A Channel Passage

By Rupert Brooke

Lyric Poem
    The damned ship lurched and slithered. Quiet and quick     My cold gorge rose; the long sea rolled; I knew     I must think hard of something, or be sick;     And could think hard of only one thing, YOU!     You, you alone could hold my fancy ever!     And with you memories come, sharp pain, and dole.     Now there's a choice, heartache or tortured liver!     A sea-sick body, or a you-sick soul!     Do I forget you? Retchings twist and tie me,     Old meat, good meals, brown gobbets, up I throw.     Do I remember? Acrid return and slimy,     The sobs and slobber of a last years woe.     And still the sick ship rolls. 'Tis hard, I tell ye,     To choose 'twixt love and nausea, heart and belly.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
The poem dramatizes the agony of choice between physical discomfort and emotional torment, using a ship’s violent motion to mirror the speaker’s inner turmoil. The fourteen-line structure suggests a sonnet, though the rhyme scheme (ABCBDEFEFGHIJ) and irregular meter (predominantly iambic but with frequent substitutions) resist formal containment. The voice oscillates between visceral immediacy and reflexive irony, as the speaker confronts the absurdity of choosing between seasickness and heartache. Imagery of vomit and acrid taste contrasts with the abstract pain of memory, while the poem’s relentless forward motion driven by enjambment and caesura mimics the ship’s lurching. The volta arrives in the final couplet, where the speaker’s sarcastic ’Tis hard, I tell ye acknowledges the futility of the dilemma, underscoring how love and nausea are inextricable. The poem’s brilliance lies in its ability to render emotional suffering as grotesquely physical, leaving the reader to contemplate which sickness is truly worse.

Exploring Lyric Poetry

Lyric poetry is a powerful and intimate form of expression, characterized by its focus on the personal emotions and thoughts of the poet. Often musical in nature, lyric poems resonate with readers through their vivid language and rhythmic flow, capturing moments of intense feeling.

Here are some key characteristics that define lyric poetry:

  • Expressive Language: Lyric poems use rich and evocative language to convey deep emotions, often painting a vivid picture of the poet's inner world.
  • Personal Perspective: Typically written in the first person, these poems offer a window into the poet's personal experiences, thoughts, and reflections.
  • Musicality: Lyric poems often feature a rhythmic structure, with meter and rhyme that give them a song-like quality, enhancing the emotional impact.

From ancient odes to contemporary free verse, lyric poetry remains a beloved and enduring form, celebrated for its ability to articulate the nuances of human emotion in a way that resonates deeply with readers.