The River God

263 Words2 Pages
Smith uses a free verse dramatic monologue to explore the “voice” of the river – natural force- given emotional resonance by displaying human feelings of love, possessiveness, insecurity, jealousy and revenge. Perhaps there is a suggestion that the natural world has a darker, more mysterious side that must not be underestimated. Or maybe smith is using some of the characters of the unforgiving gods of ancient mythology to explore some negative human characteristics. Ancient gods often interfered with human affairs and emotions – and some stories recount tales of Greek male gods seducing and carrying off human woman. The character of the river god is displayed, as often in dramatic monologues, far more prominently than the persona perhaps realizes. Initially the river god is portrayed as an isolated, lonely figure that inhabits his own world with its own “rules”. These rules seem to have no resemblance to those of the human world – he punishes at will those who “bathe close to the weir”, for instance. We are unsettled by his complete lack of remorse. He appears to need to display his power and ownership of his domain as well as a rather seedy, disreputable attitude toward women. This is where his weakness is betrayed: when he punishes “lady” for reckless swimming by drowning her and taking her body to be his companion, his evident needs to maintain hold of her highlights his insecurity and loneliness. Her possessive love for her creates the sinister undertone of malice that end the poem. Perhaps Smith suggests that even god can be made weak and foolish by
Open Document