Not Waving but Drowning
Encyclopedia
"Not Waving but Drowning" is a poem by British
poet Stevie Smith
published in 1957 as part of a collection of the same title. The work, the most famous of Smith's poems, describes a man whose distressed thrashing in the sea causes onlookers to believe that he is waving to them. The poem was accompanied by one of Smith's drawings, as was common among her works.
The poem's relationship to the poet has been the topic of several pieces of literary criticism because Smith was treated for psychological problems, having contemplated suicide at the age of eight due to what she described as a difficult childhood and feelings surrounding the fact that her father had abandoned her.
takes place from a third-person perspective and describes the circumstances surrounding the "dead man" described in line one. In line five the poem suggests that the man who has died "always loved larking," which causes his distress signals to be discounted.
The image that Smith attached to the poem shows the form of a girl from the waist up with her wet hair hanging over her face. Although the image goes with a poem about a man drowning, the girl's expression appears incongruous with the text of the poem as it forms what Severin describes as a "mysterious smile". Jannice Thaddeus suggests that the speaker of the poem, like other figures in Smith's works, changes from male to female as part of a theme of androgyny
that exists in many of the poems found in Selected Poems. The sketch differs from the poem in that the figure is of a woman rather than a man, and Smith scholar Laura Severin suggests that the figure might be Mary, a character in another poem by Smith entitled "Cool as a Cucumber." The drawing was used as the accompanying image for the poem "The Frozen Lake" in Selected Poems, a self-edited compilation of Smith's works published in 1962.
While Ingrid Hotz-Davies suggests that the "drowning man" is Smith herself, she also states that there are problems with reading the poem as a cry for help due to the humorous tone of the poem yet at the same time she also notes that the representational form of the poem "may easily be misread as a friendly wave of the hand". The poem's simple diction
led Clive James
to suggest that Smith attempted to write the poem so that the diction appeared ignorant of poetic convention yet was carefully crafted to appear more simple than it was. James describes the relationship between Smith and the speaker in "Not Waving but Drowning" by saying, "her poems, if they were pills to cure Melancholy, did not work for [Smith]. The best of them, however, worked like charms for everyone else."
takes their name from the poem.
The underground '90s emo-hardcore act I Hate Myself
recorded a song with the same name on their album 10 Songs
. A track of Julian Cope
's 1991 album "Peggy Suicide' was entitled "Not Raving But Drowning". The poem is cited in the liner notes as an influence on the song. It was also set to music by singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt
on his debut album Little
with a spoken introduction from a Stevie Smith recording.
A very active band in New York City uses the name, and has amassed a strong cult following.
Erin McKean
wrote a short story entitled "Not Waving But Drowning" which was published in Machine of Death
, a collection of short stories. In it she talks of the poem and the author.
San Francisco-based band The Matches
references the poem in their song Little Maggots. San Francisco-based band Citizens Here and Abroad
's second album was titled Waving, Not Drowning.
Composer Nina C. Young set the poem in a piece scored for solo viola, piano, and mixed choir.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
poet Stevie Smith
Stevie Smith
Florence Margaret Smith, known as Stevie Smith was an English poet and novelist.-Life:Stevie Smith, born Florence Margaret Smith in Kingston upon Hull, was the second daughter of Ethel and Charles Smith. Contemporary Women Poets...
published in 1957 as part of a collection of the same title. The work, the most famous of Smith's poems, describes a man whose distressed thrashing in the sea causes onlookers to believe that he is waving to them. The poem was accompanied by one of Smith's drawings, as was common among her works.
The poem's relationship to the poet has been the topic of several pieces of literary criticism because Smith was treated for psychological problems, having contemplated suicide at the age of eight due to what she described as a difficult childhood and feelings surrounding the fact that her father had abandoned her.
Interpretations
Like many of Smith's poems, "Not Waving but Drowning" is short, consisting of only twelve lines. The narrativeNarrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
takes place from a third-person perspective and describes the circumstances surrounding the "dead man" described in line one. In line five the poem suggests that the man who has died "always loved larking," which causes his distress signals to be discounted.
The image that Smith attached to the poem shows the form of a girl from the waist up with her wet hair hanging over her face. Although the image goes with a poem about a man drowning, the girl's expression appears incongruous with the text of the poem as it forms what Severin describes as a "mysterious smile". Jannice Thaddeus suggests that the speaker of the poem, like other figures in Smith's works, changes from male to female as part of a theme of androgyny
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
that exists in many of the poems found in Selected Poems. The sketch differs from the poem in that the figure is of a woman rather than a man, and Smith scholar Laura Severin suggests that the figure might be Mary, a character in another poem by Smith entitled "Cool as a Cucumber." The drawing was used as the accompanying image for the poem "The Frozen Lake" in Selected Poems, a self-edited compilation of Smith's works published in 1962.
While Ingrid Hotz-Davies suggests that the "drowning man" is Smith herself, she also states that there are problems with reading the poem as a cry for help due to the humorous tone of the poem yet at the same time she also notes that the representational form of the poem "may easily be misread as a friendly wave of the hand". The poem's simple diction
Diction
Diction , in its original, primary meaning, refers to the writer's or the speaker's distinctive vocabulary choices and style of expression in a poem or story...
led Clive James
Clive James
Clive James, AM is an Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet and memoirist, best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, for his chat shows and documentaries on British television and for his prolific journalism...
to suggest that Smith attempted to write the poem so that the diction appeared ignorant of poetic convention yet was carefully crafted to appear more simple than it was. James describes the relationship between Smith and the speaker in "Not Waving but Drowning" by saying, "her poems, if they were pills to cure Melancholy, did not work for [Smith]. The best of them, however, worked like charms for everyone else."
Other media
Australian ambient and alternative music group Not Drowning, WavingNot Drowning, Waving
Not Drowning, Waving were a musical group formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1983 by David Bridie and John Phillips...
takes their name from the poem.
The underground '90s emo-hardcore act I Hate Myself
I Hate Myself
I Hate Myself was an emotive hardcore band formed by Jon and Jim Marburger in Gainesville, Florida during 1996.-History and Influence:...
recorded a song with the same name on their album 10 Songs
10 Songs
10 Songs is the second LP by the Florida emo/screamo band, I Hate Myself, released in the year 1997. It is the most recognized album by the band. It was re-released on CD with "To A Husband At War" as a bonus track in 2000...
. A track of Julian Cope
Julian Cope
Julian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
's 1991 album "Peggy Suicide' was entitled "Not Raving But Drowning". The poem is cited in the liner notes as an influence on the song. It was also set to music by singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt
Vic Chesnutt
James Victor "Vic" Chesnutt was an American singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia. His first album, Little, was released in 1990, but his breakthrough to commercial success didn't come until 1996 with the release of Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, a tribute album of mainstream artists...
on his debut album Little
Little (album)
Little is the debut album by Vic Chesnutt, released in 1990. Produced by R.E.M. frontman, Michael Stipe, it was Chesnutt's first solo release. The album was re-released on July 5, 2004.-Overview:...
with a spoken introduction from a Stevie Smith recording.
A very active band in New York City uses the name, and has amassed a strong cult following.
Erin McKean
Erin McKean
Erin McKean is an American lexicographer. Erin is a founder and the CEO of the online dictionary Wordnik. She was previously the Principal Editor of The New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition....
wrote a short story entitled "Not Waving But Drowning" which was published in Machine of Death
Machine of Death
Machine of Death is a 2010 collection of science fiction short stories edited by Ryan North, Matthew Bennardo, and David Malki.All of the stories center around a device which, when provided with a blood sample, can identify the way a person will die. The machine relays this information by printing...
, a collection of short stories. In it she talks of the poem and the author.
San Francisco-based band The Matches
The Matches
The Matches are a United States-based band formed in 1997 in Oakland, California. It currently is composed of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Shawn Harris, lead guitarist and backup vocalist Jonathan Devoto, bassist and backup vocalist Dylan Rowe, and drummer Matt Whalen...
references the poem in their song Little Maggots. San Francisco-based band Citizens Here and Abroad
Citizens Here and Abroad
Citizens Here and Abroad is an indie rock group from San Francisco, California, United States. They formed in 2002.-Band history:Citizens Here and Abroad was formed in 2002 when Adrienne Robillard and Dan Lowrie, following the breakup of their previous band Secadora, happened to move in to an...
's second album was titled Waving, Not Drowning.
Composer Nina C. Young set the poem in a piece scored for solo viola, piano, and mixed choir.
External links
- Stevie Smith reading "Not Waving But Drowning" (includes poem text and poet's picture)