Water by Gwendolyne MacEwan - Book Report/Review Example

The title of the poem is a metaphor to various meanings as used in different stanzas. In the poem, MacEwan uses the term water to refer to various drinks that he traces to historical establishments. The poet says that even drinking may also cause conflict like the crusader's wars. He uses connotations like the crusader’s religious wars to emphasize the extent to which drinking can make people have petty fights. The author insinuates that even during religious wears such as the crusades, the role of alcoholic drinks was quite apparent.

Soldiers went to war and engaged in drinking sessions after battles. They also look for women with whom to sleep once drunk The author also says that water had no color to insinuate that when it comes to drinking, there is no discrimination. Even among sworn enemies like the occupants of Lebanon and Damascus, people tend to get along quite well in their drunken stupor. This underscores the irony behind drinking habits. The attitude and the tone of the poem are condescending and positive. The poet wonders why people cannot do certain things when they are sober.