Analysis of ‘Not Waving But Drowning’ by Stevie Smith

The poem, ’Not waving but drowning’ deals with the misunderstanding and
confusion between human communication. While on the surface level, this poem is
about someone who is drowning in water, Stevie Smith subtly alludes to the isolating
struggles of mental illness whereby one cannot truly know what another person is going
through.
The intriguing title of the poem makes reference to the main theme explored:
appearance versus reality. Interestingly, the poem may be interpreted literally or
allegorically. In both perspectives, the man is misunderstood by the people around him.
The poem may refer to the victim who has drowned at sea because the people
surrounding him misjudged his hand gestures. However, as the readers go in depth into
the poem, we realize that the title is an extended metaphor aiming at highlighting the
mental downfall of a man who was desperately trying to look for help from his
loneliness. Indeed, the abrupt start of the poem, “Nobody heard him, the dead man…”
acts as a hook which immediately grabs the readers’ attention. In the very first verse,
the readers are presented with the main character; “the dead man.” Also, the
consonance used with the letter ‘m’ in “him,” “man,” “moaning” in a way directly
connects the man to his agony. The anonymity of the man adds to the already
mysterious and intriguing atmosphere which prevailed due to the ambiguous title.
Moreover, the use of alliteration of the ‘h’ sound in “heard him,” echoes the
breathlessness and exasperation which may have been felt by the man. This alliteration
together with the caesura used in this particular verse emphasize what has just been
said. Ironically, the speaker is more shocked that “nobody heard him” rather than the
fact that a “dead man” is talking. This strange contradiction continues in the second
verse as Smith describes the man as “moaning” despite the fact that he should not be
alive. Confusion is created at this point in the poem as the readers ask themselves if the
anonymous man is actually alive. While the jargon, “moaning” may refer to complaining
or extreme pain, Stevie Smith goes on with the dual meaning aspects of the poem. The
caesura used in this verse “But still he lay moaning:” is highly significant as it indicates
the shift from 3rd person perspective to 1st person. The use of the pronoun “I” may allude
to the fact that it is the victim who is talking and the “you,” “I was much further out than
you thought” may refer to the crowd at the beach and to the “nobody” referred in the first
verse.
Furthermore, in stanza 2 the readers witness another change in the voice of
narration. It seems to be spoken by the people at the shore or that at the man’s funeral
“poor chap, he’d always loved larking.” The alliteration of the “l” sound puts in the
spotlight the playful nature which the crowd associated with the dead man. Interestingly,
the lack of punctuation and the extensive use of enjambment “And now he’s dead/ It
must have been…” create an air of flippancy; as if the crowd do not really care about
the man. This stanza gives the readers certainty on the fact the man is no more. The
nonchalance associated with this revelation “And now he is dead” confirms the idea that
the people are not really interested by the man’s death. The second to last verse of this
stanza is significant “It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way” since it
showcases the attempt of the crowd to justify his death. This further creates the distant
feeling between the man and these people as they are not certain of the cause of his
death. The final verse “They said” again lay emphasis on the voice and perspective
switch of the situation.
The final stanza of the poem reverts back to the voice of the man who refutes the
previous saying of the crowd “Oh, no no no, it was too cold always” The echphonesis
with “oh” along with the epizeuxis used in the repetition of “no” lay emphasis on the
exasperation of the dead man. This verse is viewed as a complaint; “moaning” from the
grave whereby the “dead man” wants to tell his truth. The “cold” may allude to the cold
and hostile environment that the man has experienced throughout his life. This idea is
confirmed in the next verse “I was much too far out all my life.” The readers understand
the mental struggles experienced by the man which were hidden from the people whom
he was surrounded by despite the fact that he tried to look for help. The use of the
brackets in verse 10, “(Still the dead lay moaning)” reminds the readers that the man is
dead despite him still talking. The stanza ends like the 1 st stanza with the poem’s title
“And not waving but drowning.” This verse acts as a refrain giving a cyclical feel to the
poem.
The third stanza of this poem provides confirmation that this poem should in fact
not be interpreted on surface level. Indeed, throughout this poem, Stevie Smith has
dealt with the predominant theme of miscommunication between humans. This is
emphasized with the relationship of the “dead man” and the crowd. The revelation that
“it was too cold always” is highly significant as it connotes to the continuous pain and
suffering endured by the man. The people failed to see the man’s sorrow since it was
hidden. With hindsight, from the very beginning of this poem, Smith has explored the
theme of communication failure “Nobody heard him.” The man has been misunderstood
his whole life and ironically, even while being in his grave, he is misunderstood. The fact
that the poem’s title “not waving but drowning” is repeated twice in the poem may be a
means for the man to remind his surrounding of their mistake for not understanding him.
Despite the intense themes associated with this poem, Smith uses a rather
simple form for the structure of the poem. With the use of its three quatrains and free
verse, the poet does not distract the readers from the important message
communicated. The rhyme scheme used; ABCD connects the poem with a ballad.
Interestingly enough, ballads are often used to relate an emotional or touching story.
The use of a ballad therefore increases the almost melancholic and dark feel of the
poem which is omnipresent in the first and last stanza. The fact that there is no direct
speech when the dead man speaks is destabilizing as it is unnatural for such a thing to
happen.
The poem deals with a man’s vain attempts to feel understood by his society.
While this poem may be seen as a light-hearted and comical one, Stevie Smith deals
with important mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. The poet therefore
aims at opening the readers’ eyes on the fact that some people may be suffering in
silence without the knowledge of others.