Chapter 12 – A Hunting Snake Solutions

Content Structure

  • 1. About the author – Judith Wright
  • 2. Theme of A Hunting Snake
  • 3. Summary of A Hunting Snake
  • 4. Explanation
    • Stanza – 1
    • Stanza – 2
    • Stanza – 3
    • Stanza – 4
  • 5. Word meanings
  • 6. Exercise Solutions
    • Exercise – 1
    • Exercise – 2
  • 7. Grammar in use
    • Exercise – 4
    • Exercise – 5
  • 8. Composition
    • Exercise – 5
    • Exercise – 6

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1. About the author – Judith Wright

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Judith Wright was a famous Australian poet, environmentalist, and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. She was born on 31 May 1915 in New South Wales, Australia. Her poems spoke about nature, love, and social issues. She strongly believed in protecting the environment and supporting the rights of Aboriginal people. She remembered as one of Australia’s most important and respected poets. She died on 25 June 2000.

2. Theme of the Hunting Snake

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  • The poem shows a quick meeting between people and a wild snake, reminding us that we are part of nature.
  • The snake brings both fear and surprise. It is dangerous but also very beautiful and smooth in its moves.
  • The snake shows the power and secrets of the natural world.
  • The poet likes the snake’s beauty more than its danger, showing respect for all living things.
  • This poem teaches us to love nature and respect all living things.

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3. Summary of the Hunting Snake

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The poem tells about a walk on a quiet autumn day under a soft sky. Suddenly, a big black snake appears, and the people stop in surprise. The snake’s head is down, and its tongue moves as it looks for something. It slides through the grass, shining in the sunlight with its dark, shiny scales. The people watch with wonder and almost stop breathing when the snake goes back into the grass, the people feel calm again and continue walking.

4. Explanation

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Stanza 1

Sun-warmed in the late season’s grace
under the autumn’s gentlest sky
we walked and froze half-through a pace.
The great black snake went reeling by.

Explanation: The poet describes a quiet autumn day with warm sunlight and a gentle sky. The walk feels calm and peaceful. Suddenly, the poet and a friend stop because they see a big black snake going by. The sudden sight of the snake breaks the calm and makes them feel surprised and worried.

Stanza 2

Head down, tongue flickering on the trail
He quested through the parting grass.
Sun glazed his curves of diamond scale
And we lost breath to see him pass.

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Explanation: The snake moves with its head down and its tongue moving, as if it is looking for something. It slides through the grass, and the grass opens to make way for it. The sunlight shines on its body, making the scales shine like dark diamonds. The poet and friend feel so amazed and scared that they almost stop breathing while watching the snake.

Stanza 3

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What track he followed, what small food
Fled living from his fierce intent,
we scarcely thought; still as we stood
our eyes went with him as he went.

Explanation: The poet says they did not think about what the snake was hunting or what small animal was running away. They were too busy watching the snake. They stood quietly, with their eyes following its strong and smooth movement. They cared more about the snake than its food.

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Stanza 4

Cold, dark and splendid he was gone
Into the grass that hid his prey.
We took a deeper breath of day,
Looked at each other, and went on.

Explanation: The snake, cold, dark, and beautiful, went into the grass where its food was hiding. The grass covered both the snake and the food. When the snake was gone, the poet and friend looked at each other, breathed more easily, and then kept walking.

5. Word meanings

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 WordMeanings
1.GraceBeauty
2.GentlestSoft
3. FrozeStopped moving suddenly in surprise or shock
4. ReelingMoving by twisting, turning
5. FlickeringSudden forward or backward movement
6. TrailPath
7. QuestedSearched
8. Parting grassGrass that opens or separates as something moves through
9. GlazeShine
10. CurvesBends
11. ScaleSmall, hard plate on a fish or snake
12. FledRan away quickly to escape danger
13. IntentPurpose or strong aim
14. TrackPath
15.ScarcelyHardly
 16.SplendidVery beautiful

6. Exercise Solutions

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Exercise – 1

Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:

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1. The poet was sun-warmed under the gentlest sky of
(a) Summer
(b) Winter
(c) Autumn
(d) Spring

Ans: (c) Autumn

2. The colour of the snake was
(a) Black
(b) Grey
(c) Green
(d) Yellow

Ans: (a) Black

3. The tongue of the snake was
(a) Still
(b) Flickering
(c) Dangling
(d) Hanging

Ans: (b) Flickering

4. The shape of the snake scale’s was like
(a) Star
(b) Kite
(c) Diamond
(d) Pyramid

Ans: (c) Diamond

5. According to the poet, the intent of the snake was
(a)  Malicious
(b) Greedy
(c) Timid
(d) Fierce

Ans: (d) Fierce

6. The snake finally disappeared into the

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(a) Sand
(b) Grass
(c) Rock
(d) Stream


Ans: (b) Grass

Exercise – 2

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Answer the following questions within twenty-five words:

1. How did the snake appear as it was moving through the grass?
Ans: The snake moved twisting and reeling through the parting grass, head down and tongue flickering, showing alertness, hunting for prey, with sunlight shining on its diamond-like scales.

2. What did the poet and her companions do when the snake was gone?
Ans: They took a deeper breath, looked at each other, and continued walking. They felt relief, awe, and admiration for the snake’s beauty and skill in nature.

7. Grammar in use

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Exercise – 3

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Rewrite the following sentences as directed:

1. How happy we are here! (Change into an assertive sentence)
Ans: We are very happy here.

2. Everybody knows the name of Tagore. (Change into an interrogative sentence)
Ans: Does everybody know the name of Tagore?

3. The painting is very beautiful. (Change into an exclamatory sentence)
Ans: What a beautiful painting it is!

4. Can we ever forget our childhood days? (Change into an assertive sentence)
Ans: We can never forget our childhood days.

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Exercise – 4

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Rewrite the following sentences as directed:

1. We are proud of our heritage. (Use the noun form of ‘proud’)
Ans: We have pride in our heritage.

2. We should have sympathy for the poor. (Use the adjective form of ‘sympathy’)
Ans: We should be sympathetic to the poor.

3. His success was due to his labour. (Use the verb form of ‘labour’)
Ans: He laboured hard, which led to his success.

4. The song of the nightingale is very sweet. (Use the adverb form of ‘sweet’)
Ans: The nightingale sings very sweetly.

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8. Composition

Exercise – 5

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Write a newspaper report within 100 words on a boat capsize. Use the following hints:

Place – date – number of people in the boat – cause – casualties – rescue operations – steps taken by the government

On 7th September 2025, a boat capsized in River Ganga near Patna. There were 20 people on board. The boat overturned due to strong wind and rough waves. Ten passengers drowned, and ten were rescued by local fishermen. The government immediately sent rescue teams to help the victims and provide medical aid. Authorities also announced steps to improve safety on rivers, including life jackets and stricter boat regulations. The tragedy highlights the need for better awareness and preventive measures to ensure passengers’ safety in future incidents.

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Exercise – 6

Write a summary of the following passage within 100 words:

Where and how should children learn values? We know that they need to learn them because values from the beliefs and attitudes that will determine how they live their lives and function in society. To function effectively in society, children need to be taught how to be honest, kind, courteous and considerate.Any society that does not teach children these values would soon fall apart. Similarly, one would expect a nation to be made up of citizens who know how to respect other people and their property. These citizens should also understand the value of humility and self-control. They should appreciate courage and be willing to care of those weaker than themselves.  Any nation whose citizens do not practise these values would soon become a nation not worth living in. Teaching these values to children cannot be delayed. This is because, unlike young animals, whose instincts are often highly developed at birth, human babies are totally dependent. Human beings have emotional needs, desires, thoughts and feelings which determine action. This is precisely why they must learn values, not just survival skills as do animals. These values will help control the natural responses that result from satisfying purely selfish needs and desires.

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Ans: Children must learn values such as honesty, kindness, respect, humility, courage, and care for others to live effectively in society. Unlike animals, human babies are fully dependent and have emotional needs, requiring guidance to control selfish desires. Teaching values helps children develop self-control, social awareness, and responsible behavior. Without this, society and nations would fail. Instilling these values early is essential for personal growth and social stability, ensuring children grow into citizens who respect others, protect weaker individuals, and contribute positively to their communities.

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