The River - the poem
by Valerie Bloom
(Mulberry English Course Book)
The Poem :
"The River's a wanderer,
A nomad, a tramp.
She doesn't choose one place,
To set up her camp.
The River's a winder,
Through valley and hill.
She twists and she turns,
She just cannot be still.
The River's a hoarder,
And she buries down deep
All those little treasures,
She wants to keep.
The River's a baby,
She gurgles and hums.
And sounds like she's happily
Sucking her thumb.
The River's a singer,
As she dances along.
The countryside echoes
The notes of her song."
Summary of the Poem :
A river journeys from the mountains to the plains. In this poem, the poet describes the river as if it is a person who does different things and has many different moods.
In the first stanza, the poet compares the river with a wanderer, a nomad, and a tramp. She does not like to stay at one particular place. It likes to flow on and on.
In the second stanza, the poet describes the river as a winder through the valley and hill. It flows on with many twists and turns. It can not be still and flow straight.
In the third stanza, the poet shows the river as a hoarder. It collects all the stones and pebbles from the mountains and wants to store them deep into its water.
In the fourth stanza, the poet describes the river as a baby. It gurgles and hums like a baby. It seems that the river is happily sucking its thumbs like an innocent baby.
In the last stanza, the poet depicts the river like a singer. The countryside echoes the sound of the river as it dance along with all her notes of her song.
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2. Read these lines and answer the questions that follow:
a) "The river's a wanderer,
A nomad, a tramp.
She doesn't choose one place,
To set up her camp.
The River's a winder;
Through valley and hill.
She twists and she turns,
She just cannot be still."
i) Wanderer, nomad, tramp: What do these three words tell us about the river?
= The words - wanderer, nomad, tramp tell us that the river moves place to place. It has no home and it keeps moving from place to place. It does not choose a fixed place to stay.
ii) What are the different places that the river flows past in the poem?
= The different places that the river flows past in the poem are - valley and hill.
iii) In your own words give the meaning of 'to set up camp'.
= The meaning of 'to set up camp' is to choose one fixed place to be settled at.
b) "The River's a hoarder,
And she buries down deep
All those little treasures,
She wants to keep.
i) Why is the river called a 'hoarder'?
= The river is called a 'hoarder' because it has collected little treasures like rocks particles and pebbles and buries them deep into it.
ii) Which word means 'puts deep inside'?
= The word 'buries' means 'puts deep inside'.
iii) What do you think the treasures that the river wants to keep?
= I think the treasures that the river wants to keep are - the rock particles and pebbles which she collects from the hills and valleys.
3. Tick beside the group of words which the river does not do?
i) Stay still.[✔]
ii) Flow in the countryside.[ ]
iii) Stay in one place.[✔]
iii) Stay in one place.[✔]
iv) Flow silently.[✔]
v) Give away her treasures.[✔]
4. Why does the poet call the river a singer?
= The poet calls the river a singer as the sound of the flowing water echoes in the countryside. Those are considered as the notes of the song of the river.
5. In this poem many comparisons have been used to described the river. Think of a river you have seen. Is there anything else you can compare a river to?
= I think the river can be compared with mother. As we know many civilizations had been built beside rivers. And now-a-days many cities are situated beside rivers. River helps in cultivation and transport and in many ways by providing its water. So we can compare as mother as it takes care of us in many ways.
6. Who were compared with the river in the poem 'The River'?
= The river was compared with - wanderer, winder, hoarder, baby and singer.
About the Poet :
Valerie Bloom (b. 1956) was born and grew up in Clarendon, Jamaica. Much of her life and work has been influenced by the Caribbean life and culture. Valerie's work first became known when she won a national competition. Later she moved to England where she now lives with her family in Kent. Her work has been published in over 200 anthologies.