ELEMENTS OF THE POEM : THE RIVER BY VALERIE BLOOM

A QUICK REVISION

1. STRUCTURE, STYLES AND LANGUAGE

• The poem has a rhyme scheme of  'a, b, c , b' and it consists of 6 stanzas.
• The style is simple and direct. It is written as a descriptive account of the movements of a river.
• The language is simple and easy to understand.

 POETIC DEVICE:

• Personification : The river is personified as a man as he travels through life. The use of capital letter in 'River' emphasizes this.
• Imagery : The main image that is that of the river and its movements.
• Metaphor : The river is said to be a wanderer, a winder, a collector, a baby, a dancer and singer and a destroyer.
• Repetition : The words, The  River is repeated and this gives emphasis to the subject.
• Simile : The river is like a baby happily sucking his thumb 

2. SETTING

The poem is set in the countryside as the persona talks about the river an its features and movements. The river winds its way through the countryside happily. But, the river can cause erosion and  flood.

3. THEMES

The main theme of the poem is man and life. Man can choose to lead a stable life and stay put in one place or move around in search of his dreams. As he travels around, man may choose the straight path or the road less traveled. During his travels, man collects mementos and souvenirs. Contentment brings happiness and man moves with a light step of heart. Man may face challenges in life and this can prompt him to destruction.

4. MORAL VALUES

• We must strive for stability in life.
• Do not take the wrong road to reach one's goal.
• Value and appreciate life's experiences.
• Keep good memories of life and people close to our heart.
• Show and  express gratitude when necessary.
• Spread happiness to people we know or meet along the way.
• Face our problems positively.
• Do not destroy other people in the process.
• Greed can lead to destruction.
• Take care of the environment by not cutting down trees  and polluting the river.

5. TONE AND MOOD

The tone is conversational, contemplative and carefree. The river brings joy and the persona feels joyous when she looks at the river. The tone is reflective as the persona reflects on the mood of the river as it journeys through hills and valleys. There is a note of regret in the last stanza when the persona thinks of the destructive side of the river as it can destroy nature and man.