The Snare - Poem by James Stephens

I hear a sudden cry of pain!

There is a rabbit in a snare:
Now I hear the cry again,
But I cannot tell from where.

But I cannot tell from where

He is calling out for aid!
Crying on the frightened air,
Making everything afraid!

Making everything afraid!

Wrinkling up his little face!
And he cries again for aid;
- and I cannot find the place!

And I cannot find the place

Where his paw is in the snare!
Little One! Oh, Little One!
I am searching everywhere!

Comprehension Questions

1. What makes the speaker think that a rabbit has been caught in a trap ?
2. Is the rabbit‘s cry a short one or a continuous one?
3. Make a list words and phrases which suggest the writhing pain of the rabbit.
4. How does the poet see ‘the wrinkling up his little face’, when actually he has not seen the trap?
5. The last line of each of the first three stanzas is same as the first line of the following stanza. What effect
does it create?
6. Describe the feelings of the speaker towards the rabbit.
7. Why has the poet used a large number of exclamation marks?
8. Describe in a sentence or two what each stanza is about.
9. Does the poet finally find the snare in which the rabbit is caught?
10. Does the poet’s search end with the final line of the poem?