ipl-logo

An Analysis Of Stevie Smith's 'Not Waving But Drowning'

720 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Not waving but drowning thesis

“Not Waving but Drowning.” In the midst of a good time any person, no matter how happy they may seem, could be fighting an inner turmoil and be crying out for help. Different aspects of Stevie Smith’s life are mirrored in many of the subjects in her poems. Stevie Smith’s early experience with loss and the lack of time to grieve properly not only affected her personal life, but also permeated her work such as in “Not Waving but Drowning” through her style of writing, chosen themes, and various perspectives.
Stevie Smith was born on the 20th of September in 1902 in Hull of Yorkshire in London, England as Florence Margaret Smith, later nicknamed Stevie after a friend compared her to a popular jockey Steve Donoghue. Stevie was born a weak and fragile baby, possibly due to her mother’s sickened condition at the time and was christened at home instead of at the church her sister Molly was christened at. Stevie’s parents were Ethel Rachel Spear and Charles Ward Smith. Not much is known of their relationship before or after the birth of their daughters. Charles wanted to go into the Navy, however, when his brother drowned …show more content…

She finally was enrolled at Palmers Green High School. She quickly caught up with her studies but showed no enthusiasm for any subjects except music. During her music class she would randomly begin singing any melody that came to her head. She later was asked not to sing because she distracted the other girls. When Stevie turned sixteen her mother passed away possible due to heart failure. With her Aunt Lion’s love and support Stevie finished school. Stevie and her family had no money to send her to college so Stevie’s dream to become a journalist did not seem like a possibility. Luckily Molly had received a scholarship and the money she had left over went to Stevie to attend Mrs. Hoster’s Secretarial Training College in central

Show More
Related
1110 Words | 5 Pages

Being added to the Saskatchewan provincial curriculum within the first four years of being published is a measurement of proof demonstrating that her ambition was genius. Financial gain aside, Simmie would now and forever have peace of mind through knowing and having told Polly’s side of the story. Simmie’s diligence in writing had proved to be worthwhile. Today, in Saskatchewan, whenever a group of grade twelve students read The Secret Lives of John Wilson, Polly Wilson is resurrected and becomes the recipient of the so desperately needed sympathy and understanding that she yearned for at the

Read More
1737 Words | 7 Pages

This poem is a representation of not only her immense grieving for her father, but how she used this low point in her life to evolve as an individual and make peace with her loss. Tracy K Smith’s poem

Read More
667 Words | 3 Pages

In order to provide for the family, “Ambrosch hired his sister out like a man, and she went from farm to farm, binding sheaves or working with the thrashers,” Antonia selflessly sacrifices her dignity. Though at first responding indifferently to Jim’s question of going to school, saying “I ain’t got time to learn…School is alright for little boys. I help make this land one good farm.” Revealing her true desire for an education to Jim, Antonia asks him to tell her of all that he learned in school. The magnitude of Antonia’s altruism is great; therefore her abrupt transformation from self-sacrifice to self-absorption is astonishing.

Read More
1096 Words | 5 Pages

Many times people take things for granted. For example, we think since food is always provided to us we shouldn’t be thankful for it, or for pure drinking water or even for our freedom. Most of society receive this benefits, and we assume everybody gets them too, unfortunately that is not the case. Not all people can afford these privileges. We may not perceive them as that on the contrary, we think of them as needs, and fortunately for us we can afford to enjoy them.

Read More
924 Words | 4 Pages

Landslide by Stevie Nicks Analysis Essay An aging parent’s lament for their child’s wellbeing after they part ways is something that enters a lot of people’s lives whether they are the parent or the child. This feeling of sorrow and grief is executed perfectly by Stevie Nicks’ lyrics in the song “Landslide”, which details a mother hoping her child will grow past her own mistakes and not repeat them through a plethora of metaphors. This lyrical poem opens with a couple lines who’s repetition throughout the poem fill them with a much deeper meaning.

Read More
1189 Words | 5 Pages

Sarah was a member of the Presbyterian Church and ran the children's group. The eldest of their son, Herman, was often seen by his dad's side. The Daughter, Katherine was the one who was friends with the Stillinger Sisters. Boyd and Paul, the youngest boys, were very young at the time of their deaths, unfortunately. It just so happened that that night two of Katherine’s friends were also found murdered, Lena Stillinger and her sister Ina Stillinger, both coming from the church that the Moores went to that day.

Read More
874 Words | 4 Pages

(247) Jeannette loved the job and loved the busy hours. Her and Lori then found an apartment which was bigger than Jeannette’s house back on Little Hobart Street. After they found an apartment to live in Jeannette found another job from an internship. It was where you go to school for jobs and internships instead of having actual classes. (248)

Read More
1218 Words | 5 Pages

She soon escaped from the school and found herself living alone and without any money during the middle of the Great Depression. It is believed that Ella survived by singing on the streets, a far cry from the top venues she would soon be performing

Read More
274 Words | 2 Pages

“Caked by the Ocean” is another popular pop culture song composed and produced by the American dance band DNCE, including members Joe Jonas, Jack Lawless, Cole Whittle, and JinJoo Lee. This disco-jazz piece debuted on September 18, 2015 and was ranked 44 by Billboards as one of the top 100 best pop songs of 2016. At the very beginning of the song, the drums are played at a fast beat creating an indefinite high pitch with an intensified frequency. Thereafter, singer Joe Jones begins singing with a strong deep voice, clearly articulating the words of the song as the drums and cymbals begin to play.

Read More
1587 Words | 7 Pages

From the beginning of Stevie Nicks’s illustrious career to the present day, she has truly been a prime example of the American rock and roll dream of the 1960s and ‘70s. From her music to her fashion sense, she was a force to be reckoned with in the rock scene of that age. Even through life’s struggles, she has said on numerous occasions, “Crystal visions really do come true,” and throughout her career, she was the one to ensure her dreams came to fruition (Davis & Nicks). In 1966, during her senior year of high school, Nicks met Lindsey Buckingham at a mock church gathering that was for teenagers to gather and play music.

Read More
549 Words | 3 Pages

At her nest foster home her foster father,used her for oral sex in trade for LSD and cocaine. After this incident she moved in with her great aunt in Los Angeles. During her stay she joined a gang at the age of 12. She almost died when he was shot in the back at the age of 16. After that she made the decision to leave the gang.

Read More
723 Words | 3 Pages

In fact, as the author in this story, Toni Cade Bambara, Sylvia grew up in a very poor neighborhood. Sylvia’s understanding of the world is limited to what she experiences within her neighborhood and her tiny apartment. Scarcity and want are no strangers to her. Luckily, Sylvia and the other kids have Miss Moore as a mentor. Miss Moore begins to work within the kids’ environment to enrich them inasmuch as possible with education.

Read More
327 Words | 2 Pages

Maria was a senior in high school. Her plans after high school was to go to lone star college to do 2 years of basics, then transfer to Sam Houston University. Maria was excited to graduate high school because she was going to be to be the first child of her family to get a high school diploma but also be the first one of her family to go to college. Maria had big dreams.

Read More
712 Words | 3 Pages

Marta Salinas’ realistic fiction story “The scholarship Jacket”, takes place at a small school in Texas. Martha, a straight A plus student, was finally in 8th grade, her year to receive the valedictorian jacket. There are many troubles leading up to Martha receiving the jacket, such as the teachers changing the policy to make her pay $15. This changed the meaning of the jacket because it was no longer a reward. Marta Salinas created the theme that hard work pays off, she displays this theme by showing how Martha feels with point of view, and foreshadowing.

Read More
753 Words | 4 Pages

Working Title: “Not Waving But Drowning” by Stevie Smith – A Criticism of Speechlessness and Lack of Understanding Apparently, the poem “Not Waving but Drowning” is about the Stevie Smith’s own suicidal thoughts – at least this is a conclusion one is tempted to draw given that the majority of early critics more or less explicitly linked the poem to Smith’s biography (Huk 241). In part, the vast interest in the authors biography is understandable since Smith tried to commit suicide shortly after writing the poem (Marangoni 76-7) and since she stated that “[n]early every poem’s about suicide, more or less”(Dick 44). However, this focus on biographical interpretations has hampered a fruitful discussion of the text itself (Huk 241) and stands

Read More

More about An Analysis Of Stevie Smith's 'Not Waving But Drowning'

Related Topics

Open Document