The poem After The Flood by W.S.

Merwin is a narrative poem about a

particular flood. The nostalgic atmosphere brings to light both the
speakers appreciation for and destructive power of the river and flood;
the combination of which are used by the poet to change the readers
perception of nature.
The title of the poem After The Flood foreshadows the content of the
poem, that is, an account of what occurred or could be observed after this
event. This is evident in the use of the word after. The is a definite
article and thereby refers to a specific flood, rather than many general
floods. The use of this definite article could suggest that this flood was of
greater significance, especially for the speaker who gives a personal
account of his/her observations. The word flood connotes an
uncontrollable, overwhelming quantity of water, things or people
happening or appearing at the same times. The idea of a chaotic event,
such as that of a flood, is used by Merwin to entice the reader to further
indulge in reading the poem.
In summary, the entire poem is a description of what the speaker is
observing. It begins with informing the reader about the setting and
history of the river respectively; in Jersey, where there is a park, where
even in summer the river / is at least two feet higher than it is on our side,
/ because of the way it bends(2-5). The speaker continues to feed the
reader information, describing the scene until the speakers mind is forced
to flash back to two days before, when the lower bridge was in danger
(15-16) and subsequently flash forward again to the account of what
happened on the morning *the flood+ was over (1). The speaker
observes the magnitude and destruction of the river, ending the poem by
mentioning an old coat hanging snagged on a tree branch (29-30),
implying the death of some drunken creature (31).
The narrative poem is presented as a kind of monologue, coupled with the
use of enjambment, the form of one long stanza and long sentences. The
significance of this is to unify the poem through creating a continuous flow
of thought, much like the flow of the river. The river is described as
*bending in a way+ (5) which is visually represented by Merwin in the
enjambment at the end of lines. This is effective as it neatly pulls together
the subject of the poem, the river.
The only character in the poem is the observer, or narrator, whereby,
impressions of his/her character are evident though the ideas and tones
present in the poem. The narrator is first person, which typically implies
his/her thoughts and feelings and is thereby unreliable of an impartial
narration of events. However, the narrator is reliable to a certain degree
since he/she shows expertise of Jersey and the history of the park where
even in summer the river / is at least two feet higher than it is on our
side (3-4) and recalls certain memories of the place, indicating his/her
experience, where things *the narrator+ felt *he/she+ must surely
remember, they looked so / familiar (10-13). The narrator is reminiscent

of this very flood, evident through the use of past tense, flashbacks and
phrases such as I wakedI felt I must surely rememberI remembered
how (1,11,14). Further to this, the narrator demonstrates an incredible
awe towards the river and its magnitude, mentioning the amazing thing
was how much/more quiet the swollen water seemed (18-19). On the
other hand, the narrator uses the comparison of himself to a sea-gull to
convey his/her sense of loss and sadness when seeing the miserable
condition of the river; where a sea gullnot tempted by the miserable
leavings and the narrator disappointed himself by these miserable
leavings (22-24).
After The Flood includes dictions and imageries to create a portentous
image in the readers mind.