“Not Waving but Drowning” Introduction

• Read the full text of “Not Waving but Drowning”

“Not Waving but Drowning” Summary

“Not Waving but Drowning” Themes

• 

  Communication and Misunderstanding

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-12
• 

  Mental Illness and Isolation

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-12

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Not Waving but Drowning”

• Lines 1-2

  Nobody heard him, ...
  ... he lay moaning:

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 3-4

  I was much ...
  ... waving but drowning.

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 5-8

  Poor chap, he ...
  ... They said.

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 9-10

  Oh, no no ...
  ... one lay moaning)

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 11-12

  I was much ...
  ... waving but drowning.

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

“Not Waving but Drowning” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Alliteration

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where alliteration appears in the poem:

  • Line 1: “heard him”
  • Line 5: “loved larking”
  • Line 7: “him his heart”
  • Line 9: “no no no”

• Asyndeton

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where asyndeton appears in the poem:

  • Line 7: “him his”

• Caesura

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where caesura appears in the poem:

  • Line 1: “him, the”
  • Line 5: “chap, he”
  • Line 9: “Oh, no,” “no, it”

• Enjambment

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where enjambment appears in the poem:

  • Lines 3-4: “ thought / And”
  • Lines 5-6: “larking / And”
  • Lines 11-12: “life / And”

• Epizeuxis

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where epizeuxis appears in the poem:

  • Line 9: “no no no”

• Paradox

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where paradox appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-12

“Not Waving but Drowning” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Moaning
• Larking

• (Location in poem: Line 2: “moaning”; Line 10: “moaning”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Not Waving but Drowning”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Not Waving but Drowning” Speaker

“Not Waving but Drowning” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Not Waving but Drowning”

More “Not Waving but Drowning” Resources

• External Resources

  • Smith's Illustrations — The line drawing that accompanies the poem.  

  • Playing Smith — An interview with actress Glenda Jackson, who played Stevie Smith on stage. 

  • Smith's Life and Work — More information about Smith's biography and poetry from the Poetry Foundation. 

  • Smith Reads Her Poem — Listen to Smith recite "Not Waving but Drowning."

  • "Making It New" — A documentary clip featuring Smith discussing her poetry.

• LitCharts on Other Poems by Stevie Smith

  • Away, Melancholy

  • Touch and Go