Not Waving but Drowning Not Waving but Drowning "Not Waving but Drowning" is a poem by the British poet Stevie Smith. It was published in 1957 as part of a collection of the same title. The most famous of Smith's poems, it gives an account of a drowned man whose distressed thrashing in the water had been mistaken for waving. The poem was accompanied by one of Smith's drawings, as was common in her work. The poem's personal significance has been the topic of several pieces of literary criticism because Smith was treated for psychological problems. She contemplated suicide at the age of eight
Instinctive drowning response distress, but is not in immediate danger of drowning compared to a person unable to do so. To an untrained observer, it may not be obvious that a drowning person is in distress. The victim may appear to be swimming safely, while actually within 20–60 seconds of sinking under the surface. He extends his arms laterally and presses down on the water's surface in order to lift his mouth out of the water. When his mouth is above the water, he quickly exhales and inhales instead of calling for help. Because of his arm movements and focus on lifting his