Open Response

Question

Not Waving but Drowning by Stevie Smith

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.


Question 15
Read the poem above, and answer the following in a well-written open response:

What is a literary device that Stevie Smith uses in the poem "Not Waving but Drowning?" Please identify the literary device used, identify where it appears in the poem, and explain HOW the use of the literary device adds to the overall theme/meaning of the poem.

/1 Identifying a literary device used in the poem

/1 Identifying where in the poem the literary device is used

/2 Explaining how the literary device affects the poems meaning/theme

/1 Proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.

Answer 1

In the poem "Not Waving but Drowning," Stevie Smith uses the literary device of irony. The irony appears in the lines "I was much further out than you thought / And not waving but drowning." This irony adds to the overall theme of miscommunication and lack of understanding between the living and the dead. The speaker's desperate attempt to communicate their true feelings and struggles is met with a misunderstanding, as the living assume the person is simply waving when they are actually drowning. This disconnect and misinterpretation emphasizes the isolation and alienation the speaker feels, ultimately highlighting the theme of loneliness and the inability to truly connect with others.