source

tributaries

rapids

plunge
pool

meander

waterfall

main river

RIVERS
1

W A T E
M
4
A
F
Z
O
N

10

13

F A L L
L
5
L O O D
W
R
6
S
O
B
O
E
7
R A P I D
I
9
V
M O
E
11

E R
N
12
B R I D G
A
L
H A N N E L
K

Across
1. A place where a river goes over a
cliff.
4. Some river do this after heavy
rains.
7. Fast flowing water that goes over
rocks.
9. The end of a river; the place where
it flows
8
into a lake or ocean.
S
10. A flowing body of water.
O
U T H 12. Something that crosses a river.
13. The place where a river flows.
R
Down
C
2. The largest river in the world.
E
3. A river is a body of water that
___________.
5. Some rivers do this during a
drought.
6. The bottom of a river.
7. The side of a river.
8. The start of a river.
11. The longest river in the world.

THE RIVER
by
Valerie Bloom

UPPERSTRE
AM
WATERFA
WATERFA
LL
LL

DOWNSTREAM
MOUTH
RAPID

OXBOW
LAKE
DELTA

THE RIVER
The Rivers a wanderer,
A nomad, a tramp,
He doesnt choose one place
To set up his camp.
The Rivers a winder,
Through valley and hill
He twists and he turns,
He just cannot be still.
The Rivers hoarder
And he buries down deep
Those little treasures
That he wants to keep.

6 stanza

The Rivers a baby,

He gurgles and hums,
And sounds like hes happily
Sucking his thumbs.
The Rivers a singer,
And he dances along,
The countryside echoes,
The notes of his song.
The Rivers a monster
Hungry and vexed,
He gobbled up
trees,
And hell

Match the following words from the poem

with their meanings.
i.
a. wanderer
b. nomad
c. tramp
d. winder
e. hoarder

a person who has no home

and moves around begging

ii. a person who likes to keep

things
iii. a person who moves from
place to place
iv. a tribesman who moves from
place to place in search of a
grazing ground
v. a person, thing or

MONSTER
SINGER

WANDERE
R

OMPARISON
OF
A
RIVER
NOMAD
BABY
HOARDER

WINDER

TRAMP

doesnt
choose
sucking

will
swallow

set up
twists

What
a
river
does
hums
has

gobbled
dances

gurgles

turns
wants to
keep

buries

sings

The Rivers a wanderer,

A nomad, a tramp,
He doesnt choose one
place
ToThe
set up
his camp.
Rivers
a winder,
Through valley and
hill
He twists and he
turns,

The Rivers hoarder

HeAnd
justhe
cannot
buries down
be still. deep
Those little
treasures
That he wants to
keep.

The Rivers a baby,

He gurgles and
hums,
And sounds like
hes happily
The
a singer,
Sucking
hisRivers
thumbs.
And he dances along,
The countryside echoes,
The notes of his song.
The Rivers a monster
Hungry and vexed,
He gobbled up
trees,
And hell
swallow you next.

THE RIVER
Language

Tone & Mood

Simple
Short lines
Long sentences
Verbs showing movements
e.g. twists, turns, buries, dances
Word with negative connotations
e.g. gobbled., swallow
Adjectives to describe the mood of
the river
e.g. hungry, vexed
Cheerful, merry, joyful in tone
and mood

THE RIVER

Theme

Moral Values

The joys Nature brings

Nature is both beneficial and
destructive
Nature has its simple charms
Being carefree and happy
Appreciate Nature- we should
not abuse
Nature.
Keep our rivers clean

QUESTIONS TO
TEST YOUR

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word.

flows

echoe
continuou
nomad
stores
s
sly
continuou
overflowin contented
permanen
angry
s
g
t
The river starts its journey from its source in the
mountains. The river has no fixedcontinuou
home as it moves
sly It is said to be
1. ____________ through hill and
valleys.
noma
a
2. _______ or a tramp asd it wanders permanen
around and
t
does not even bother to look for
a
3.
____________
continuou
home. The river does not travel in as 4. _________ line
as it likes to turn and
twist depending on the land it
stores
passes through.
It likes
things and 5.
contente
d to collect
______

them on its bed. The river can be as happy

flows
overflowin
g

echoe
continuou
s
s
contented
continuou
sly

nomad
permanen
t

stores
angry

sounds it makes and the way it flows

7. _________ . The
valley
echoe8. ________
s
When
angry the river

with
is

its

songs and

9. ________

roars.

as when it is

exposed to pollution it can cause

erosion by pulling
overflowin
g
down trees and
10. ____________
its bank. It then
destroys nature and man.

The Rivers a wanderer,

A nomad, a tramp,
He doesnt choose
one place
To set up his camp.
1. Who/ What does He refer to?
The river
2. What does To set up his camp mean?
To stop for a while
3. Why does the poet compare the river to a
nomad?
The river is always flowing without
stopping.

4.

What are the treasures that a river keeps?

Things it finds along the way

5.

What is the tone of the poem?

Carefreee

6.

In Stanza 3, what is the river hoarding ?

Stones, soil and other debris that it erodes
as it flows downstream.

7. What does the poet mean when he says hell

swallow you next?
The river can drown people.