Read the poem "Not Waving but Drowning” by Stevie Smith.Nobody heard him, the dead man,But still he lay moaning:I was much further out than you thoughtAnd not waving but drowning.Poor chap, he always loved larkingAnd now he’s deadIt must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,They said.Oh, no no no, it was too cold always(Still the dead one lay moaning)I was much too far out all my lifeAnd not waving but drowning.
Answer
A
It compares the drowning man’s inescapable fate to the speaker’s feeling of isolation.
B
It refers to both the speaker’s position on the shore and the drowning man’s death.
C
It contrasts the drowning man’s increasing hopelessness and the speaker’s determination.
D
It refers to both the speaker’s inability to help and the drowning man’s position in the water.
Explanation
The drowning man’s words describe more than being physically far from shore: “too far out all my life” suggests he has felt isolated and misunderstood for a long time. Others mistake his distress for playful waving, just as they misunderstand his emotional suffering. This compares his literal drowning with the speaker’s inescapable feeling of isolation, so A is correct.
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