The River God

Things to know… Rivers in human history and myth have always been seen as sacred. Prehistoric people used to think that rivers had gods Nowadays people throw money into wells and fountains to make a wish Rivers provide water as a life source but they can also create destruction and flood This poem is written as one long stanza like ‘My Last Duchess’

Lines 1 to 5 I may be smelly and I may be old. Rough in my pebbles, reedy in my pools, But where my fish float by I bless their swimming And I like the people to bathe in me, especially women. But I can drown the fools Ideas in this poem flow into one another like a river The river knows it isn’t attractive but because he is a god he has great powers Note the alliteration in this line

Lines 6 to 10 Who bathe too close to the weir, contrary to rules. And they take a long time drowning As I throw them up now and then in the spirit of clowning. Hi yih, yippity-yap, merrily I flow, O I may be an old foul river but I have plenty of go. Weir = a dam across a river The tone is mostly comic – this is helped by the colloquial (informal) language; irregular line lines and use of rhyme

Lines 11 to 15 Once there was a lady who was too bold She bathed in me by the tall black cliff where the water runs cold, So I brought her down here To be my beautiful dear. Oh will she stay with me will she stay Now the poem focuses on one lady in particular who has drowned in an accident. The river god is keeping her body on his river-bed The river god seems insecure

Lines 16 to 20 This beautiful lady, or will she go away? She lies in my beautiful deep river bed with many a weed To hold her, and many a waving reed. Oh who would guess what a beautiful white face lies there Waiting for me to smooth and wash away the fear The jokey tone has been abandoned so that the tone of the poem becomes more sombre and dark

Lines 21 to 27 She looks at me with. Hi yih, do not let her Go. There is no one on earth who does not forget her Now. They say I am foolish old smelly river But they do not know of my wide original bed Where the lady waits, with her golden sleepy head. If she wishes to go I will not forgive her. The river god’s love is strong but possessive The god knows nothing of fear because his not mortal and cannot die. He will always be lonely

Things to note… Does the river represent death? He keeps the corpse and has drowned in the river and will never give it up – just as we never return from death Is the river symbolic of men and what they do to women in relationships? Men subdue the personality and individuality of women – they are attractive but possessive and getting in a relationship for a woman might represent the death of the woman’s freedom Or does the river represent some men? The change of tone from humorous to serious