Author: Oliver Wendell Holmes

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    See how yon flaming herald treads
    The ridged and rolling waves,
    As, crashing o'er their crested heads,
    She bows her surly slaves!
    With foam before and fire behind,
    She rends the clinging sea,
    That flies before the roaring wind,
    Beneath her hissing lee.

    The morning spray, like sea-born flowers,
    With heaped and glistening bells,
    Falls round her fast, in ringing showers,
    With every wave that swells;
    And, burning o'er the midnight deep,
    In lurid fringes thrown,
    The living gems of ocean sweep
    Along her flashing zone.

    With clashing wheel and lifting keel,
    And smoking torch on high,
    When winds are loud and billows reel,
    She thunders foaming by;
    When seas are silent and serene,
    With even beam she glides,
    The sunshine glimmering through the green
    That skirts her gleaming sides.

    Now, like a wild, nymph, far apart
    She veils her shadowy form,
    The beating of her restless heart
    Still sounding through the storm;
    Now answers, like a courtly dame,
    The reddening surges o'er,
    With flying scarf of spangled flame,
    The Pharos of the shore.

    To-night yon pilot shall not sleep,
    Who trims his narrowed sail;
    To-night yon frigate scarce shall keep
    Her broad breast to the gale;
    And many a foresail, scooped and strained,
    Shall break from yard and stay,
    Before this smoky wreath has stained
    The rising mist of day.

    Hark! hark! I hear yon whistling shroud,
    I see yon quivering mast;
    The black throat of the hunted cloud
    Is panting forth the blast!
    An hour, and, whirled like winnowing chaff,
    The giant surge shall fling
    His tresses o'er yon pennon staff,
    White as the sea-bird's wing.

    Yet rest, ye wanderers of the deep;
    Nor wind nor wave shall tire
    Those fleshless arms, whose pulses leap
    With floods of living fire;
    Sleep on, and, when the morning light
    Streams o'er the shining bay,
    Oh think of those for whom the night
    Shall never wake in day.

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Type of Poem: Narrative Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a dramatic and powerful depiction of a maritime journey and the relentless force of nature. The primary theme is the awe-inspiring power and majesty of the sea, which is portrayed as a mighty, untamed entity. The poem's tone is one of reverence and fear, emphasizing the sea's dominance and the vulnerability of those who traverse it.

The poem is structured in eight stanzas, each describing a different aspect or moment in the journey. The language is vibrant and vivid, utilizing powerful imagery and metaphors to convey the intensity of the experience. Notable literary devices include personification, as the sea is portrayed with human characteristics, and alliteration, which contributes to the poem's rhythmic quality. The sea's different moods are compared to a "wild nymph" and a "courtly dame," highlighting its unpredictable nature.

Furthermore, the poem effectively conveys the dichotomy between the tranquility and the ferocity of the sea. This is particularly evident in the contrast between the serene imagery of "sunshine glimmering through the green" and the violent depiction of the storm with "clashing wheel and lifting keel." The final stanza provides a poignant reflection on the perilous nature of seafaring, reminding the reader of the sailors' vulnerability in the face of nature's power.