ELEMENTS OF THE POEMS

1. SETTING

2.PERSONA

3.THEMES

4.MESSAGE

5. LANGUAGE & STYLE

6. TONE & MOOD

7. MORAL VALUES

1.SETTING

- Place, time and social environment of the poem

• Where and when is the poem set?

• How does the setting influence the poem?

2.PERSONA

- The speaker or ‘I’ in the poem

• Whose ‘voices’ is heard in the poem?

• How many voices are there in the poem?

3.THEME

- The central idea or subject of the poem

• What is the theme of the poem?

• What is the poem about?

4.MESSAGE

- The idea the poet wants to convey in the poem

• What message can you draw from the poem?

• Describe two messages you get from the poem.

5.LANGUAGES & STYLE

- The way the poet writes the poem

• Is the poem in one or two stanza?

• Does the poet use figurative language?

6.TONE & MOOD

- The poet’s attitude, stated or implied, and the general feeling of the poem

• What is the attitude of the poet?

• What is the mood?

7.MORAL VALUES

- The values the poem teaches you

• What are the moral values conveyed in the poem?

• What values did the persona display?

The River

Meaning of Verses

Verses 1

The river at its source high up in the mountain does not have any idea where it is
going. It rambles on following the line of least resistance like a nomad and a
‘tramp’ (a person who moves aimlessly from one place to another).

Verses 2

As the river flows downstream, it flows through valleys and hills. The river is a
‘winder’ because it twist and turn’ around the landscape, following the contours
of the land.

Verses 3

As the rivers flows further, it takes along everything that is thrown or lost in it-
from valuables such as a toy, a souvenir, a book, notes, or a shoe. These items
are the ‘little treasure’ that the river keeps (‘hoards’) deep down in its waters.
The river, therefore, is said to be a hoarder as it likes to collect and keep things.

Verses 4

As times, the river is slow and gentle and the flow of the water sounds like a
happy baby gurgling, humming and happily ‘sucking his thumb’.

Verses 5

As the flows more quickly along certain stretches, the swirls of the water are like
the movements of a dancer and the loud sounds of the water are likened to
notes of a song.

Verses 6

During heavy rain, the river will overflow its banks, flooding the land and
causing much damage. During such times, the river is compared to a hungry and
angry (‘vexed’) monster because it swallows greedily (‘gobbles’) everything in its
path - plants, trees and even human beings.
 THEME

Journey in life

The theme of the poem is about our journey in life. The poet describes the river
in human terms and our journey in life is like the river, where we have our fair
share of good days and bad days. In life, we must be prepared for uncertainties
and learn not to take things for granted.

Nature can be positive and negative

Nature is not static. It can be both tranquil and destructive. At different stretches
of its course, the river displays both positive (‘nomad’, ‘baby’, ‘singer’) and
negative (‘monster’, ‘hoarder’, ‘tramp’