A Captain Of The Press-Gang.

By Bliss Carman (William)

Ballad
    Shipmate, leave the ghostly shadows,     Where thy boon companions throng!     We will put to sea together     Through the twilight with a song.     Leering closer, rank and girding,     In this Black Port where we bide,     Reel a thousand flaring faces;     But escape is on the tide.     Let the tap-rooms of the city     Reek till the red dawn comes round.     There is better wine in plenty     On the cruise where we are bound.     I've aboard a hundred messmates     Better than these 'long-shore knaves.     There is wreckage on the shallows;     It's the open sea that saves.     Hark, lad, dost not hear it calling?     That's the voice thy father knew,     When he took the King's good cutlass     In his grip, and fought it through.     Who would palter at press-money     When he heard that sea-cry vast?     That's the call makes lords of lubbers,     When they ship before the mast.     Let thy cronies of the tavern     Keep their kisses bought with gold;     On the high seas there are regions     Where the heart is never old,     Where the great winds every morning     Sweep the sea-floor clean and white,     And upon the steel-blue arches     Burnish the great stars of night;     There the open hand will lose not,     Nor the loosened tongue betray.     Signed, and with our sailing orders,     We will clear before the day;     On the shining yards of heaven     See a wider dawn unfurled....     The eternal slaves of beauty     Are the masters of the world.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem is a rousing call to abandon the dull, sedentary life of the city for the freedom and adventure of the open sea. The speaker urges a fellow to leave behind the ghostly shadows of the tavern and join him on a voyage of discovery, where they can escape the reel a thousand flaring faces of the city's tap-rooms and find true companionship among a hundred messmates who share their love of the sea. The poem's structure, with its consistent eight-line stanzas and a loose, lyrical meter, adds to its sense of urgency and momentum. Throughout the poem, the speaker uses vivid imagery and sound to evoke the sense of longing and restlessness that drives him to seek out the sea. The twilight and red dawn that punctuate the poem create a sense of drama and anticipation, while the great winds and steel-blue arches of the sea itself become a symbol of the transcendent beauty and power that awaits the speaker and his companion. Ultimately, the poem's final lines suggest that the sea is not just a place of adventure, but also a source of freedom and self-discovery, where the open hand and loosened tongue can be unshackled from the constraints of society.

Understanding Ballads

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music, that has been a cornerstone of storytelling across various cultures. Traditionally passed down orally, ballads are known for their rhythmic structure and often tell tales of love, adventure, and heroism.

Ballads are characterized by their strong rhythm and repetition, making them both memorable and engaging. Here are some defining features:

  • Narrative Structure: Ballads typically tell a story, often a dramatic or emotional tale that unfolds in a straightforward, chronological order.
  • Quatrain Stanzas: Most ballads are composed of quatrains (four-line stanzas) with a rhyme scheme of ABAB or ABCB, which adds to the musicality of the verse.
  • Repetition: Refrains or repeated lines are common in ballads, helping to emphasize key themes or emotions and making the ballad easier to remember.
  • Oral Tradition: Many ballads originated from oral traditions, which means they were passed down through generations by word of mouth before being written down.

From medieval minstrels to contemporary songwriters, ballads have continued to evolve, remaining a beloved form of expression that captures the human experience in a way that is both poetic and accessible.