Not Waving but Drowning

One way to improve your comprehension of a poem is to stop at the end of each stanza and summarize what you have read. Try this strategy by writing a summary of each stanza in the poem “Not Waving but Drowning.” Remember that a summary should state only the main events or ideas presented in the text. After you have completed your summaries, write a paragraph explaining what you think the deeper meaning of the poem is.