The River

By Valerie Bloom

Stanza 1
The Rivers a wanderer, A nomad, a tramp, He doesnt choose one place To set up his camp

A Wanderer
A wanderer

A person who moves from one place to another without hurry and without purpose

A Nomad
A Nomad Is a member of a group that moves from place to place and does not have permanent home

A Tramp
A Tramp Is a person who has no home, moves from place to place and begs for money

 A wanderer, a nomad and a tramp do not settle down in a particular place because they are always on the move.

The Rivers a wanderer, A nomad, a tramp, He doesnt choose one place To set up his camp

The river moves or flows without stopping

Stanza 2
The Rivers a winder, Through valley and hill He twists and he turns, He just cannot be still.

A winder is something that twists and bends as it moves A valley is a gap or a space between hills

The river twists and turns

The Rivers a winder, Through valley and hill He twists and he turns, He just cannot be still.

The river does not move in a straight line. As it flows, it will turn left and right

Stanza 3
The Rivers a hoarder, And he buries down deep Those little treasures That he wants to keep.

 A hoarder Is a person who likes to collect and keep things Bury means hide Treasures are precious or valuable objects.

The Rivers a hoarder, And he buries down deep Those little treasures That he wants to keep.

The river will collect the things that it finds as it is moving. It hides these things deep down at the bottom of the river.

Stanza 4
The Rivers a baby, He gurgles and hums, And sounds like hes happily Sucking his thumbs. When a baby gurgles, he makes a bubbling sound When a baby hums, he makes a low, steady continuous sound like that of a bee

The Rivers a baby, He gurgles and hums, And sounds like hes happily Sucking his thumbs.

The river makes a soft sound when it flows as if the river is happy. The soft sounds are like a babys gurgles and hums.

Stanza 5
The Rivers a singer, As he dances along, The countryside echoes The notes of his song. Echoes happen when sounds bounce back

The Rivers a singer, As he dances along, The countryside echoes The notes of his song.

The sound of the flowing river is like a song. The movement of the flowing river is like a dance. When the river flows down through the village

Stanza 6
The Rivers a monster Hungry and vexed, He gobbled up trees And hell swallow you next. A monster is a large, ugly, and frightening fantasy creature Vexed means angry Gobbled means eat quickly and noisily Swallow means to allow something to pass down the throat

The Rivers a monster Hungry and vexed, He gobbled up trees And hell swallow you next.

The river is like a monster when it floods. The floods can destroy things and homes and kill animals and human beings.

YOU HAVE BEEN TAKEN THROUGH THE POEM

THE RIVER
NOW TRY THE QUESTIONS IN THE HANDOUTS

MORAL VALUE 1
Have a purpose in life.
We must not be like the river. It has no stability or purpose. It flows according to the topography of the plains. It is like a tramp and nomad both homeless and forever wandering aimlessly.

MORAL VALUE 2
Be responsible of our actions
We must try to find stability in life. Do not always seek new adventure or excitement. Do not be like the river that cannot be still. We must be responsible in all our words and deeds, not manipulative like the river that twists and turns.

MORAL VALUE 3
Treasure moments in life
life has much to offer and we must keep those moments we treasure alive in us. This includes precious moments spent with family and friends, achievements and successes in life as well as hardships and sufferings that make us stronger and better people.

MORAL VALUE 4
Do not be destructive
We must not hurt other people, animals or environment in our desire to achieve what we want in life. We must not be greedy or hungry neither be easily annoyed nor vexed like the river. If not we would turn into a monster as we destroy other people, relationship and the environment.

MORAL VALUE 4
Cultivate a positive attitude
It is encouraging to have a positive attitude like the river that takes the role of both a singer and a dancer. He can sing a positive song, hum and gurgle words of encouragement and joy. He can spread a lot of happiness for everyone like a baby.

LEARNING LITERATURE IS FUN

ZARINA MOHAMED YUSUF