Question

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 thought
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he’s dead
It 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 life
And not waving but drowning.

How does the phrase "much too far out all my life” in the last stanza add a layer of meaning to the poem?
( 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.

Answer 1

The phrase "much too far out all my life" reveals a deeper emotional and psychological struggle within the speaker, signifying a lifetime of feeling overwhelmed and misunderstood by others.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phrase "much too far out all my life" in the last stanza of Stevie Smith's poem "Not Waving but Drowning" significantly adds to the depth of the work by highlighting a layer of meaning that extends beyond the physical scenario of drowning. It symbolizes emotional and psychological distress, suggesting that the speaker was overwhelmed and struggled with ‘drowning’ in the figurative sense throughout life. This line underscores the central theme of the poem, which deals with the inability of others to recognize or understand someone's internal suffering, and contrasts with the misperception of the speaker's outward behavior as carefree or playful ("always loved larking").