The River
1. I sit on the bank in my special place,
2. Feel the breeze that lifts my hair,
3. And watch the ripples run across the river.
4. It is so peaceful here.
5. Deep enough to justify a fishing pole,
6. Quiet enough for my every thought,
7. The perfect place to contemplate
8. The world and my place in it.
9. Downstream, though, the river changes
10. From the one I know.
11. Its calm flow reaches rocky shallows
12. And starts to caper like a kitten
13. Darting and chasing shadows among the stones.
14. The river leaves the shallows at a run,
15. Rushing faster and faster--
16. A wildcat roaring past steep banks
17. And wild, wet rocks.
18. It claws and crashes in a furious flood,
19. Foaming and sptting as its fury is subdued
20. In the soothing depths of dark, still pools.
21. Tired and tamed by the journey,
22. The river transforms itself again.
23. Its power abates and it seems to move
24. With deliberation, slower and wiser,
25. Past towns that mark its passing and then
26. Go about their buisness.
27. One by one the towns pass by,
28. And the banks give way
29. To borders of salt-smelling mud marsh.
30. Without need for senseless shows od strength.
31. The river relaxes like an aging lion,
32. Done with the hunt and ready for rest.
33. The water slows until
34. A place not too different from mine,
35. Where the water stretches to meet the sky-
36. Where others just like me use mirrored steam
37. To fish and contemplate
38. The world and their place in it.
Which form of poetry is “The River”? Support your answer with evidence from the poem. Lyric or narrative?
I think its Narrative because it tells a story, has a beginning middle end etc.
I agree.
Now … what "evidence from the poem" will you use to support (prove) your answer?
It wasn't a Narrative poem, I had written good points on the type of narrative poem it was, but its actually lyric :(
Hmmm! Well, I can see that, too.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You're correct! "The River" is a narrative poem. There are several elements in the poem that support this conclusion.
First, the poem tells a story, following a linear progression from the beginning to the end. It starts with the speaker sitting by the river, describing their peaceful surroundings (lines 1-8). Then, the poem transitions to the changes in the river downstream, with a playful description of its behavior (lines 9-13). The narrative continues with the river rushing and flowing fiercely (lines 14-20), before calming down and passing through towns (lines 21-26). Finally, the river slows down and reaches a place similar to where the speaker is (lines 27-38).
Additionally, the poem includes descriptive language and imagery that helps to paint a vivid picture of the events and surroundings. For example, lines like "Darting and chasing shadows among the stones" (line 13) and "A wildcat roaring past steep banks" (line 16) evoke a sense of movement and action.
By combining storytelling elements and descriptive imagery, "The River" takes on the form of a narrative poem.