Author: Alfred Lord Tennyson

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I.
We left behind the painted buoy
That tosses at the harbor-mouth;
And madly danced our hearts with joy,
As fast we fleeted to the South:
How fresh was every sight and sound
On open main or winding shore!
We knew the merry world was round,
And we might sail for evermore.

II.
Warm broke the breeze against the brow,
Dry sang the tackle, sang the sail:
The Ladys-head upon the prow
Caught the shrill salt, and sheerd the gale.
The broad seas swelld to meet the keel,
And swept behind: so quick the run,
We felt the good ship shake and reel,
We seemd to sail into the Sun!

III.
How oft we saw the Sun retire,
And burn the threshold of the night,
Fall from his Ocean-lane of fire,
And sleep beneath his pillard light!
How oft the purple-skirted robe
Of twilight slowly downward drawn,
As thro the slumber of the globe
Again we dashd into the dawn!

IV.
New stars all night above the brim
Of waters lightend into view;
They climbd as quickly, for the rim
Changed every moment as we flew.
Far ran the naked moon across
The houseless oceans heaving field,
Or flying shone, the silver boss
Of her own halos dusky shield;

V.
The peaky islet shifted shapes,
High towns on hills were dimly seen,
We past long lines of Northern capes
And dewy Northern meadows green.
We came to warmer waves, and deep
Across the boundless east we drove,
Where those long swells of breaker sweep
The nutmeg rocks and isles clove.

VI.
By peaks that flamed, or, all in shade,
Gloomd the low coast and quivering brine
With ashy rains, that spreading made
Fantastic plume or sable pine;
By sands and steaming flats, and floods
Of mighty mouth, we scudded fast,
And hills and scarlet-mingled woods
Glowd for a moment as we past.

VII.
O hundred shores of happy climes,
How swiftly streamd ye by the bark!
At times the whole sea burnd, at times
With wakes of fire we tore the dark;
At times a carven craft would shoot
From havens hid in fairy bowers,
With naked limbs and flowers and fruit,
But we nor paused for fruit nor flowers.

VIII.
For one fair Vision ever fled
Down the waste waters day and night,
And still we followd where she led,
In hope to gain upon her flight.
Her face was evermore unseen,
And fixt upon the far sea-line;
But each man murmurd, O my Queen,
I follow till I make thee mine.

IX.
And now we lost her, now she gleamd
Like Fancy made of golden air,
Now nearer to the prow she seemd
Like Virtue firm, like Knowledge fair,
Now high on waves that idly burst
Like Heavenly Hope she crownd the sea
And now, the bloodless point reversed,
She bore the blade of Liberty.

X.
And only one among ushim
We please nothe was seldom pleased:
He saw not far: his eyes were dim:
But ours he swore were all diseased.
A ship of fools he shriekd in spite,
A ship of fools he sneerd and wept.
And overboard one stormy night
He cast his body, and on we swept.

XI.
And never sail of ours was furld,
Nor anchor dropt at eve or morn;
We loved the glories of the world,
But laws of nature were our scorn;
For blasts would rise and rave and cease,
But whence were those that drove the sail
Across the whirlwinds heart of peace,
And to and thro the counter-gale?

XII.
Again to colder climes we came,
For still we followd where she led:
Now mate is blind and captain lame,
And half the crew are sick or dead.
But blind or lame or sick or sound
We follow that which flies before:
We know the merry world is round,
And we may sail for evermore.

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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 piece is an extended narrative poem immersed in the romantic tradition, exploring themes of adventure, pursuit of ideals, and the human relationship with nature. The poet employs an ocean voyage as a metaphor for life's journey, with the ship's crew symbolising mankind's collective pursuit of seemingly elusive ideals represented by the "fair Vision." This vision morphs into different forms: Fancy, Virtue, Knowledge, Hope, and Liberty, indicating the multiplicity of human aspirations.

The poem's tone is a blend of excitement, wonder, melancholy, and stoic determination. It oscillates between moments of joyous discovery and sobering reality, capturing the crew's undying hope and their relentless pursuit despite the hardships faced. The poem's structure, divided into twelve sections, reinforces the narrative progression, with each section unveiling a new stage in the journey.

The poet’s use of vivid imagery and metaphors are standout features. The depiction of the sea journey is filled with picturesque descriptions of the natural world, from "peaks that flamed" to "naked moon across the houseless oceans heaving field," which allows the reader to experience the voyage viscerally. The journey into the sun, for instance, can be interpreted as a metaphor for humanity's pursuit of enlightenment.

A critical element is the poem's exploration of human defiance against nature’s laws. The crew, despite their sufferings, continue their journey, driven by a force stronger than the wind—"blasts would rise and rave and cease, but whence were those that drove the sail?” This question underscores the poem's central theme of the indomitable human spirit, suggesting that it's not simply nature's forces, but human will and desire, that propels us forward.