THE RIVER by Valerie Bloom

The River's a wanderer,A nomad, a tramp,

He doesn't choose one placeTo set up his camp.

The River's a winder,Through valley and hillHe twists and he turns,He just cannot be still.

The River's a hoarder,And he buries down deep

Those little treasuresThat he wants to keep.

The River's a baby,He gurgles and hums,

And sounds like he's happilySucking his thumbs.

The River's a singer,As he dances along,

The countryside echoesThe notes of his song.

The River's a monsterHungry and vexed,

He's gobbled up treesAnd he'll swallow you next.

1

SYNOPSIS

The River is about the many faces of a river. The river is a wanderer where he moves

all over the place. He does not sit still and is always in motion. He is also a winder

where he twists and turns. He meanders. He is also a hoarder where he keeps

things deep down in his river bed. Sometimes, he is a baby when he is happily

flowing along. At times, he is a singer as seen through the happy sounds of the water.

Finally, he is also a monster and can devour trees (most probably referring to a flood)

THEMES

1. The River is a Natural Source of Water

The river is a natural source of water. It is an important element in the water

cycle.

It balances the ecosystem. Therefore, many living things depend on the river

to get their source of water.

Water is an important basic need for all living things. Many living things such

as plants, animals and human beings will die without water.

2. The River is a Natural Source of Life

The river is also a natural source of life. It is considered to bury ‘little

treasures’ that help to support living organisms such as animals, human

beings and plants.

2

On the other hand, when the river water overflows, the surrounding areas are

flooded. This natural phenomenon provides a rich source of fertile soil to

farmers to grow their crops as well as helps them to irrigate their farms. This

in turn provides us with different sources of food for our daily life.

3. The river causes natural disasters

In Stanza 6, the poet warns that the river can at times cause natural

disasters.

Hence, the river is described as a monster, ‘hungry and vexed’. This usually

happens when there is a heavy downpour which causes the river to overflow

its banks. It displays its power and rage as it gobbles up or destroys and

uproots trees.

Sometimes, the river’s wrath can be seen when lives, properties and

livelihood is lost. This is nothing that Man is unable to control.

4. Man has both positive and negative qualities

Man, like the river, has his positive and negative qualities.

Therefore, we must accept people with their strengths and limitations.

PERSONA

The voice used in the poem The River is a ‘he’, which is the third person

pronoun.

The persona describes what he sees, feels and hears about the river.

3

Some of the descriptions relate to his life’s experiences and knowledge about

how a river flows – upstream to downstream.

The persona provides details about where the river starts; meandering through

the hills and valleys and finally, ending up in the sea or ocean.

Apart from being gentle, the persona also warns that the river can be destructive

to both nature and Man.

Language and Style

The poem consists of six stanzas. Each stanza has four lines.There is a rhyming scheme in the poem. Every second and fourth line in each stanza rhymes:

Stanza 2

The River’s a winder,

Through valley and hill

He twists and he turns,

He just cannot be still.

From the stanza above, the word ‘hill’ rhymes with ‘still’.

Stanza 3

The River’s hoarder,

And he buries down deep

Those little treasures

That he wants to keep

From the stanza above, the word ‘deep’ rhymes with ‘keep’.

4

The rhyme scheme used by the poet is a-b-c-b. in other words, the last word in Line 2 rhymes with the last word in Line 4.

LITERARY DEVICES

Metaphor

One literary device used in this poem is the metaphor. The poet shows

similarities between the river and human beings.

The river is described as being a wanderer, hoarder, baby, singer, dancer and

monster.

The poet also uses the river as a metaphor to describe our own journey through

life. Just like the river, we start our journey when we are born. Then we grow up

and gradually learn about things and begin to face more challenges. This part is

described in the poem when the river meanders through hills and valleys.

Next, as we mature we have our ups and downs, happy and sad moments. This

is described in Stanza 4 and 5.

Then again, sometimes we behave like monsters and lose our tempers and hurt

or destroy others with our actions. This is like when the river turns into a monster

and causes destruction.

Personification

The second literary device used is personification.

Even though the writer talks about the river yet she has been able to give it

human-like abilities, functions and feelings.

5

This is referred to as personification. The poem clearly shows, describes and

gives ample examples of human characteristics.

Some of these include being a wanderer like ‘a nomad’ and ‘a tramp’. The river is

also a hoarder that buries ‘little treasures’ and does not want to part with them.

Then the river moves on and becomes a baby who is ‘happily sucking his

thumbs’ and then as a dancer, the river sings and dances along the countryside.

Finally, the river is described as a monster that has no mercy.

Contrast

The third literary device used is making contrasts. Here the poet shows the

contrasting characteristics of the river.

o One moment the river is gentle like a baby and at other times, it rears its

ugly head and becomes a monster ready to destroy nature.

o Through this technique, the poet shows that the river is just like us, it has

both positive and negative characteristics.

Imagery

Imagery refers to images that we can see when we read and understand the

poem.

o In this poem, Valerie has successfully painted a vivid picture of the river

and these images are clearly imprinted in our minds as we read the poem.

For examples:

Stanza 1

6

o The image we conjure up is that of a wanderer like a nomad or tramp who

moves around and cannot sit still.

Stanza 2

o The image formed is that of a river slowly winding down hill, twisting and

turning.

Stanza 3

o The river is described like a hoarder who buries invaluable treasures

beneath it.

Stanza 4

o The river is described just like a baby who is sucking on his thumbs. The

baby also makes happy gurgling and humming sounds.

Stanza 5

o The river becomes a singer who dances along to the song which echoes

throughout the countryside.

Stanza 6

o An ugly image of the river is painted. It is described as a monster that

hungrily swallows up trees and human beings.

7

I WONDER by Jeannie Kirby

“I wonder” by Jeannie KirbyI wonder why the grass is green

And why to each other we’re often mean?Who taught us how to curse and hate?

And lead us to betray our faith?

Why can’t we learn to live and love?And give all praises to him above

Why must we strive to put others down?Why not wear a smile instead of a frown.

Must we forever devise new ways?To hurt each other instead of praise?For aren’t we all the same in his sight

Don’t we all rise in the morn and sleep at night?

For who amongst us has not shed a tearOr hurt by another who never seemed to care.

And which of us has not done the sameTo hurt another or caused some shame.

When shall we learn to let go of the pastAnd live each day like it’s our very last?Which will you be, an foe or a friend?

Would you still hate today, if this was your end?

8

SYNOPSIS

I wonder why the grass is green,And why the wind is never seen

The writer was questioning about why the color of the grass is green and not other

colors. He also did question about why the wind cannot be seen. As we know, we can

feel the wind blows and pass us by everyday in our lives. The writer most probably

would be a small kid, because children only knows that physical contacts only can be

created when an object touches another. For writer in this case, he/she needs

something to be made as evidence of why he can feel the wind blowing.

Who taught the birds to build a nest,And told the trees to take a rest?

This particular kid (person) questioned why the bird that he saw was building a nest for

itself though the kid knew that no one or no other creatures did teach the bird to do so.

He also knew that animals do not possess the wisdom to invent something on their own.

In this situation, he did not know that it is just the nature of animals to seek for

protection and safe place to hide. As the time turns to sunset and about to be night time,

the kid wondered why the trees stopped producing oxygen and why they were doing so

and on whose order.

And when the moon is not quite round,Where can the missing bit be found?

Because the whole daytime has been windy, the kid then questioned why he could not

see moon anywhere at the sky because at the moment, it was about to rain and the

9

clouds already covered the skies up. He did not know that the rain comes from the

process of condensation and needs the clouds to turn the air to liquid (rainwater).

Who lights the stars, when they blow out,And makes the lightning flash about?

As he could see the stars that were shining at the skies, they questioned how they shine

and how they could be so bright at the night time. He only knew that light and brightness

only comes from things that are burning and fired up by human being themselves.

Lightning that stroked many times during the moment caught his attention because no

one create lightning and makes them appear at the sky.

Who paints the rainbow in the sky,And hangs the fluffy clouds so high?

The day after, the kid could see the rainbow appeared at the sky and the formation of

the colors of the rainbow makes him guessing of who painted and designed such

organized pattern of colors. After the rain, the clouds rise up higher because they are

fluffier now, light and softer, free from the water particles and reveal the beautiful colors

of the rainbow.

Why is it now, do you suppose,That Dad won’t tell me if he knows?

Last of all, the kid questioned all the readers why his father (Dad) did not tell him if his

Dad ever knew of why all the panoramas that he had seen happened before his own

eyes. It is because the kid himself is still a young child, naïve, and innocent and his

father might not tell him because afraid that he would not understand of how nature

really works.

10

THEME

1. Curiosity of a child

a. Children are by nature inquisitive and they like to ask questions.

2. The wonders of nature

a. The poem shows readers of how majestic and awe-inspiring nature can be

for those who take the time to stop and appreciate it.

3. The thirst for knowledge

a. Humans, by nature, are inquisitive beings. We have the innate drive to

seek knowledge and information to better ourselves.

LITERARY DEVICE

Point of view

o First person

The title and the first two words of 'I Wonder' show us that the poem is told from

a first person point of view.

Setting

o Outdoors

The speaker was describing the events that one can see out in the open space.

11

Tone

o Inquisitive

The repetition of interrogative wh- words lends an inquisitive tone to 'I Wonder.'

Mood

o Puzzlement

The inquisitive nature of the speaker incites the feeling of puzzlement in readers

as there is a high possibility that many cannot answer the questions posed by the

speaker.

Poetic Devices

1. Alliteration

a. grass – green

b. birds – build

c. tree - take a rest

2. Direct speech

Hearing the speaker's questions first hand gives readers a clearer picture of the

challenging time that they will have in answering the speaker's questions thus

intensifying the mood of puzzlement.

3. End rhyme

a. Stanza 1 : green, seen

b. Stanza 2: nest, rest

c. Stanza 3: round, found

12

d. Stanza 4: out, about

e. Stanza 5: sky, high

f. Stanza 6: suppose, knows

4. Imagery

a. Visual imagery = sense of sight

i. Grass, birds, trees, moon, stars, lightning, rainbows, and clouds.

5. Personification

a. the trees - have the ability to rest

b. the stars - have the ability to blow out the light

6. Repetition

a. The words, 'why' and 'who' are repeated twice and thrice respectively. The

repetition of the interrogative wh- words reinforces that the speaker's

curiosity is not just a fleeting fancy but is a matter that constantly bugs the

speaker.

13

SIMILARITIES

1. Both of these poems are about nature.

2. These poems have 6 stanzas for each poem

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWO POEMS

I WONDER THE RIVER

1. 2 lines in every stanzas 1. A lines in every stanza

2. Questions about the unique

characteristics of nature

2.Telling about the unique

characteristics of nature

3. The subject are varies.

e.g : grass, wind, birds, trees,

moon, stars, rainbow, clouds

3. The subject is only river

4. The rhyme is ‘aa’ 4. The rhyme is ‘abcb’

14

REFLECTION

First of all, thanks to our God because give me a chance to do this coursework.

Next, to my family that always support me to further up my study and to complete this

task. During doing this task, I’ve had learn many things about literature. As a teacher or

formerly as religious teacher, I didn’t notice what is important of literature to kid or

student, furthermore English Literature. But, after done this task, more and more

knowledge about literature that I get. I had knew each poem that been written by a

famous writers had their deeply meaning and message. Besides that, from the task that

I’ve done, I can get know many great poem writers which I had never know before this.

But, l also have a weakness while complete this task. Firstly is about my

vocabulary and my experience in doing a coursework. I’m usually speak in Malay and

studied literature also in Malay which is my mother tounge, but while I’m trying to

challenge myself to complete this task which all in English, I had found a difficulties.

Literary meaning sometimes never same with standard English sentence meaning. I

need to search in internet or ask for a help from my English Teacher in my school to

discover the meaning of the poem or some sentences.

That’s all what I get when I doing this task. I hope, I can further my knowledge

besides can use this knowledge for my pupils to improve their skills of learnings.

15

REFERENCES

A collection of Poems, Short Stories and Dramas Form 1 to Form 3, 2009 , Ministry of

Education Malaysia, Shah Alam, Selangor

I wonder by Jeanne Kirby ( 2009, Sep 24 ), I wonder by Jeanne Kirby, retrieved 18

March 2012 from http://pencps.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-wonder-by-jeanne-kirby.html

I wonder bu Jeanne Kirby (2010, June 1 ), I wonder by Jeanne Kirby retrieved 18 March

2012 from http://biteenglish.blogspot.com/2010/06/i-wonder-by-jeannie-kirby.html

16