IB English HL Literature 6 April 2014

Commentary Victoria West 11B

Commentary on After the Flood by W.S.
Merwin

The poem After The Flood by W.S. Merwin is a narrative poem about a particular flood. The nostalgic
atmosphere brings to light both the speakers appreciation for and destructive power of the river and
flood; the combination of which are used by the poet to change the readers perception of nature.
The title of the poem After The Flood foreshadows the content of the poem, that is, an account of
what occurred or could be observed after this event. This is evident in the use of the word after.
The is a definite article and thereby refers to a specific flood, rather than many general floods. The
use of this definite article could suggest that this flood was of greater significance, especially for the
speaker who gives a personal account of his/her observations. The word flood connotes an
uncontrollable, overwhelming quantity of water, things or people happening or appearing at the
same times. The idea of a chaotic event, such as that of a flood, is used by Merwin to entice the
reader to further indulge in reading the poem.
In summary, the entire poem is a description of what the speaker is observing. It begins with
informing the reader about the setting and history of the river respectively; in Jersey, where there
is a park, where even in summer the river / is at least two feet higher than it is on our side, / because
of the way it bends(2-5). The speaker continues to feed the reader information, describing the scene
until the speakers mind is forced to flash back to two days before, when the lower bridge was in
danger (15-16) and subsequently flash forward again to the account of what happened on the
morning *the flood+ was over (1). The speaker observes the magnitude and destruction of the river,
ending the poem by mentioning an old coat hanging snagged on a tree branch (29-30), implying the
death of some drunken creature (31).
The narrative poem is presented as a kind of monologue, coupled with the use of enjambment, the
form of one long stanza and long sentences. The significance of this is to unify the poem through
creating a continuous flow of thought, much like the flow of the river. The river is described as
*bending in a way+ (5) which is visually represented by Merwin in the enjambment at the end of
lines. This is effective as it neatly pulls together the subject of the poem, the river.
The only character in the poem is the observer, or narrator, whereby, impressions of his/her
character are evident though the ideas and tones present in the poem. The narrator is first person,
which typically implies his/her thoughts and feelings and is thereby unreliable of an impartial
narration of events. However, the narrator is reliable to a certain degree since he/she shows expertise
of Jersey and the history of the park where even in summer the river / is at least two feet higher than
it is on our side (3-4) and recalls certain memories of the place, indicating his/her experience, where
things *the narrator+ felt *he/she+ must surely remember, they looked so / familiar (10-13). The
narrator is reminiscent of this very flood, evident through the use of past tense, flashbacks and
IB English HL Literature 6 April 2014
Commentary Victoria West 11B
phrases such as I walked I felt I must surely remember I remembered how (1, 11, 14). Further
to this, the narrator demonstrates an incredible awe towards the river and its magnitude, mentioning
that the amazing thing was how much / more quiet the swollen water seemed (18-19). On the other
hand, the narrator uses the comparison of himself to a sea-gull to convey his/her sense of loss and
sadness when seeing the miserable condition of the river; where a sea-gull *+ not tempted by the
miserable leavings and the narrator disappointed himself by these miserable leavings (22-24).
After The Flood includes carefully-selected diction and imagery to create a portentous image in the
readers mind. The first instance in the poem where the diction is incredibly striking is when the
foliage is described as exotic-looking *+ dark and stretched / cross-wide where exotic-looking
connotes something unusual, dark something sinister, stretched an exaggerated and exhausting
action and cross-wide something of a large magnitude (8). Each of the words used tell the reader
something different and convey an ominous atmosphere. The water prior to the flood is compared to
some beast sneaking (20) to emphasize how suspiciously slow it moves where beasts sneaking
connotes an untameable creature, cunningly stalking. This is effective as it depicts the sinister nature
of the river as if it was intentionally sneaking up on the victims of the flood to come as if it were
some beast. The sea-gull is also described to be creaking (22), the sound of which brings to mind a
squeaking, grating noise which is harsh audial imagery, used to create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
The ruthless nature of the flood is conveyed in the last line of the poem where a drunken creature is
described. The adjective drunken suggests that the creature was vulnerable and still was most
likely swept down the river in the flood. This shows how the flood had no mercy, even for the weak
and vulnerable. This negative image is used in the last line of the poem to leave a lasting impression
of the river with the reader.
Merwin clearly conveys the theme in After The Flood through the representation and role of the river
in the unfolding of the poem, which seeks to alter the readers perception of the river and respectively
nature. The very first impression of the river is given in the first few lines of the poem, the river is at
least two feet higher *+ because of the way it bends (3-5), which presents a potential conflict
surrounding the river, i.e. the river was already two feet higher on the Jersey side, there must be a
consequence to this. Therefore, the beautiful description of the river in summer has an ominous
undertone which is made clear later in the poem. The flood is initially depicted as not been a bad
rise, such as many remember (5-6), perhaps a litotes for the floods damage and destructive power
since proceeding this depiction, the speaker cannot even recognise the scene after the flood, things /
*the narrator+ felt *he/she+ should surely remember, they looked so / familiar, had fished up there
(10-13). Further to this, the flashback that follows constantly contrasts the split personality of the
river. From the river causing the lower bridge to be in danger to its quiet *and+ swollen water
moving slowly to then comparison of the river to a beast sneaking (14-20), from a hazardous to
calm to an ominous description respectively. The final description of the floods consequences is an
ambiguous and open-ended one, whereby the narrator observes that there is an old coat caught on a
tree branch and wonders what sort of drunken creature had passed there (31), referring to a person
IB English HL Literature 6 April 2014
Commentary Victoria West 11B
who inadvertently was seized by the river in the flood, their fate undefined. This description is a
striking one, intended to stir emotion in the reader since the fate of the person is unknown. Through
Merwins use of contrast and sinister description of the river, the reader is persuaded to assume a
distasteful ending to this unnamed person.
After The Flood conveys the fickle and untameable disposition of nature. I found that the imagery and
consistent reinforcement, such as that of the imagery, phrasing, form and techniques, of the subject
and theme of the poem allowed for thoughtful and provocative reading and analysis.