The River God
By Stevie Smith
Made by Roberta Clarisse Cliff
and Lillie Makepeace
Subject
• A mythological river god.
• “I may be old”, he’s elderly and it seems
negative.
• “I can drown the fools” our first indication of
an unsavoury character. His age may be a
factor of his instability.
• The personal pronouns emphasise his power
and control over the “swimming”.
Point of View
• “In the spirit of clowning” rhymes with
“drowning” to reinforce the sing-song
contradictions of the god.
• “likes women” “especially” puts unease in the
reader, he seems creepy.
• “old foul river”
Language
• “Hi yih yippity yap” it shows the erratic
excitement, that can quickly change much like
a river.
• “Rough in my pebbles, reedy in my pools”
alliteration of “r” mirrors the running, jumping
of a river.
• “Beautiful dear” a strange expression showing
his elderly patronising nature.
Structure
• Rhyming, sounds natural , flows like a river,
but becomes erratic and strange.
• Iambic pentameter, flows but is controlled like
the river god is controlling the dead woman.
Imagery
• “a waving reed” it could be violently or calmly;
rivers can change very quickly like the mind of
the god.
• “beautiful deep river bed” seems lonely and
far from everyone else.
• “where the water runs cold” he’s dangerous,
cold and without emotion he can “drown the
fools”.
Tone
• “Oh will she stay?” He knows that she has to,
so it seems patronising and as if lonely. “Oh”
adds a mourneful sorrowful tone.
• “I will not forgive her.” Threateningly crazy.
Links
• Medusa- A modern take on a Greek
characters, usually forgotten, point of view.
• My Last Duchess- Addressing the issue of
controlling unstable men with women.
• Les Grands Seigneurs- More men’s control
over women.