Suicide's Note
The calm,
Cool face of the river
Asked me for a kiss.
—Langston Hughes.
From here on, we'll discuss the poetry we read in terms of its speaker or speakers. The poem says nothing; it is the expression of its speaker (quite often, a being entirely apart from the poet).
Examine the diction, sound, personification, and tone the speaker uses. Explore the frame of mind that could envision such a kiss.
37 comments:
I like this poem - it's succinct, but every phrase is open to a wide variety of interpretations. I'm really tired right now, though, and half awake, so I'll say what I can while I still have it, and come back later to reply again to this.
The title "Suicide's Note", as already discussed in class, seems to imply that this poem is not an explanation, nor a goodbye, from someone contemplating or preparing to commit suicide, but rather, someone who has already done the deed. This is further supported by the fact that the poem is in the past tense, and that a "note" is usually a brief, usually offhand remark rather than a planned, formal statement.
The speaker describes the river as "calm" and "cool", possibly in contrast with a chaotic world, where the predictability of a calm river would be a welcome. When I envision this in my mind's eye, I see someone looking into the river and seeing his own reflection. The reference to the river personifies what the speaker sees on its surface - his own face, beautified by the composure and lack of disturbance it has to offer. He prefers this tranquil, serene reflection in the river to how he feels inside, or perhaps to how he preceives the world around him, and embraces that tranquility through a "kiss". And in that kiss, his death by suicide, he melds together with his reflection and the river and achieves the peace he sought.
As Grace mentioned, this poem stands in stark contrast with the world that the speaker was trying to escape from. "Calm," "cool," and "kiss" convey this pleasant tone and image. Furthermore, these words all begin with the same consonant sound, emphasizing the tranquil image in each line of the poem. The way I interpret this poem, the face of the river is not a personification of the water, but rather the speaker's own reflection. Therefore it is a calm, cool part of himself that is asking that he commit suicide, not the serenity of the river. This "face" that the speaker sees is the aspect of himself that is displayed to the outside world while within he remains distraught. The contrast between the two selves is quite possibly something that his troubled character has never noticed, making that soothing face all the more tempting.
If this poem was read without the title, the interpretation would be invariably different, seeming to be another tranquil reflection upon nature. The word Suicide – being an at once alarming and taboo subject- catches the readers eye, and completely changes perspective. I feel this is not a typical note left by someone as they kill themselves, but instead as Grace said “an offhand remark”, almost an observation, and a window in to the allure of suicide. Hughes tone makes suicide seem natural instead of a self-mutilating act of violence, as if the speaker was merely giving in to a temptation of a sweet “kiss”- but a kiss of death.
I found this poem intriguing. Instead of including the depressing facts of and reasons for suicide, Hughes almost embeds it as part of nature; but neither does he seem to condoning the act. I felt the naturalness, and fluidity of the act made it seem more depressing.
I think I missed the discussion on both the poems so I might mention what people may already know.
The speaker personifies the river with a face, asking the speaker for a ‘kiss’. Since the title is ‘Suicide’s Note’, the kiss is literally a kiss of death. ‘Cool’ and ‘calm’ are used to describe the river’s face. This leads to several interpretations. The face of the river could be the speaker’s own reflection (would someone attempting suicide have on a calm and cool face?). Another interpretation could be that the face of the river is the river itself, drawing in the speaker by asking for a kiss. The words ‘cool’ and ‘calm’ may represent the speaker’s mindset and determination or it may contrast the speaker’s innermost thoughts. The person may be cool and calm on the outside, but there may be a large inner turmoil-hence the suicide. ‘Cool’ and ‘calm’ can also be the goals of the speaker in attempting suicide. The person seeks peace in the midst of chaos and the river can provide that calm and cool peace. Also, the short length of the poem somehow makes the speaker’s mind seem more tumultuous. Tone-wise, the poem seems like a sigh of relief or a dreamlike state of mind.
What impresses me about good old Huey's writing is that it at once expresses motive, feeling, and action. As Kirsten mentioned, the title is what gives this poem definite action. The title "Suicide Note" leaves the reader little room to conjure up interpretations filled with pink fairies and fluffy bunny rabbits. We recognize that the kiss was an action of drowning oneself.
The word choice gives us a sense of the mental state of the self-slaughterer. He speaks of a "calm, cool face..." Suggesting the suicide was not done in a moment of fury or with rash haste, but was calm and thought out, performed in a placid manner.
We get a clue as to what may put this person's emotional turn table spinning with midnight blues from the line "cool face of a river" and the personification, "asked me for a kiss." The fact that this person is seeing a face in the river gave me a sense that the cause of their grief is some sort of estrangement from this person, this visage in the water. Then that this person would use the euphemism "kiss" for the act of drowning oneself in this "face," lends itself to the interpretation that the suicidal party is in love with this face and that something has occurred regarding this man/lady in the water that has led to sad, calm, dejected mental state of affairs.
When I read this poem, I imagine someone standing at the edge of a river, looking into his own reflection. He is breathing in slow yet shallow breaths. There is nothing in his mind but the peaceful rushing of the water. He steps into the river, instantly taken by its power and drowns.
Langston Hughes also manages to create the depicted effect in physical form. When read aloud, the “ka” sounds of “calm”, “cool”, and “kiss” literally compel a quick exhale. Try it. The “ka” sound is made by contracting your torso to force air quickly through your mouth. This rushing of air through your mouth is similar to the perceived moving water.
Also, I agree with Austin and Grace who said that the cool and calm descriptors are used to contrast any internally chaotic soul that wants to end itself. I feel title is important though to clarify that this poem is not an explanation for the suicide; it’s more of what the person was thinking at the time.
This poem says so much in just three lines, I was blown away by how directly yet indirectly it notes the manner in which the speaker decides to commit suicide. I agree with those who have already posted before me about his contemplating ways before the act. We are left hanging because it was the river who “asked” for a kiss, he was not the one who initiated it, but because of the ominous title we infer that he answered. I feel like he was lost in his own world, staring at himself in the river, and the alluring kiss was too much to shove aside. People on the brink of suicide think that the world around them has become useless and living is futile, but this speaker finds solace and serenity near the river and that’s the life, or lack there of, that he wanted. The title is interesting, it’s not the person’s note, rather the act itself, I’m not sure what to take from that but it is intriguing.
As I read this poem, I picture a man standing along a river side watching it flow gracefully and without a single thought in his mind. He stares at his reflection wanting to become one with the river, wanting to commit suicide. The man seems very confused as he describes the river as “calm” and “cool”, because if this wanted to commit suicide his thoughts would contrast with the smooth vision of the river. The man wants to achieve bliss and the river is his only option. I agree with Austin that the calming nature of the river completely differs from the chaotic universe inside the speaker’s mind and heart.
The personification the speaker uses to describe the human-like qualities of the river brings to life the desires of this man. He gives the river a “face”; he gives the river a reason to “kiss”, only to become one with the river. If a confused man wanted bliss he would look for something calming, such as this river he describes. The diction and sound also stood out to be, the “K” sound he emits throughout this poem highlight the speaker’s desire to die. The constant “K” sound brings to attention the tone and the constant frame of mind kept by the speaker. Another word with a “K” sound is Kill, which is the surrounding theme of the poem and though it is not mentioned directly, it is indirectly mentioned.
Also I want to take into account the title; if the title of this poem was not “Suicide’s Note” then the audience would have never have known that this poem was about suicide. Without the title the poem seems like a graceful art of describing a river. The title of the poem holds a heavy weight into giving us an insight into the speaker’s mind.
The dozen words of this poem made a shockingly profound impact on me. The vivid imagery in my mind sees a young person standing on the side of the river contemplating death. And as the river calls to the person, he slowly bends over to gently feel the coolness of the water and then is quickly swept away by the current. This river, as people before have mentioned, could be taken literally as a fast moving stream of water where the author will drown or figuratively as a channel that sweeps the author to a different place, an entirely different world. Although people have mentioned that the same consonant sounds between “calm”, “cool”, and “kiss” convey a pleasant aura, they all share a harsh “k” sound which is not very smooth. I believe that these words though they have a comforting and peaceful meaning are sharp daggers to the author. People who contemplate or commit suicide don’t perceive these beautiful words as really calming. The author uses the irony between the repeated harsh consonant sound with such kind meanings to show the stark contrast between how something as peaceful as the river could prompt or cause a depressing death. This brief poem, as with any suicide, leaves the people left behind a thousand ways to interpret it but no solid answer or reason.
Without the title, this poem could just be a reflection on the tranquility of a river, or about someone getting a drink of water. However, the word “suicide” in the title, as Kirsten noted, gets your attention.
The river, described as “calm” and “cool,” is inviting and peaceful. The speaker is tempted to—and does—give in to the serenity of the river. The possessive “suicide’s” in the title reveals that this is not a note left behind by the speaker before committing suicide, but more of a post-mortem explanation or reflection of his/her actions.
It is very poetic and clever in that it non-morbidly describes the speaker’s reason for drowning him/herself through the personification of the river. I like how this poem is just very smooth, simple, and concise.
People keep discussing the comparison of the chaotic soul to the tranquil river, but what I actually envisioned was a person who had given up. The tone of the poem is peaceful. The "kuh" sound in calm, cool, asked, and kiss is soothing because it is repetitive. There are no rapid or harsh sound changes in the flow of diction and because of that, I felt that the speaker had already experienced the turmoil of deciding whether or not to commit suicide and was now at peace with the idea of death. I think that the length also portrays that sentiment. The poem is quite short. It’s not a page of stress, insecurities, or chaos. The simplicity implies that all the thinking is over. The speaker is a person who has made their decision. The harshest thing about the poem is the title: “Suicide's Note”. Suicide is not what I would consider a beautiful word. It's not very poetic either. It's a rough, technical term that lugs around a huge pile of negative connotations. Poets know how to use words, so clearly it's there for a reason. Personally, when I heard the title, I was expecting a completely different kind of poem. One that was long and painful. It's an interesting pairing of tones. I also really like that Langston Hughes used the word "kiss" for the actual act of suicide. A kiss can mean so many things. In some cases, it can be an act of life, like a beginning of a new relationship, or it can be an act of closeness and affection, like between a mother and a child. What I think is interesting though, is that a kiss can also be a goodbye and it’s a tender and gentle goodbye. One other idea: most people are envisioning a man, but could the speaker have been a woman? Would the gender of the speaker change the tone?
The simplicity of this poem is what makes it so artful. The speaker does not feel the need justify his decision of suicide with a harrowing explanation, but instead resolves his emotions within the package of twelve simple words. This in itself creates peacefulness in the reader. The text is not hard to read, and the short and simple words do not alone draw any emotion besides tranquility. One thing in particular I noticed was that every word besides “river” is a single syllable long. This subconsciously draws attention to the subject in conversation, the river, with the subtle change in rhythm. “River” is also dissimilar in its sound. The other words surrounding are fraught with “k” and “s” sounds (“calm,” “cool,” “face,” and, pardon the slang, the double-whammies “asked” and “kiss”).
I agree with the majority of my fellow posters, but I feel there is an alternate possibility of “how this poem means.” In addition to the overall message of the poem, the distinction of the word “river” as explained above suggests a hidden detail subject to interpretation. The river, though “calm” and “cool,” is not all that it seems. This is all rather daring, but I found that the inanimate river has effectively manipulated the speaker into falling into its depths to drown. The speaker, likely distraught about something in his life, is easily led astray by the serenity of gentle-flowing water, and thus throws himself down “for a kiss.” On a larger scale, mankind is drawn into actions that normally make no sense out of sheer weariness. As a rule, no river can physically ask someone for a kiss. Even then, the question arises how does one kiss a body of water? A seemingly innocent plea from an outwardly harmless being (as personified by the speaker) lures the speaker into irrational action. Once he stoops to kiss the river, he falls the rest of the way. Beware of what seems best.
Given the poem without the title, I would have never thought of suicide as the theme. Rather, I would have envisioned somebody taking a peaceful swim in a river. However, the title gives the poem its purpose and meaning, making me imagine somebody staring almost peacefully into the calm, smooth surface of the river, about to jump in.
The poem is short and concise, more like a brief off-hand remark or observation than a letter to another explaining his terms of suicide. The narrator has accepted his decision to commit suicide and is now calmly waiting to throw himself into the river. However, the shortness of the poem implies that the narrator might feel rushed and uneasy inside. The reoccurrence of the hard “k” sound reinforces that the narrator is bombarded by chaotic feelings. Outwardly, the person committing suicide might look calm, but inwardly, he has his doubts about the whole situation.
I like that Hughes used the word “face” and “kiss” in the poem, instead of using any of the many words that can express the same meaning behind the poem, he chose these two. The words “face” and “kiss” make me think of an actual person. Instead of just the surface of a river, I can almost imagine the person about to commit suicide falling into the embrace of another and not into the scary idea called death.
I am not certain why, but i had much more difficulty with this poem than Housman's work. Perhaps it is the length as it is so short that one must cast a wide net to capture the speakers purpose.
the personification used is evident as the river is given a "face" and able to speak,"asked me for a kiss." Most people above me seem to think that the speaker was looking to end thier life. i see that perspective, but i feel like the river was beckoning and seducing the person into the river and ultimatley thier downfall. I know the words "cool" and "calm" are not thought of having bad connotations, but in this poem i thought they disguised a more sinister motive.
but at the same time the title suggests that the speaker is speaking of past experiance and from another realm, so why would they utter such soothing diction? I think i might be completley off base.
When I read this poem, the image that came to my mind was not someone on the face of a river. I imagined someone asking their friend or family member, why did you do it? (And they would both be dead. And also their friend or whatever would be the one who'd committed suicide. Argh, this made more sense in my head. Anyway.) I thought of the person who'd killed himself saying, "Because the river asked me for a kiss." It makes sense to the person who is saying it, in a way that he has trouble expressing. He doesn't waste words with justifications or with trying to explain himself--he knows that nobody can ever understand exactly why he's done what he's done, and maybe he doesn't exactly understand it himself, but the clearest explanation he can come up with is that he wanted to accept the river's request for a kiss, and so he did.
I agree with Callie that I don't see a chaotic soul either. I see someone who is determined to commit suicide and has no fear or turmoil, just calm, peaceful acceptance.
Although this poem made me a little sad, I did like it, because it's not overemotional or dramatic, it's not very wordy, and it gets the speaker's emotions and intent across with lovely imagery.
The diction used ("calm", "asked", "kiss") creates a gentle tone, which is very interesting to me because I think of suicide as harsh, not gentle at all. I would think that a poem regarding suicide would have a harsh tone. However, if I think of this in a different way, it makes sense to me. Suicide, the person who has ended his/her own life, is looking back on this act. People who decide to end their own life believe that that is the only way to end their pain. With this idea, Suicide speaks in a way that is gentle because by ending his/her own life, the pain ended and he/she found peace.
While the tone is gentle, the sound of this poem is harsher: Calm, Cool, asKed, Kiss. Going back to the first point I made, this harsh sound balances the gentle tone. Although the gentle tone makes comlete sense to me, I feel that without a harsh sound, the poem loses something. While someone who ends his/her own life is ending his/her pain and finding peace, it is still (I believe) a violent act. The poem needs a gentle and a harsh side, because Suicide is seen as both.
I was not sure how to look at the personification of this poem but what Austin said ("The way I interpret this poem, the face of the river is not a personification of the water, but rather the speaker's own reflection. Therefore it is a calm, cool part of himself that is asking that he commit suicide, not the serenity of the river") makes a lot of sense to me. It goes right along with what I discussed ealier about someone who ends his/her own life believes it to be the only way out of pain and the only way to have any peace.
The speaker of this short poem (the suicide) says a lot about the means by which he killed himself using very few but calm words, almost as if he is now at peace and smiling upon reflection of his death.
The diction used has a positive connotation like for example "calm", "cool", and "kiss". These one-syllable words also repeat the "ka" sound and since they are in such close proximity, create a soothing kind of alliteration that gives the poem its rhythm. This repetition of consonant sounds also happens again with "ss" in the words "face", "asked", and "kiss". This consonance also makes for a very melodic sound as the poem is read, adding to the peaceful tone already set by the diction.
The personification the speaker gives the river is that of an identity of another being, a face, and the ability to ask him for a kiss; all of which are humanly actions. This description of his interaction with the river does not scream suicide but rather, a thought out encounter with the body of water. This use of personification also causes the reader to better understand the intangible, mysterious, and sometimes scary concept of suicide because empathy comes more to mind since it is understandable that the speaker would comply with the river's request.
I believe the poem is a metaphor and personification of suicide itself. It isn't about a single man looking at a river to kill himself, if it was the title would be "Suicide Note", but about the thoughts and emotions that run through a suicidal person's mind. They would see suicide as "calm", a way to end their suffering once and for all. This is also shown in the rythym of the short poem, with the repetition of the "k" sound, as Evan said reflects long shallow breaths similar to that of a person standing on the edge of lifes river, ready to plunge into the other side. What they don't see is what is below the "cool surface" is a rushing and chaotic current to the unknown world beyond death. It is because the idea of suicide is such a seemingly easy way out of one's problems that it's like suicide beckons to those not capable of dealing with the hand that life has dealt them, thus the river of suicide "asked for a kiss" and by a kiss, a kiss of death.
The emotions stirred by reading Suicide’s Note are not those usually associated with death. The speaker exudes tranquility. The short lines and concise structure are reminiscent of a haiku.
Beyond the direct denotation or the metaphor of a kiss, the poem reminds me of a desire to drink chilled water. (Maybe I’m thirsty?) It makes sense though; the speaker feels a longing for peace. This is the peace of death, or the river. However, the speaker also personifies the river. The river is an active participant in the death. It “asked” with a “calm cool face”. This suicide (person) does not appear to feel desperate or angry. They simply succumb to a desire.
An interesting irony in the comparison is that the river’s request is for a “kiss”, a very temporary act. The permanence, or lasting quality of death, is only alluded to in the tranquility in the tone. As I read the poem aloud, I found the Ks acted as accents – when I read “asked” without enunciating the internal k, the poem felt off. The longest phrase without a hard k sound, “face of the river”, runs together smoothly, as if expressing phonetically the peace which other words can only express intellectually.
I must agree with the visual aspect of the poem – it is gratifying to read that other students “saw” the actions described by the speaker. I’m with Callie and the minority on the emotional state of the speaker. I believe the speaker is calm, if not like the absolute tranquility of the water. The suicide is not violent, it is simply a kiss. The experience of dying is not discussed at all – only the action taken to cause it.
I wasn’t in class when we discussed poetry, so I’m not exactly sure how to analyze it; so this is my blind attempt. There really isn’t all that much diction to examine in this poem with only twelve words. As others have noted, the use of the words “calm,” “cool,” and “kiss” create a peaceful, relaxed tone. Additionally, the “k” sounds produced by those three words serve to unify each line of the poem. I don’t see how this alliteration “highlights the speaker’s desire to die” as one person said. I think what Evan said about the purpose of the alliteration is interesting, but I don’t know whether or not that was Langston Hughes’ intention. When it comes to the use of personification in this poem, the most obvious is the personification of suicide. This action or idea is the speaker of the poem. Choosing suicide as the speaker gives the idea a sort of human characteristic and makes it more real.
From how I interpreted the poem, I would have to agree with what several of my peers have already mentioned. I see the “cool face” in the “calm river” as being the reflection of a man desiring suicide’s kiss, with suicide’s kiss being a euphemism for death by drowning. I think that the man is serene thinking about suicide, and wants to achieve an even greater lever of stillness through the coming act. I liked what Kelli said about suicide’s response. All the poem says is that the “cool face” asked for a kiss, but it’s up to the reader’s interpretation whether or not suicide answered that request.
Langston Hughes effectively delivers us a meaningful poem within three simple lines. As we learned in class, we have to pay attention to the title as it may serve as a huge clue to its purpose and meaning. “Suicide’s note” already gives us a strong impression of a poem possibly about to give an explanation about someone killing themselves, or at least attempting to. Rather, this poem presents a very short and concise remark of a peaceful death, one led by a kiss. The imagery of the calm river and the person hovering over and seeing their reflection in the trifles of the water all seem very serene and clean. Personification of the river, which asked to give a kiss to its face, is very luring and mystic. A suicide is normally an unthinkable, unmoral, if not extreme behavior, but we read the poem as if not a true suicide but a natural act that life and nature allow. We get this from the way the river asked for the kiss, and the title which says it all, ended with the suicide. No regrets, no rush, and a feeling of destiny is felt through the sounds the words make; Calm, cool, and kiss all make a “k” sound, and makes the poem ever more flow.
I like the idea that Jared brought up. I don't think anyone else as looked at why it is possessive: "Suicide's Note"
I think this poem is really catchy. It seems so cheerful which is strange because it is "Suicide's Note", you would think it would be depressing but it actually isn't. The word choice Hughes uses is so fluid and calm. I feel like the poem is almost trying to convince you that suicide is not bad. Like many others have said this poem acts like an explanation for a suicide that someone has already committed.
The person who committed the suicide explains how they were convinced by suicide itself to do the deed. The words this person used has an enticing essence to them, most likely how suicide must of sounded to him or her. "Asked me for a kiss," this line I took as meaning suicide gave an irresistible offer aka "a kiss". The "cool face of the river" almost acts as a cool person all calm and collected giving someone pressure to take the irresistible offer... Sort of like peer pressure.
Hughes uses peaceful words to set a tranquil and somewhat lazy tone: “calm” “cool”, “kiss”. The poem sounds different when it’s read silently rather than aloud. All the words except for the conjunctions are “longer”—basically, they’re meant to be dragged out a bit.
The real reason why the speaker even considered suicide in the first place isn’t identified, but in the end, they were tempted by the river’s “kiss”, which for the speaker was reason enough. KISS OF DEATH. The speaker was looking for peace, calm, an end. I’m not sure if anyone mentioned this before, but this reminds me of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy:
“To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream.” They both have similar tones + subjects.
I agree with Callie; I think that accepting the “kiss” is not at all a deliberate act but a whimsical decision at a moment when life no longer matters to the speaker. The speaker says exactly how he (or she) feels at the moment of suicide: “the river asked me for a kiss”, and that was it. The river does not have to promise tranquility and bliss, because at that point, the speaker is too weary to calculate benefit versus cost, to contemplate what death would bring that life could not provide. All he/she cares is the beauty of that moment, that one fleeting kiss. As many mentioned before, “Suicide’s Note” is not an explanation for the act of suicide but a portrayal of the state of mind of the person at the split moment he/she committed the suicide. The diction is simple, the personification is direct, and the tone is most off-handed. It is as if the suicide is really accidental, as if the speaker just happens to step into the water on a whim, with neither the intention to end life nor the energy to save it. This is not the note of a person who desires death, only that of a person who has forsaken life.
This stupid thing messed up my original comment... again so I'm sorry if it's short cuz damn that pissed me off.
Ok so in this poem I see suicide as an actual speaker, like a person. Maybe he's death evil brother (weird). And the river is the person that happens to be committing suicide at the moment by asking suicide for its cold kiss. Life canbe the river since it is filled with turmoils, bad rocks and bad fishies.
I'm gonna get a bad grade for this one huh? Well at least I tried
Ilove the way the poem reads. Like Grace says, it is succint, but I totally get a mental image of someone standing on a brigde, leaning down to take a refreshing drink of water. Water is after all the substance we as humans use most as a cleaning substance. Why shouldn't it be the best way to go? In the Christian faith, water is used symbolically as the cleaser that washes away all your sins. I like to think that while suicide is not condoned by religion, they share that similarity.
I also took the poem's title to be possessive. Not as a note regarding suicide, rather a note from suicide itself. I realize this idea is a little abstract and I'm not sure if I'm on the right track. Perhaps, we'll be able to muse this idea in class...?
As mentioned above, the "calm", "cool", "kiss" all share the 'k' constanent sound. A sound associated with tranquilty and peace, a calming sound. I think the speaker's word choice also lends the poem to a meditative tone. I say meditative because the last line reads, "Asked me for a kiss."; however, the speaker doesn't actually write their own response. As readers we look at the title and assume the "me" succumed to the river's kiss. but perhaps the "me" did not. After all, what can we assume?
As a last note I thought I'd share my first impressions after reading this poem. At first I thought of Ophelia and her death. The scene from one Hamlet movie we watched in class clearly resonates in my mind; however, I'm not sure what version it is. Did anyone else make this connection?
To me, suicide is the speaker, coercing a poor soul to the watery depths of the river. The poem immediately brought to my mind the scene, my mind's eye filling in what the poem did not. I pictured a person who was weary and troubled by life, and maybe a little confused, and suicide appears as a concerned friend, understanding in nature, and promises peace. The river is tempting to the person because of its calm, something this person craves after living such a tough life.
This poem also brings to mind Greek mythology, specifically Charon the ferryman who ferries souls across a river to the gates of Tartarus. I think that suicide also acts as Charon, waiting to ferry this unnamed individual across the river.
This is not easy to come up with new ideas after so many people have already posted similar ideas to mine. I see this note as suicide's story about how the act of suicide was committed after the fact. I see the face as someone looking into the river conemplating if the benefits of life outweigh the struggles they are having and then decide to "ask" suicide for the kiss of death. The speaker seems to be at peace with the river that is ultimately going to take it's life. I got this impression from the words "calm" and "cool" that were most likely brought to my attention because of the alliteration, although there aren't many words to choose from in this short poem. The poem does not reveal the tragedy or violence of the act but seems much too "calm" about the violent act.
I don't agree with most of the posters here. Like Callie, I don't believe that there is any turmoil that is within the speaker at all. I see it as if the speaker is at peace with himself. Although the repetitive hard "Ka" sound is rampant throughout the three lines, I think it represents the fluid, flowing river. The speaker is at peace with his decision to end his life. He's not really fighting against anything. He's going along with peace and serenity.
It's hard to describe. It's more like what Callie said. The speaker has given up and finally has peace of mind. And so, he kisses the river, lovingly, desiring the "cool" and "calm[ness]" of the river, as if he was kissing a person tenderly.
And if you look closely to the text, the river "asked me for a kiss." The river isn't forceful or trying to "kill" the speaker. It seems as though the speaker wants to die and is dying in peace, regardless of any past pangs or turmoil.
However, I don't understand Kathy's point. It seems contradictory to what Callie said (I think?). I don't think this is in the moment. I think it's already calculuated and at last, there is no more struggle for life. There is only peaceful death to follow.
I also like the personficiation that everybody has mentioned. The river is personified as a person with a "face" and a "kiss" as if it were a person. Even the title possesses possession. It's not just a suicide note but Suicide's Note. I think it's just intriguing. I can't really say what is really means though.
AND YES, SARAH! I TOTALLY THOUGHT OF OPHELIA'S DROWNING (after my analysis)! =O Great minds think so much alike :) <3
First, I felt that there was a significance when Hughes uses the words "cool" and "calm."
The repetition serves as a unification of the face of the river. The sound of this repetition is poetic in nature,
it allows Hughe's work to flow. Further, the second and third lines both have five words that seem to unify those two lines as well.
As for the tone, the words "calm" and "cool," set up a tone of relaxation. This tone allows us to extrapolate on what we think Hughes
means with "the river." The river is a personification of death. Although a river is not a living entity, it has a personality, a certain flow, and
characteristics of a living thing. On the other hand, people think of death as an end, almost a stagnant conclusion like the one at the end of this
sentence. Hughe's description of the river as "calm" and "cool" explore the frame of mind of the speaker of this poem, they envision the kiss of the
river as a sort of release. They don't think of death, in this case, as an end, but an escape. In the same sense that one might think of an
actually kiss an an escape. I think the significance of "the river" is in its "calm, cool" surface. Despite visions of calm that one imagines with the
surface of the river, the depth beneath the surface is an unknown, comparable to the unknowns of death, following "the kiss." I also thought of the
ripple effect after a person performed such "a kiss," the water would ripple and be affected by the kiss, just as the family and friends of the
speaker could be affected by the suicide insinuated by the kiss.
Before this poem can be analyzed the question of what the title refers to needs to be answered. I believe that what we discussed in class (a person that has committed suicide) fits much better than a personification of suicide talking, as I can’t imagine the Grim Reaper likes smooching with lakes.
That being said, the first thing that popped into my mind after reading the poem was what the kiss referred to. I took it to mean literally kissing the water, as in jumping off of a bridge to end one’s life. In context with the rest of the poem, the word “kiss” fits with the “face of the river” and death’s sweet embrace. The adjectives used give off a relaxed, controlled, and serene tone, probably what the suicide is seeking as asylum from a harsh and cruel life. That the river is personified as “asking” gives the feeling that it is almost beckoning the victim. The comma in the first line makes the listener pause and linger, slowing its pacing and rhythm to make it indeed calm, almost to a point where the reader is taking the time exhale. To grasp at straws, the river could be the River Styx, which formed the boundary between Earth and the afterlife.
I think this poem accurately conveys the mindset of someone who is considering, or perhaps already committed suicide. Often people look at suicide as a last resort, a terrible thing. But to someone who commits suicide, it is a welcome escape from the world. The river "asked" for a kiss, implying that suicide is not just some fleeting whim, but a careful consideration which ultimately enticed the author into ending his life.
The words "cool" and "calm" further the idea that suicide is not a bad thing and suggest that above all, suicide is serene and will lead to a final restful sleep. The sound of those words, as Evan mentioned, are important for when the poem is actually delivered. The repeating sounds make the poem flow, like a river. The flow and word choice of the poem allow for good visualization, helping the audience to better understand the meaning of the poem.
Like Becca and Sarah, this reminded me of Hamlet, especially his "to be or not to be" speech, as both focus on the "sleep" that is death, and the escape from "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune."
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