about fear?

The poem teaches that many of our fears come from IGNORANCE. The child fears the snake because they do not UNDERSTAND it. Once the mother explains that garden snakes are harmless, the fear MELTS away.

The message: do not let INSTINCTIVE fear control your actions. LEARN about things that scare you. Knowledge is POWER. Knowledge is FREEDOM.

This applies not just to snakes but to ANYTHING we fear — new subjects in school, new people, new situations. Learn first, then decide if fear is warranted.

8. How does the mother help the child?

The mother provides:

1. REASSURANCE: 'Come back, come back. That snake will not hurt you.' — She calms the child's panic.
2. INFORMATION: 'It is a garden snake. It eats the insects in the grass.' — She gives factual knowledge.
3. SAFETY: 'It is not dangerous. It will not hurt you.' — She confirms the snake is safe.
4. PERSPECTIVE: The snake is USEFUL (eats insects) — not a threat.
5. COURAGE: By explaining, she gives the child the CONFIDENCE to face their fear.

11. Snake Facts — Knowledge That Helps

Indian Snakes

• India has over 300 species of snakes
• Only about 60 are VENOMOUS
• Common harmless snakes: Rat snake, Checkered keelback, Garden snake
• Common venomous snakes: Cobra, Krait, Russell's viper, Saw-scaled viper

Garden Snakes

• Small, harmless
• Eat insects, slugs, worms
• Actually BENEFICIAL for gardens (pest control)
• Usually FLEE from humans

What to Do If You See a Snake

• Stay CALM
• Do NOT provoke it
• Give it SPACE to move away
• Call a trained RESCUER if it is inside your home
• Most snake bites happen when people TRY TO KILL or capture snakes

12. Fear and Knowledge

13. Activities

1. Research — Find out about snakes found in your region
2. Draw — A garden snake in its natural habitat
3. Write — About a fear you have overcome by learning about it
4. Role-play — The child and mother scene

14. Comparison with Other Poems

15. Conclusion

'Garden Snake' is a SIMPLE, POWERFUL poem about FEAR and KNOWLEDGE. Muriel L. Sonne captures a UNIVERSAL childhood experience — being terrified of something, learning about it, and realising it was never dangerous.

The poem's MESSAGE is profound: ignorance creates fear; knowledge creates peace. The child who ran from a snake now STANDS CALM. The only thing that changed was UNDERSTANDING.

For AP Board students: focus on the CONTRAST between 'before' and 'after', the ROLE OF THE MOTHER, and the TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY. The poem is excellent for VALUE-BASED and APPRECIATION questions.

'Garden Snake' — what we fear most is often what we understand least. Learn. Understand. Do not run.