Stevie Smith

LitCharts guides for works by Stevie Smith

Explore LitCharts poetry guides for works by Stevie Smith. Each guide offers line-by-line analysis, exploration of poetic devices, and helpful resources for studying Stevie Smith's poetry.

Away, Melancholy

"Away, Melancholy" is English poet Stevie Smith's song of sorrow and hope. The poem's speaker, hoping to banish their "melancholy," reflects that while the world might sometimes seem unbelievably t... view guide

Not Waving but Drowning

"Not Waving but Drowning" is the most famous poem by British poet Stevie Smith, and was first published in 1957. The poem describes a drowning man whose frantic arm gestures are mistaken for waving... view guide

Parrot

"Parrot" is the English poet Stevie Smith's darkly funny exploration of alienation and depression—as seen through the "malevolent rage" of a housepet. The poem describes an "old sick green parrot" ... view guide

Touch and Go

"Touch and Go," by English poet Stevie Smith, is an allegory about humankind's struggle to progress. In the poem's symbolic story, a lonesome man—a representative for humanity as a whole—is slowly ... view guide