I was reminded, reading this, of the lighthouse keepers, many of whom were almost literally chained to the rock their lighthouse was on - they were stuck out on isolated rocky islands, hard to approach by boat in the best of weather, for months at a time, all so that somebody else could safely travel the world. Instead, he holds up the flame he still has clenched in his hand and wishes the mariners a safe journey. His immortal liver is painfully devoured every day by an eagle, and yet he is not angry at mankind. Here we have Prometheus, one of the Titans of Greek Mythology, who stole fire from the gods to bring light and warmth to man, chained to a rock in eternal punishment for his crime. The readers know that the two things aren't the same thing, but it can bring a much more powerful image to the mind. This kind of comparison is called metaphor. Later, he compares the lighthouse to another giant. Knowing that, it's easy to see how a lighthouse would remind the poet of St Christopher, a giant who would reach out into the dangerous waters to bring travelers safely to shore. One day he carried the Christ Child across, and so, changed his name to Christopher (which means Christ carrier). On the advice of a Holy Man, he stationed himself at a particularly dangerous river crossing and would carry travelers across because he was so strong. He was reportedly a giant of a man, named Reprobius (which simply means sinner) who decided to convert to Christianity. In this case, the lighthouse is like St Christopher, the patron Saint of travellers. Notice the word "like" signalling that we're about to have an explicit comparison: this thing is like that thing. I'll choose two obvious examples.įirst, we have the line, "Like the great giant Christopher it stands." This is simile. We find both used several times in this poem.
This poem is a good example of something they talk about all the time in poetry classes, but I haven't talked about much: simile and metaphor. I have marked my very favorite stanzas in bold, though. I know it's long, and I thought about editing it down, and linking to the rest, but I couldn't feel good about any of the cuts I was about to make.
I think that I probably heard the last two stanzas quoted somewhere, and was pleasantly surprised to find the rest of the poem. I don't remember where I found this poem. "Sail on!" it says: "sail on, ye stately ships!Īnd with your floating bridge the ocean span īe mine to guard this light from all eclipse. It does not hear the cry, nor heed the shock,īut hails the mariner with words of love. Still grasping in his hand the fire of love, The sea-bird wheeling round it, with the dinīlinded and maddened by the light within,ĭashes himself against the glare, and dies. Press the great shoulders of the hurricane. Smites it with all the scourges of the rain, The startled waves leap over it the storm It sees the wild winds lift it in their grasp,Īnd hold it up, and shake it like a fleece. The rocks and sea-sand with the kiss of peace: Year after year, through all the silent nightīurns on forevermore that quenchless flame, On his first voyage, he saw it fade and sink Gaze at the tower, and vanish while they gaze. They come forth from the darkness, and their sails They wave their silent welcome and farewells. Wading far out among the rocks and sands,Īnd the great ships sail outward and returnīending and bowing o'er the billowy swells, Like the great giant Christopher it stands Holding its lantern o'er the restless surge. With strange, unearthly splendor in the glare!Īnd perilous reef along the ocean's verge, Through the deep purple of the twilight air,īeams forth the sudden radiance of its light, The lighthouse lifts its massive masonry,Ī pillar of fire by night, of cloud by day.Įven at this distance I can see the tides,Ī speechless wrath, that rises and subsidesĪnd as the evening darkens, lo! how bright,