SYNOPSIS

The River is about the many characterestics of a river. The river is a wanderer where he
moves from one place to another. He does not stay still and is always moving. He is also a
winder where he twists and turns or meanders. He is also a hoarder or a collector where he
keeps things deep down in his river bed. Sometimes, he behaves like 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.
Each stanza describes the river in a particular way. Therefore, we are able to name the stanzas
accordingly:
Stanza One- The river is a wanderer
The river is always moving or in motion. It is said to be a wanderer, a nomad and a tramp.
This comparison shows that the river does not camp or position itself in one place.
Stanza Two- The river is a winding entity
The rivers journey is a winding journey as it flows through valleys and hills. It is said to be
winding because it avoids hard objects that stand in its way. It keeps going although the route
it has to take is winding.
Stanza Three- The river is a hoarder/collector
Along its journey, the river collects and stores many things. It collects everything that stands
in its way and is easily picked up from the surface. These things are sometimes buried in the
river bed over a long time.
Stanza Four- The river is a baby
The sounds that the river makes are compared to the sounds that a baby makes. The river
gurgles and hums. The sound is just like how a baby sucks his thumbs happily. It makes
happy, merry sounds as it flows.
Stanza Five- The river is a singer
Sometimes the river is like an entertainer. The happy feeling is felt as it flows while singing and
dancing. The echoes of its songs can be heard as they pass through the village.
Stanza Six The river as a monster
The river is not happy all the time. Sometimes it can be hungry and angry just like a monster.
It can even swallow trees and would not hesitate to take away your life.
THEMES

Man and Life
Life is a quest where we search for stability, contentment and happiness. It also portrays the
challenges we face in life. We all have various challenges in our lives. There is also anger and
destruction.

MORAL VALUES
We must have goals in life. Then we will know how to plan our journey to achieve our goals.
We must also value and appreciate lifes experiences. Our experiences teach us many things
in life. Thus, we must remember and appreciate people that we meet in life. We usually learn
from each other.
It is good to share happiness with others. It will make us happier. Sometimes we encounter
problems. We must face problems in life positively. Then it will be easier to solve them and
sometimes we learn a lot from it. However, we should not destroy other people in the process
to achieve our goals.
We must protect the environment. We must learn how delicate the planet is and how
we have a responsibility to take care of the planet so the air we breathe, the water we drink
and the animals are all protected.
STRUCTURE, STYLE AND LANGUAGE
. In stanza 1, the word tramp (line 2) rhymes with camp (line 4). In stanza 2, the word
hill (line 2) rhymes with still (line 4). In stanza 3, the word deep (line 2) rhymes with
keep (line 4). In stanza 4, the word hums (line 2) rhymes with thumbs (line 4). In stanza
5, the word along (line 2) rhymes with song (line 4). In stanza 6, the word vexed (line 2)
rhymes with next (line 4). The language is simple and easy to understand. It is written as a
description of the movement of a river. The words used helps to create clear images for
everyone. The comparison of images helps for a better understanding. The poet has used a
form to depict the subject. The poem is in a visual presentation of a river flowing.
Symbol
A symbol, in the simplest sense is anything that stands for or represents something else
beyond itusually an idea conventionally associated with it. For example, sunrise may
represent new beginnings or the beginning of a new day. Other typical examples include the
scales to symbolize justice and a dove for peace. Things get a little harder, though, when a
poet creates a new symbol. In this poem, the river itself represents life.
Personification
An object is given a human quality. The river is personified as a man as he travels through
life. The river is a wanderer who behaves like a nomad, a tramp, a singer who also
dances or a monster who gobbles up other things.


Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike
things that actually have something important in common. The comparisons given to the river
provides a picture in our minds. The river is a wanderer, a nomad, a tramp, a singer and
finally a monster.
Repetition
A word is repeated for emphasis. The main subject is the river. The word river is repeated
throughout the poem.
Onomatopoeia
Words that imitate the sounds described. The river babbles and murmurs as it flows
-gurgles and hums
Capital Letter
This is used to give a word emphasis. River is emphasised in this poem and can be identified
as possessing human qualities thus capitalized as a proper noun (names of people are
capitalised)


The poet is comparing a river to a hoarder because when the river flows, it wont stop to evade things
which come across its way. The river will carry all the things with it and bury them in the river bed.

In this stanza the river is compared to a baby because a babys voice sometimes can be too loud and
sometimes it can be too slow. Same goes to the river, whenever he goes fast down the stream the
sound is loud and when it comes to a more flat ground, the sound lessen and sometimes it cannot be
heard.

The sixth stanza compares the river to a singer seeing that the rivers movement is significant to the
movement of a singer on the stage. While moving, the river moves with sounds and it is heard to the
countryside.

Discussion
The poem personified the river as something that is living. It describes the attitudes of the
river and the things that the river wants. The poem is also described as something that has
both the good and the evil qualities. Therefore, it shows that the river is just like a human that
can be good sometimes and at the same time can have evil qualities due to certain reasons.
The poem also shows the river which is personified to be able to be as what it chooses to be.
The river decides according to circumstances whether it wants to be a baby or a monster.
Man is like a river. In the journey of his life, he becomes a traveler searching for the best. He
decides his future as he goes to wherever and finds whatever he wants. He gains a lot of
knowledge and experience along the way. Everyone around him feels his happiness.
Sometimes, however, if man does not get or achieve what he wants he would show the evil
side of him. He will fear no one and will tend to hurt others. Therefore, after some time, he
has to settle down.
Synopsis:
The person talks about the river as it flows through valleys and hills. It is always moving as it
winds its way to the plains it twists and turns. Along the way, the river keeps whatever it
collects. The river makes sounds that are peculiar or special only to it. The river moves on
happily and it sings and dances. However, the river can be a trouble maker for it can bring
down trees and causes floods.

Structure, Style, Tone & Language:
It is consists of six stanzas with a rhyme scheme 'a,b,c,d'.
The poem is simple and direct. It describes the flow of a river and the nature of it.
The language used is simple and easy to comprehend.
Personification- The river is personified as a man as he travels through life. This can
be seen when the persona capitalize letter 'R' in the word 'River'.
Imagery: the image of river and its movements.
Metaphor: The river is referred as a wanderer, winder, collector, baby, dancer, singer
and destroyer.
Repetition of the word 'River' gives emphasis to the subject.
Simile: The river is like a baby happily sucking its thumb.
The tone is conversational, contemplative and carefree. There is a sense of regret in
the last stanza as the persona thinks of the destruction that a river can make.
Setting:
The poem is set in the countryside as the persona talks about the river, hills and surrounding
area.

Themes:
The main theme in this poem is man and life. The hidden meaning behind the word 'river'
refers to man. Man can choose to lead a stable life or move around in search of his dreams
and experiences. During his travels, man collects experiences and memories. Besides that,
man also faces challenges in life and this can prompt him to be destructive.

Moral Values:
We must strive for stability in life.
We must value life experiences.
We should keep good memories in life and people close to us.
We should face our problems positively.
We should not destroy other people when facing challenges.
We should take care of our environment by not polluting our environment and cutting
down trees.
QUESTIONS:

1. Who wrote the poem?
2. What is the theme of the poem?
3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
4. What does the word 'River' refers to? Explain why.
5. Why does the tone in the last stanza is regret?
6. Which stanzas give a clear image that the river moves joyously?
7. How many stanzas does the poem have?
8. How is the last stanza different from the other stanzas?
(1)
The River's a wanderer,
A nomad, a tramp,
He doesn't choose one place
To set up his camp.

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

The River's a hoarder,
And he buries down deep
Those little treasures
That he wants to keep.

The River's a baby,
He gurgles and hums,
And sounds like he's happily
Sucking his thumbs.

The River's a singer,
As he dances along,
The countryside echoes
The notes of his song.

The River's a monster
Hungry and vexed,
He's gobbled up trees
And he'll swallow you next.

ABOUT THE POEM

This poem is about the poets appreciation and perception of a river. The river in this poem is
always written with capital letter as it is a proper name.

THEME

The River is beautiful, but capable of causing destruction.

SYNOPSIS OF THE POEM

A) A SINGER : THE RIVER IS LIKE A SINGER AND A DANCER WHO
MAKES MUSIC AND DANCES GRACEFULLY

B) A BABY : THE RIVER IS LIKE A BABY MAKING HAPPY BABY NOISES AND
SOUNDS

C) A HOARDER : THE RIVER IS A COLLECTOR WHO KEEPS AND COLLECTS
THINGS

D) A WINDER : THE RIVER ISN'T STRAIGHT AND IT BENDS AS IT FLOWS

E) A WANDERER : THE RIVER IS LIKE A HOMELESS MAN WHO WANDERS
AIMLESSLY FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER

MEANING OF THE POEM

Stanza 1:
The poet perceives the River as a living thing; in this stanza as a wanderer, a nomad, and a
tramp, and it never makes a stop.

Stanza 2:
The River will never stop. Not even when there are obstacles in front of it, it will twists and
turns and makes its way through valley and hills.

Stanza 3:
The poet perceives the River as a hoarder; which take and keep anything that it wants in the
riverbed.

Stanza 4:
The River is being perceived as a baby. By saying that he gurgles and hums, the poet makes
it clear that the river is happy; but nevertheless, as the River is a baby, it is unpredictable.

Stanza 5:
In this stanza, the poet perceives the River as a singer and a dancer, and she added that the
countryside echoes with the notes of his song. This might shows that the River promised
people with life.

Stanza 6:
In this last stanza, the River is being perceived as a monstera hungry and vexed monster.
The poet warned that he gobbled up trees and he will eventually swallow people, too. This
shows the sheer destructive power the River has.

SETTING OF THE POEM : REFERS TO THE PLACE WHERE THE STORY IN
THE POEM HAPPENS

The poem is set somewhere in the countryside or village where a river flows.
We can conclude this from the word countryside in the fifth stanza.
( The countryside echoes the notes of his song. ) STANZA 5 LINE 3
PERSONA OF THE POEM

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.
Some of the descriptions relate to his lifes 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.
TONE AND MOOD OF THE POEM

The general tone of the poem is rather philosophical.
At times the poem conveys a rather serious tone. On other occasions, the poet conveys
the light, happy and gentle side of things where the river is likened to being a singer
that dances along, a carefree nomad and tramp.
The poet also injects a mysterious tone into the poem when he describes the river as
having buried little treasures deep down the riverbed.
All six stanzas describe the different moods and facets of the river. The mood is
contemplative, serious, deep and perceptive.
LANGUAGE AND STYLE OF THE POEM

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 Rivers 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 Rivers hoarder,
And he buries down deep
Those little treasures
That he wants to keep.

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

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.

Moral values

- Being carefree and happy
- Appreciate Nature
- we should not abuse Nature
- Keep our rivers clean.

Literary Devices

- Metaphor : The River is compared to a wanderer, nomad, tramp, winder,hoarder, baby,
singer/dancer, monster.

- Personafication : The River is given a human qualities so it acts like a human
# e.g. set up, twists, hums, dances, gobbled, swallow.

- The use of the senses.
* See : valley, hill, river
* Hear : gurgles, hums, sounds, sucking, echoes and notes.
Imagery
Imagery refers to images that we can see when we read and understand the poem.
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
The image we conjure up is that of a wanderer like a nomad or tramp who moves around and
cannot sit still.

Stanza 2
The image formed is that of a river slowly winding down hill, twisting and turning.

Stanza 3
The river is described like a hoarder who buries invaluable treasures beneath it.

Stanza 4
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
The river becomes a singer who dances along to the song which echoes throughout the
countryside.

Stanza 6
An ugly image of the river is painted. It is described as a monster
that hungrily swallows up trees and human beings.

Glossary:

tramp (/trmp/)
a person with no home, job or money who travels around and asks for money from other
people

winder (/wan.dr/)
if a road, path or river winds, it follows a route which turns repeatedly in different directions

hoarder (hrd)
to collect large amounts of things and keep it in a safe, often secret, place

vexed (/vekst/)
difficult to deal with and causing a lot of disagreement and argument