Figurative Language. Figurative language is writing or speech meant to be understood imaginatively instead of literally. As you read the poem, decide what the poet wants you to interpret figuratively as well as literally.
Irony. Irony is a difference between appearance and reality. Irony may be presented as a contradiction of expectation. As you read, look for examples of irony in the poem.
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Stevie Smith writes in a conversational style, looking at everyday unhappiness in a wry, unsentimental way. Unlike most of her contemporaries, she did not go to university or become part of any literary group but instead developed her voice on her own. One critic says that she wrote in three voices: little girl, lonely and cynical woman, and skeptical philosopher. The mood changes quickly from solemnity to humor. Stevie Smith’s most famous poem, “Not Waving but Drowning,” is the title of a collection of poems and drawings published in 1957. The poem itself was written in 1953, and its black humor reflects the poet’s deep depression at the time.
Write about a time you felt misunderstood.
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