Question

what does the poet d.h. lawrence regret?

Answer 1

the poet regretted for beating the snake with a log . He felt sorry because he was unable to welcome a lord into his life.

Answer 2

 Lawrence alludes to the albatross as means of comparison to the speaker's act of throwing the "clumsy log" at the snake as he crept into the hole. 

The speaker of the poem regrets his act of "pettiness", that he has acted against the natural world.  Lawrence's poem glorifies the snake, praising it for its beauty and grace, comparing it to a king; after the speaker's half-hearted attempt to kill the snake, he feels guilty and wishes that the snake would return from its hole so that he might make amends for his action.

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