Not waving-but-drowning-1221586495419424-9

1. NOT WAVING BUT DROWNING
Stevie Smith

2. Not Waving But Drowning
Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.
Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he's dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.
Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.

3. Simple poem
Meaning – literal and metaphorical
Not waving but drowning!
The “death” we suffer
from being ignored,
neglected and rejected
by one another

4. Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.
Literal level: man has drowned –
made some noise but nobody heard
him
Drowned man’s words
“out of his depth”
Cannot stand, desperation causes him to panic
Line encourages us to read poem on a metaphoric level
Poem’s title
Calls for help
Bystanders/Onlookers misinterpret
his pleas for help as a friendly wave
APPARENT
CONTADICTION
He has died “emotionally”,
“intellectually”, “spiritually”
– no one has heard his pleas for help
PAIN
GRIEF,
HURT
MISERY
Draws the reader
into the poem

5. Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he's dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.
Reaction, comments are
shallow and insincere –
conveyed by aloof and
patronizing tone
His behaviour/personality
excuse their actions
Tone: cold, matter-of-fact,
indifferent – no real
compassion or guilt for
their neglect and lack of a
response – short sentence
structure also reflects the
“neat explanations” they
offer to conceal their
irresponsibility
They blame his death on
the temperature of the
water
Smith is satirising these
people by exposing
their insincerity and
callousness – complete
lack of commitment –
we fail to show loving
concern for others –
reader is also made to
feel culpable

6. Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.
The “dead” man contradicts the
bystanders – no commas – quick
and emphatic
This is not the first occasion that
he was “frozen” and “ignored” –
Smith is criticising our tendency to
be cold, unemotional and frigid –
not prepared to offer the warmth
of true friendship
Suffering
continues –
asking for help
which never
comes
Sense of finality
MOOD OF DESPAIR
AND PAIN
Reader: could be the drowning man or the bystander

7. TEST YOURSELF
1.Discuss the appropriateness of the analogy of the swimmer throughout the
poem.
2.Stevie Smith manages to create a sense of horror, sympathy and discomfort in
the reader. How does she achieve this?
3.Explain why the bystanders/onlookers respond as they do.
4.Explain the last two lines of the poem. In the light of your explanation, explain
how a man can be dead and moan.
5.What general comment is Stevie Smith making about society?
6.One critic has called it “A deeply felt and tragic poem posing as a light-hearted
one.” Would you agree with this assessment of the poem. Justify your answer.