The Red Sea

Author: Gilbert Keith Chesterton

    Our souls shall be Leviathans
    In purple seas of wine
    When drunkenness is dead with death,
    And drink is all divine;
    Learning in those immortal vats
    What mortal vineyards mean;
    For only in heaven we shall know
    How happy we have been.

    Like clouds that wallow in the wind
    Be free to drift and drink;
    Tower without insolence when we rise,
    Without surrender sink:
    Dreams dizzy and crazy we shall know
    And have no need to write
    Our blameless blasphemies of praise,
    Our nightmares of delight.

    For so in such misshapen shape
    The vision came to me,
    Where such titanian dolphins dark
    Roll in a sunset sea:
    Dark with dense colours, strange and strong
    As terrible true love,
    Haloed like fish in phospher light
    The holy monsters move.

    Measure is here and law, to learn,
    When honour rules it so,
    To lift the glass and lay it down
    Or break the glass and go.
    But when the world's New Deluge boils
    From the New Noah's vine,
    Our souls shall be Leviathans
    In sanguine seas of wine.
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Type of Poem: Ballad

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

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Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a rich exploration of divine intoxication, freedom, and the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment. The overarching theme is a journey towards a sublime, transcendental experience, symbolized by the imagery of the 'purple seas of wine.' This grand metaphor serves as a representation of the divine, the unknown, and the joy of discovery.

The poet employs a variety of literary devices to enrich the poem's depth and meaning. Alliteration, as seen in 'blasphemies of praise,' enhances rhythm and focus, while paradoxical phrases such as 'drunkenness is dead with death' force the reader to delve deeper into the poem’s complex themes. Metaphors like 'our souls shall be leviathans' suggest the enormity and power of the human spirit, while the 'sanguine seas of wine' symbolize both passion and transformation. The tone is joyful yet profound, hinting at a mystical revelry in the face of the unknown. The structure of the poem is also noteworthy, with consistent rhythm and rhyme creating a lilting, hymn-like quality that aligns with the poem's spiritual undertones.

Overall, the poem is a celebration of the human spirit's quest for enlightenment, the joy of discovery, and the exhilarating freedom found in surrender to the divine. It conveys a sense of the sublime, the profound, and the inexplicable, capturing the reader's imagination with its vivid imagery and thought-provoking metaphors.

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.