Stevie Smiths poem, "Not Waving But Drowning".

In Stevie Smiths poem, Not Waving But Drowning, it captures a modern day turmoil that everyone goes through in life. This is expressed through metaphors, juxtaposition, oxymorons, and his writing style. In this poem it helps the reader realize that people look down upon each other and point out others faults, but in reality they are pointing out weaknesses of their own. This will be apparent throughout the essay.

Stevie Smiths poem captures and keeps the interest of the reader although it is only a brief poem. This poem is not straightforward and it requires further thought to uncover the true meaning. The author's transition between first person singular and third person singular may cause the reader confusion with their interpretation of the poem. Not Waving But Drowning has no rhyming scheme, three stanzas, and it is brief, although the meaning is strong. In stanza one, line two; the word moaning is hard to understand.

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So in simple terms, "But still he lay moaning", means a complaint, a low mournful sound, as of sorrow or pain. The author used this word to describe how the person was feeling. In stanza one, line four; the word waving is used to describe the motion of moving or swaying to and fro, to signal by moving a hand, and to move or swing. This word relates to the poem because the author uses this word to describe the motion the person is making while in turmoil. In stanza two, line five; the word chap means a man or fellow. The author used this because he was talking about a man in the story. In stanza two, line five; the word larking can be difficult to understand. An easy way to describe larking is to play or frolic. In stanza three, line...