Author: Rudyard Kipling

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This is the midnight-let no star 
Delude us-dawn is very far.
This is the tempest long foretold,
Slow to make head but sure to hold 

Stand by! The lull 'twixt blast and blast 
Signals the storm is near, not past;
And worse than present jeopardy 
May our forlorn to-morrow be.

If we have cleared the expectant reef, 
Let no man look for his relief.
Only the darkness hides the shape 
Of further peril to escape.

It is decreed that we abide
The weight of gale against the tide 
And those huge waves the outer main 
Sends in to set us back again.

They fall and whelm. We strain to hear 
The pulses of her labouring gear,
Till the deep throb beneath us proves, 
After each shudder and check, she moves! 

She moves, with all save purpose lost,
To make her offing from the coast; 
But, till she fetches open sea,
Let no man deem that he is free!

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Type of Poem: Meditative Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: Rudyard Kipling’s "The Storm Cone" is a Meditative Lyric Poem with elements of Maritime Allegory and Foreboding Prophecy. It uses the metaphor of a ship battling a gathering storm to explore the broader human experience of living through periods of grave and rising crisis. The central theme is perseverance in the face of overwhelming danger, and the sober recognition that apparent lulls and temporary successes do not mean safety. Kipling warns against false hopes, emphasizing that in both navigation and life, the gravest threats often come when we believe the worst is over.

The tone of the poem is tense, grim, and unrelentingly vigilant. There is no triumphalism here—only a stubborn, patient endurance and a realistic acknowledgment of struggle. The imagery is vivid and maritime: the ship caught between gale and tide, the "huge waves" sent in by the "outer main," the "deep throb" of the laboring engine that reassures survival but not victory. Every stanza contributes to the atmosphere of strained resistance, where the ship’s crew must maintain unwavering focus until they reach truly open waters. The "midnight" and absence of stars symbolize a world plunged into uncertainty and disorientation, with no clear guidance.

Structurally, the poem builds in tight, measured quatrains that mimic the rhythmic, dogged motion of a ship battling a storm. Kipling uses powerful, concise phrasing—"It is decreed that we abide"—to create an almost Biblical gravity to the struggle, suggesting that hardship is not accidental but part of the human condition. Historically, this poem has often been read as a reflection of Kipling’s growing anxieties in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, particularly about the stability of Britain’s empire and the gathering storms of war and political upheaval. Yet its meaning extends beyond any particular moment, offering a timeless meditation on crisis and endurance.

Ultimately, "The Storm Cone" is a deeply sober reflection on the necessity of perseverance under pressure. It cautions that survival depends not on illusions of imminent rescue, but on unrelenting labor, awareness, and the hard-won hope that only comes when true danger has been overcome. Kipling captures both the loneliness and the nobility of enduring through times when the darkness hides not only the dangers already known but worse perils yet unseen.