A.K.

Ramanujan’s ‘A River’ is of his finest poem taken from his

magnum opus, The Striders (1965). Here the poet has compared
and contrasted the attitudes of the old poets and those of the new
poets to human suffering. He has come to the conclusion that
both the groups of the poets are indifferent to human sorrow and
suffering. Their poetry does not reflect the miseries of the
human beings. He has proved this point in the present poem.

The poem is all about a river, Vaigai which flows through the

heart of Madurai city, the centre of Tamil culture. The word
Madurai means a “sweet city”. It is a Tamil word. As a matter of
fact, this city is the seat of Tamil culture and learning. It is also a
holy city full of temples including the famous Meenakshi
Temple. The poets have written many poems on the temples and
the river. In the poem A River the poet presents two strikingly
contrasting pictures of the river: a vivid picture of the river in
the summer season and the river in its full flow when the floods
arrive with devastating fury.

In the summer, the river is almost empty. Only a very thin

stream of water flows. So the sand ribs on the bed of the river
are visible. The stones that lie on the bed of the river also
exposed to view. On the Sandy bed could be seen the hair and
straw clogging the Watergates. The iron bars under the bridge
are in need of repair. The wet stones are all like the sleeping
crocodiles. The dry stones look like the shaven buffaloes. It is a
wonder for the poet because not too often such scenes are
described by the poets. All those symbolize the utter
wretchedness and degeneration of human condition in Hindu
culture

During the rainy season when the floods hit, the poets of past
and present observe it very anxiously. They remember the rising
of the river inch by inch from time to time. They remember how
the stone steps of the bathing place are submerged one by one.
Three village houses were swept away. The news came of a
pregnant lady and a couple of cows being washed away. Even
the new poets do not bother to write about all these things. They
look at it still in the old way as seen by the old poets. In the past,
the poets were the appreciators of the cities, temples, rivers,
streams and are indifferent to the miseries of human beings and
animals. The river dries to a trickle in every summer the “poets
sang only of the floods.” Flood is the symbol of destruction to
person and property. The poets of today still quoted the old
poets sans the relevancy of life:

“The new poets still quoted

the old poets, but no one spoke
in verse of the pregnant woman –
drowned, with perhaps twins in her,
kicking at the blank walls even before birth.”

The above lines satirize and debunk the traditional romantic

view of the river Vaigai in Madurai, by the ancient poets. The
image of “pregnant woman” implies a fine example of two
generations, the present and the future. This is a poignant
imagery full of pathos. R. Parthasarathy verily remarks “The
relative attitudes of the old and new Tamil poets, both of whom
are exposed for their callousness to suffering, when it is so
obvious as a result of the flood.” The coloured diapers of the
twins symbolize the black people and the white people. The use
of wit, irony and humour, and dramatic imagery is distinctive of
his style. Also we may label “A River” as a tragic-comic poem.

“A River” is one of Ramanujam’s finest poems

appeared in “The Striders” in 1966. It is a poem on
the vaigai which flours through Madurai. A City that
has been the seat of Tamil Culture. The poem is an
evocation of a river. The poet refers to the river as a
helping as well as a destructive force. In the
Sangam Period the city had many great pundits who
sang the glory of their town, Language asd river,
They wrote profusely when the river was in spate. At
the same time there were times when the river
remained dry. On the Sandy bed could be seen he
hair and stow dogging the Watergates. The iron bars
under the bridge are in need of repair. The wet
stones all like the sleeping crocodiles. The dry
stones look like the sharen buffaloes. It is a wonder
for the poet because not too often such scenes are
described by the poets.

The water in the river makes all the poets

imaginative and sing verses about it. A poet visits
the river and examines the scene quite closely. But
the scene witnessed by him is different. As it was
raining the level of the water in the river kept rising.
The whole city was flooded. Three village houses
were swept away. The news came of a pregnant
lady and a couple of cows being washed away.
Even the new poets do not bother to write about all
these things. They look at it still in the old way as
seen by the old poets. A careful, imaginative
consideration should bring in many things so far
unsaid about the river. It is a pity that no one has the
heart to feel about the heart with twin children in her
womb getting drowned in the river.

In “A River” Ramanujan throws light on the reality of

the present and the past. In the past, the poets were
the appreciators of the cities, temples, rivers,
streams and are indifferent to the miseries of human
beings and animals. The river dries to a trickle in
every summer the “poets sang only of the floods.”
Flood is the symbol of destruction to person and
property. The poets of today still quoted the old
poets sans the relevancy of life:
“The new poets still quoted
the old poets, but no one spoke
in verse of the pregnant woman –
drowned, with perhaps twins in her,
kicking at the blank walls even before birth.”
 
The image of “pregnant woman” implies a fine
example of two generations, the present and the
future. R. Parthasarathy verily remarks “The relative
attitudes of the old and new Tamil poets, both of
whom are exposed for their callousness to suffering,
when it is so obvious as a result of the flood.”6 This
statement is, no doubt, corroborated by K. Sumana
in a lucid manner:
 
“The poet narrates the poem through the mouth of a
visitor to make it objective. The greatness of the
poem lies in the fact that the traditional praise for
river has been contrasted with what is actually
experienced by the people during the floods. Apart
from presenting the grim realities of a rover in spate,
Ramanujan hints at the sterility of new Tamil poets
who still quoted the old poets.”
 
“A River” and “Epitaph on a Street Dog” ironically
present the same reality : “She spawned in a hurry a
score of pups/all bald, blind, and growing old at her
paps.” The cosmic vision of India in “A River” and
“Epitaph on a Street Dog” is contrasted to “Love
Poem for a Wife.” Ramanujan’s attempt to squire the
ancient circle/of you and me is fascinating in its
varying moods. His lover claims that he cannot
recollect the face and the words of his absent
beloved, though his memory is not explained. “Love
Poem for a Wife” is an imposing comment on how
an unshared childhood eliminates a dedicated
couple and “Still Life” is an appraisal of love as an
abiding presence. These love poems are
conspicuous for their insight, splendour and deep
emotion.

Analysis of A River

Stanza One 
In Madurai,
city of temples and poets,
(…)
shaven water-buffaloes lounging in the sun
The poets only sang of the floods.
In the first stanza of this piece, the speaker begins by setting the scene. He is going to be describing how the
city  of “Madurai” is described by poets. It is a place that is made up of “temples and poets” and these poets
have always sung of the same things.  Every summer in the city the river basin is emptied. The river “dries to a
trickle” and the sand is bared. The shapes and objects that are revealed are dark and somewhat ominous. The
are “sand ribs” and “straw and women’s hair”. These things clog up the “watergates,” made of rusty bars. 
Ramanujan makes use of consonance in these lines with the repetition of the “g” sound. Rhythm is also created
through the use of reuse of the word “sand” in lines six and seven. Then, in general, the repetition of words
beginning of “s,” or words that carry the “s” sound. This is especially true for the first half of the stanza. 
Everything about the drainage system is old and in need of repair. The bridge is in patches, a fact that is
revealed when the waters recede. In the last lines of this stanza, Ramanujan uses two metaphors to compare
the stones to animals. The wet ones appear like crocodiles sleeping and the dry as lounging water-buffaloes.
Despite all of this, the poets “only sang of the floods.” There is so much more to the city that the poets are
ignoring. 
Stanza Two
He was there for a day
when they had the floods.
(…)
and a couple of cows
named Gopi and Brinda as usual.
The second stanza of ‘A River’ is only eleven lines. The “He” in the first line is a reference to a poet, perhaps the
speaker himself. He states that he was only in the city for “a day”. It is in this stanza that a number of the more
complicated and personal details are revealed. The details were not hidden, they were easily learned by the
poet featured in this stanza. 
Everywhere the people spoke about the flood and the terrible things which resulted. It is not just a simple
natural occurrence. It “carried off three village houses” as well as a pregnant woman and  “a couple of cows”.
The cows have names, making these lines lighter in tone than some of the others. The list-like way in which this
section of the poem is conveyed makes it clear that these are not uncommon occurrences. The people are
used to them. 
 

 A. K. Ramanujan

A River by A. K. Ramanujan
‘A River’ by A.K. Ramanujan is a four stanza poem that is separated into uneven sets of lines. The first stanza
contains sixteen lines, the second: eleven, the third: seven, and the fourth: fifteen. They do not follow a specific
rhyme scheme, but there are moments of repetition which help create rhythm.
Most clearly, there is a refrain that is used in the second stanza and the fourth and is only slightly changed.
The speaker describes what happened during this particular flood, and then restates the same thing. This
works in two ways, first to emphasize the loss. But, at the same time, it also desensitizing the reader. One
comes to expect tragedy, as those who reside in the city do, and see it as another aspect of the flood/drought. 
 Explore A River
 1 Poetic Techniques in A River
 2 Summary of A River
 3 Analysis of A River
 

Poetic Techniques in A River

Ramanujan also uses a variety of poetic techniques, such as alliteration, assonance, consonance,
and enjambment to unify the text. Alliteration occurs when words are used in succession, or at least appear
close together, and begin with the same letter. Assonance and consonance are other forms of repetition in
which a vowel or consonant sound is used multiple times, in words that close in proximity. A few of these are
noted with the body of the text. 
Enjambment is another important technique. This occurs when a line is cut off before its natural stopping
point.  It forces a reader down to the next line, and the next, quickly. One is forced to move forward in order to
comfortably resolve a phrase or sentence. A great example is between lines four and five in which a reader has
to move down a line to find out what summer brings. 
All of these techniques contribute to the speaker’s tone. It fluctuates back and forth between disappointed,
analytical and even lighthearted at times. 
You can read the full poem A River here.
 

Summary of A River

‘A River’ by A.K. Ramanujan describes how poets of the past and present have romanticized a river in Madurai. 
The poem begins with the speaker stating that every year, every poet sings the same songs about the
sometimes flooding, and sometimes empty riverbed. When it is empty, all its hidden items are exposed. The
poets have always sung about this period and the other in which the flood happens. But, they don’t get into the
details of who is impacted. 
In the next stanzas, the speaker relays the words of the citizens of this area as they describe what happened
this year. Houses were washed away, as were two cows and a woman who thought she was pregnant with
twins. The speaker derides the old and new poets for not caring enough to look deeper into their environments. 
 

Analysis of A River

Stanza One 
In Madurai,
city of temples and poets,
(…)
shaven water-buffaloes lounging in the sun
The poets only sang of the floods.
In the first stanza of this piece, the speaker begins by setting the scene. He is going to be describing how the
city  of “Madurai” is described by poets. It is a place that is made up of “temples and poets” and these poets
have always sung of the same things.  Every summer in the city the river basin is emptied. The river “dries to a
trickle” and the sand is bared. The shapes and objects that are revealed are dark and somewhat ominous. The
are “sand ribs” and “straw and women’s hair”. These things clog up the “watergates,” made of rusty bars. 
Ramanujan makes use of consonance in these lines with the repetition of the “g” sound. Rhythm is also created
through the use of reuse of the word “sand” in lines six and seven. Then, in general, the repetition of words
beginning of “s,” or words that carry the “s” sound. This is especially true for the first half of the stanza. 
Everything about the drainage system is old and in need of repair. The bridge is in patches, a fact that is
revealed when the waters recede. In the last lines of this stanza, Ramanujan uses two metaphors to compare
the stones to animals. The wet ones appear like crocodiles sleeping and the dry as lounging water-buffaloes.
Despite all of this, the poets “only sang of the floods.” There is so much more to the city that the poets are
ignoring. 
 

Stanza Two
He was there for a day
when they had the floods.
(…)
and a couple of cows
named Gopi and Brinda as usual.
The second stanza of ‘A River’ is only eleven lines. The “He” in the first line is a reference to a poet, perhaps the
speaker himself. He states that he was only in the city for “a day”. It is in this stanza that a number of the more
complicated and personal details are revealed. The details were not hidden, they were easily learned by the
poet featured in this stanza. 
Everywhere the people spoke about the flood and the terrible things which resulted. It is not just a simple
natural occurrence. It “carried off three village houses” as well as a pregnant woman and  “a couple of cows”.
The cows have names, making these lines lighter in tone than some of the others. The list-like way in which this
section of the poem is conveyed makes it clear that these are not uncommon occurrences. The people are
used to them. 
 

Stanza Three
The new poets still quoted
the old poets, but no one spoke
(…)
kicking at blank walls
even before birth.
The problem that the speaker has with poets is made clearer in the third stanza of ‘A River’ as he speaks of the
similarities between “old poets” and “new poets”. Both spoke about the floods, yet ignored the tragedies which
resulted. In fact, to make it worse, the new poets copied what the old ones did. There was no evolution in style
or subject. 
In the fifth and sixth lines of this section, the speaker states that it is possible that the woman who died was
going to give birth to twins, increasing the life lost. This is a very interesting contrast to the flooding of the river
in the first place. The waters are meant to fertilize the land and make it possible for the next crop to grow. Life
is destroyed as it is being created.

Stanza Four
He said:
the river has water enough
to be poetic
about only once a year
(…)
with no moles on their bodies,
with different coloured diapers
to tell them apart.

 A. K. Ramanujan

A River by A. K. Ramanujan
‘A River’ by A.K. Ramanujan is a four stanza poem that is separated into uneven sets of lines. The first stanza
contains sixteen lines, the second: eleven, the third: seven, and the fourth: fifteen. They do not follow a specific
rhyme scheme, but there are moments of repetition which help create rhythm.
Most clearly, there is a refrain that is used in the second stanza and the fourth and is only slightly changed.
The speaker describes what happened during this particular flood, and then restates the same thing. This
works in two ways, first to emphasize the loss. But, at the same time, it also desensitizing the reader. One
comes to expect tragedy, as those who reside in the city do, and see it as another aspect of the flood/drought. 
 Explore A River
Poetic Techniques in A River
Ramanujan also uses a variety of poetic techniques, such
as alliteration, assonance, consonance,
and enjambment to unify the text. Alliteration occurs when
words are used in succession, or at least appear close
together, and begin with the same letter. Assonance and
consonance are other forms of repetition in which a vowel
or consonant sound is used multiple times, in words that
close in proximity. A few of these are noted with the body
of the text. 
Enjambment is another important technique. This occurs
when a line is cut off before its natural stopping point.  It
forces a reader down to the next line, and the next, quickly.
One is forced to move forward in order to comfortably
resolve a phrase or sentence. A great example is between
lines four and five in which a reader has to move down a
line to find out what summer brings. 
All of these techniques contribute to the speaker’s tone. It
fluctuates back and forth between disappointed, analytical
and even lighthearted at times. 
You can read the full poem A River here.
 
Summary of A River
‘A River’ by A.K. Ramanujan describes how poets of the past
and present have romanticized a river in Madurai. 
The poem begins with the speaker stating that every year,
every poet sings the same songs about the sometimes
flooding, and sometimes empty riverbed. When it is empty,
all its hidden items are exposed. The poets have always
sung about this period and the other in which the flood
happens. But, they don’t get into the details of who is
impacted. 
In the next stanzas, the speaker relays the words of the
citizens of this area as they describe what happened this
year. Houses were washed away, as were two cows and a
woman who thought she was pregnant with twins. The
speaker derides the old and new poets for not caring
enough to look deeper into their environments. 
 
Analysis of A River
Stanza One 
In Madurai,
city of temples and poets,
(…)
shaven water-buffaloes lounging in the sun
The poets only sang of the floods.

In the first stanza of this piece, the speaker begins by

setting the scene. He is going to be describing how the
city  of “Madurai” is described by poets. It is a place that is
made up of “temples and poets” and these poets have
always sung of the same things.  Every summer in the city
the river basin is emptied. The river “dries to a trickle” and
the sand is bared. The shapes and objects that are
revealed are dark and somewhat ominous. The are “sand
ribs” and “straw and women’s hair”. These things clog up
the “watergates,” made of rusty bars. 
Ramanujan makes use of consonance in these lines with
the repetition of the “g” sound. Rhythm is also created
through the use of reuse of the word “sand” in lines six
and seven. Then, in general, the repetition of words
beginning of “s,” or words that carry the “s” sound. This is
especially true for the first half of the stanza. 
Everything about the drainage system is old and in need of
repair. The bridge is in patches, a fact that is revealed
when the waters recede. In the last lines of this stanza,
Ramanujan uses two metaphors to compare the stones to
animals. The wet ones appear like crocodiles sleeping and
the dry as lounging water-buffaloes. Despite all of this, the
poets “only sang of the floods.” There is so much more to
the city that the poets are ignoring. 
 

Stanza Two
He was there for a day
when they had the floods.
(…)
and a couple of cows
named Gopi and Brinda as usual.

The second stanza of ‘A River’ is only eleven lines. The

“He” in the first line is a reference to a poet, perhaps the
speaker himself. He states that he was only in the city for
“a day”. It is in this stanza that a number of the more
complicated and personal details are revealed. The details
were not hidden, they were easily learned by the poet
featured in this stanza. 
Everywhere the people spoke about the flood and the
terrible things which resulted. It is not just a simple natural
occurrence. It “carried off three village houses” as well as
a pregnant woman and  “a couple of cows”. The cows
have names, making these lines lighter in tone than some
of the others. The list-like way in which this section of the
poem is conveyed makes it clear that these are not
uncommon occurrences. The people are used to them. 
 

Stanza Three

The new poets still quoted

the old poets, but no one spoke
(…)
kicking at blank walls
even before birth.

The problem that the speaker has with poets is made

clearer in the third stanza of ‘A River’ as he speaks of the
similarities between “old poets” and “new poets”. Both
spoke about the floods, yet ignored the tragedies which
resulted. In fact, to make it worse, the new poets copied
what the old ones did. There was no evolution in style
or subject. 
In the fifth and sixth lines of this section, the speaker
states that it is possible that the woman who died was
going to give birth to twins, increasing the life lost. This is
a very interesting contrast to the flooding of the river in the
first place. The waters are meant to fertilize the land and
make it possible for the next crop to grow. Life is
destroyed as it is being created. 
 

Stanza Four

He said:
the river has water enough
to be poetic
about only once a year
(…)
with no moles on their bodies,
with different coloured diapers
to tell them apart.

In the final stanza, the speaker relays the words of the

poet again. He said that the poet complained of how “the
river has water enough / to be poetic / about only once a
year”. It is only once a year that the poets pay attention to
it, and even then they don’t want to speak about the loss of
property or life. 
The speaker repeats a section of the second stanza again,
restating what was lost. There are additional details
added. Now, he says that the woman believed she was
“expecting identical twins”. They were going to be
perfectly the same, with no way to tell them apart except
through dressing them in “coloured diapers”. This is
another humorous line, but it has a darker undertone. It
speaks to the lack of care with which the poets
approached the land and people. There is no desire to
know who these people are or quest to adequately depict
their suffering.