Stevie Smith
British · 20th century
English poet and novelist known for her darkly ironic verse, most famously 'Not Waving but Drowning.'
Connection to Taylor Swift
Her poetry explores themes of hidden suffering, depression, and the gap between outward appearance and inner experience, themes that parallel Taylor's treatment of emotional pain, particularly in songs where the speaker's suffering goes unrecognized by others.
Notable Works
- Not Waving but Drowning, Novel on Yellow Paper, A Good Time Was Had by All
Appears in the Archive
Context within the Archive
Not Waving but Drowning
“The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud But no one heard a thing”
Uncle Jerry connects the drowning imagery and the line 'no one heard a thing' in Clean to Stevie Smith's poem 'Not Waving but Drowning,' in which a man drowns while onlookers mistake his distress for waving. He notes that the poem is about a spiral of depression that goes unnoticed by others, paralleling Clean's depiction of suffering through addiction and heartbreak without being seen or heard. Angela & Uncle Jerry discuss how both works share the idea that sometimes depression is heavy on you and people don't see it, and that ultimately you have to clean yourself.