what are the similarities between the river and the human in the poem the river
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Answer:
The River’ is a poem describing the beauty of a river, in all its glory. Caroline Ann Bowles says that the river is a dynamic and vital symbol of nature. The poem has philosophical undertones also. The flow of the river shows the journey of life to eternity. The different stages of life are brought in through the imagery used in the poem. Initially the river is compared to the yellow pebbles dancing.
This indicates the childhood. The river then rushes through rough and smooth paths, brawling and leaping referring to the stage of a reckless youth. When the river ebbs and flows, appearing to be broad and deep, inclining towards the ocean, one can see the prime phase of a human being. The flow of the river shows the journey of life to eternity.
As the human life passes through childhood, youth, old age and eternity, likewise the river also undergoes changes in its course of action. The gentle, sparkling dancing river, faster, brawling, leaping river, its stillness and the merging with the sea towards the end of the poem, indicate the different stages of river like the stages of human life.