Question

why did the poet call his act of throwing a log of wood at the snake a pettiness

Answer 1

you should mention the name of the chapter and your class

Answer 2

The poet call his act of throwing a log of wood at the snake a pettiness because he had been rude and unfair to the snake. The snake had no intentions of harming him but still he threw a log at it. He blames his education for it cause he learnt that snakes are poisonous and dangerous and must be killed which made him threw the log. It reminded him or the Albatross bird which had been shot dead by the ancient Mariner. Just how the Mariner regretted killing the bird, similarly the poet regretted hitting the snake.