This poem seems so simple; it's short, the language is clear and straightforward, and there's a lot of repetition. But the fact that it's so easy to understand is just proof of Smith's skill.
Though some words and phrases are repeated, their meaning shifts from the beginning of the poem to the end. How does he make the last verse look so similar to the first, and yet tell a different story? It's not nearly as simple as it looks at first glance. He has to subtly manipulate each word, line, and verse to get from one point to another without getting off track.
When the poem begins, you can interpret the first verse literally - in fact, I think maybe you're supposed to. The speaker is literally drowning, and his friends don't realize what's happening until it's too late.
In the third verse, the meaning shifts from describing one isolated event to the speaker's entire lifetime. His friends didn't just have a momentary lapse in judgment; they'd always misinterpreted his signals and failed to see that he was struggling. They didn't see who he really was or what he needed. Even in his death, they couldn't hear him - they just speculated about what may have happened to him, and "(Still the dead one lay moaning)".
I like the way this is structured. I like how Smith conveys multiple meanings without really providing the reader with too much information between the first and third verses, and manages to say so much in so few words. It reads so smoothly and simply, but there's more going on underneath.
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