From The Wave
Two meaning can be interpreted from the poem, “From the Wave”, by Thom Gunn. The first meaning is the actual and literal meaning of a surfer catching a wave. The second is a metaphorical meaning. This meaning describes the ups and downs of a human being’s life.
Readers know the speaker is actually talking about surfers, because Gunn describes the how it feels to actually catch a wave. The speaker says that “Their pale feet, curl, they poise their weight / With a learn’d skill. / It is the wave they imitate. / Keeps them so still.” (Gunn lines 9-12). That at this point the surfer has stood up on the board and is balanced because he is imitating the waves motion on top of the wave and riding it. The speaker is presenting the reader with material
Readers know the speaker is actually talking about surfers, because Gunn describes the how it feels to actually catch a wave. The speaker says that “Their pale feet, curl, they poise their weight / With a learn’d skill. / It is the wave they imitate. / Keeps them so still.” (Gunn lines 9-12). That at this point the surfer has stood up on the board and is balanced because he is imitating the waves motion on top of the wave and riding it. The speaker is presenting the reader with material