The First Meeting, Sujata Bhatt, Summary, Analysis & Themes

The First Meeting, Sujata Bhatt, Summary, Analysis & Themes

"The First Meeting" is a captivating exploration of the poet's evolving relationship with a snake, symbolizing the intricate connection between humanity and nature. Through vivid imagery and the progression of the poet's emotions, the poem delves into themes of fear, kinship, and the interconnectedness of human existence with the natural world. The poem conveys a profound message about the inevitability of embracing all aspects of nature, including its elements that may initially evoke fear or discomfort. "The First Meeting Poem" When I run past the uncounted trees, groves of mango, eucalyptus— how the grass slips beneath my feet, how the wind circles up my legs,     (invisible snake I can’t escape) how the kingfisher-blue sky grows sunnier each second as I run     up the hill almost blinded,           run down the other side, my tongue dry, to the lake where the sky is trapped, tamed blue. But closer, it is clear water. As I drink green snakes swim up to th…