Understanding Poetry

1. Understanding “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Understanding Poetry

2. Who was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow? • 1807 – 1882 • Famous American Poet • Professor at Bowdoin and Harvard Colleges • Wrote Lyric Poetry • Often based his poetry on mythology and legend • His popular work was often read by families at night around the fireplace

3. Longfellow's Famous Works • Paul Revere's Ride • Evangeline • Tales of a Wayside Inn • The Song of Hiawatha • The Courtship of Miles Standish • Hyperion

4. What is Lyric Poetry? • Has a Musical Quality • Consistent Rhyme Schemes • Uses Imagery • Does NOT Use Music • Predictable Meter (number of syllables, stressed or unstressed, per line)‏

5. Introduction to “The Wreck of the Hesperus” • Based on a real shipwreck from Dec. 1839 • Occurred off of this reef called “Norman's Woe” • 20 bodies washed ashore in Gloucester, MA • One body was still tied to a piece of the wreckage

6. Introduction to “The Wreck of the Hesperus” • Gloucester, Massachusetts remains an active fishing village today • In October 1991 a hurricane nicknamed “The Perfect Storm” caused the shipwreck of the Andrea Gail. A movie, starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, was made in 2000 based on a book by Sebastian Junger about this tragic event.

7. It was the schooner Hesperus,That sailed the wintery sea;And the skipper had taken his little daughter,To bear him company. Stanza One

8. Meaning The captain of the sailboat “The Hesperus” takes his young daughter out on a winter boat trip, to keep him company Stanza One It was the schooner Hesperus,That sailed the wintery sea;And the skipper had taken his little daughter,To bear him company.

9. Blue were her eyes as the fairy flax,Her cheeks like the dawn of day,And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds,That ope in the month of May. Stanza Two

10. Meaning The captain's daughter had blue eyes the color of a flower, rosy cheeks, and beautiful pale white skin. Stanza Two Blue were her eyes as the fairy flax,Her cheeks like the dawn of day,And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds,That ope in the month of May.

11. The skipper he stood beside the helm,His pipe was in his mouth,And he watched how the veering flaw did blowThe smoke now West, now South. Stanza Three

12. Meaning The captain was smoking his pipe at the wheel of the ship, watching the smoke change directions as gusts of wind blew. Stanza Three The skipper he stood beside the helm,His pipe was in his mouth,And he watched how the veering flaw did blowThe smoke now West, now South.

13. Then up and spake an old Sailor,Had sailed the Spanish Main,"I pray thee, put into yonder port,for I fear a hurricane. Stanza Four

14. Meaning An old sailor, who is part of the crew, begs the captain not to sail off, but to dock the ship in the port, because he feels a hurricane is coming. This sailor is clearly experienced, since he has sailed to the Caribbean. Stanza Four Then up and spake an old sailor,Had sailed the Spanish Main,"I pray thee, put into yonder port,for I fear a hurricane.

15. "Last night the moon had a golden ring,And to-night no moon we see!"The skipper, he blew whiff from his pipe,And a scornful laugh laughed he. Stanza Five

16. Meaning The sailor continues, telling the captain that last night the moon had a golden ring – a superstitious belief predicting bad weather. Also, it must be cloudy, since they can't see the moon. The captain arrogantly laughs off the sailor's request. Stanza Five "Last night the moon had a golden ring,And to-night no moon we see!"The skipper, he blew whiff from his pipe,And a scornful laugh laughed he.

17. Colder and louder blew the wind,A gale from the Northeast,The snow fell hissing in the brine,And the billows frothed like yeast. Stanza Six

18. Meaning The weather becomes colder and windier. A very strong wind blows in from the Northeast. Snow falls onto the saltwater, causing the waves to foam. Stanza Six Colder and louder blew the wind,A gale from the Northeast,The snow fell hissing in the brine,And the billows frothed like yeast.

19. Down came the storm, and smote amainThe vessel in its strength;She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed,Then leaped her cable's length. Stanza Seven

20. Meaning The storm strikes down with vigorous force. Due to the strong storm, the ship shakes, stops at the crest of a big wave, then, like a horse, jumps a long wave. Stanza Seven Down came the storm, and smote amainThe vessel in its strength;She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed,Then leaped her cable's length.

21. "Come hither! come hither! my little daughter,And do not tremble so;For I can weather the roughest galeThat ever wind did blow." Stanza Eight

22. Meaning The captain tells his daughter to get close to him, and not to be scared. He tells her he can handle the roughest weather, so she needn't worry. Stanza Eight "Come hither! come hither! my little daughter,And do not tremble so;For I can weather the roughest galeThat ever wind did blow."

23. He wrapped her warm in his seaman's coatAgainst the stinging blast;He cut a rope from a broken spar,And bound her to the mast. Stanza Nine

24. Meaning The captain wraps his daughter in his warm coat. He then braves the stinging water from the snow and waves, in order to get a piece of rope that was attached to a broken wood pole holding a sail. He uses the rope to tie her to the mast (main pole that holds the sail) of the ship. Stanza Nine He wrapped her warm in his seaman's coatAgainst the stinging blast;He cut a rope from a broken spar,And bound her to the mast.

25. "O father! I hear the church bells ring,Oh, say, what may it be?""Tis a fog-bell on a rock bound coast!" --And he steered for the open sea. Stanza Ten

26. Meaning The captain's daughter hears bells. The captain tells her they are the fog-bells (presumably coming from a lighthouse) from the coast. The captain then steers the ship farther out in the ocean. Stanza Ten "O father! I hear the church bells ring,Oh, say, what may it be?""Tis a fog-bell on a rock bound coast!" --And he steered for the open sea.

27. "O father! I hear the sound of guns;Oh, say, what may it be?"Some ship in distress, that cannot liveIn such an angry sea!” Stanza Eleven

28. Meaning The captain's daughter hears the sound of guns. The captain tells her it is the distress signal (gun shots) from a nearby ship that is calling for help due to the storm. Stanza Eleven "O father! I hear the sound of guns;Oh, say, what may it be?"Some ship in distress, that cannot liveIn such an angry sea!”

29. “O father! I see a gleaming light.Oh say, what may it be?"But the father answered never a word,A frozen corpse was he. Stanza Twelve

30. Meaning The captain's daughter sees a light, but the captain cannot respond to tell his daughter what it is, because he has frozen to death. Stanza Twelve “O father! I see a gleaming light.Oh say, what may it be?"But the father answered never a word,A frozen corpse was he.

31. Lashed to the helm, all stiff and stark,With his face turned to the skies,The lantern gleamed through the gleaming snowOn his fixed and glassy eyes. Stanza Thirteen

32. Meaning The captain's frozen body was tied to the steering wheel of the ship. His face was turned upwards. His lantern, still lit, was shining through the snow, upon his unmoving eyes. Stanza Thirteen Lashed to the helm, all stiff and stark,With his face turned to the skies,The lantern gleamed through the gleaming snowOn his fixed and glassy eyes.

33. Then the maiden clasped her hands and prayedThat saved she might be;And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave,On the Lake of Galilee. Stanza Fourteen

34. Meaning The captain's daughter prays to God to save her, recalling the story of Jesus, who had been sleeping on a boat and was awakened by his friends, pleading that he calm the stormy waters in the Sea of Galilee in Israel (from the Gospel of Luke 8:22-25). Stanza Fourteen Then the maiden clasped her hands and prayedThat saved she might be;And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave,On the Lake of Galilee.

35. And fast through the midnight dark and drear,Through the whistling sleet and snow,Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel sweptTow'rds the reef of Norman's Woe. Stanza Fifteen

36. Meaning The ship, looking like a ghost, speeds quickly through the sleet and snow, towards the reef of Norman's Woe (an existing rock reef near Gloucester, Massachusetts). Stanza Fifteen And fast through the midnight dark and drear,Through the whistling sleet and snow,Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel sweptTow'rds the reef of Norman's Woe.

37. And ever the fitful gusts betweenA sound came from the land;It was the sound of the trampling surf,On the rocks and hard sea-sand. Stanza Sixteen

38. Meaning Between the howling of the wind, the captain's daughter hears the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks and beach. Stanza Sixteen And ever the fitful gusts betweenA sound came from the land;It was the sound of the trampling surf,On the rocks and hard sea-sand.

39. The breakers were right beneath her bows,She drifted a dreary wreck,And a whooping billow swept the crewLike icicles from her deck. Stanza Seventeen

40. Meaning The crashing waves are right under the ship. The pounded ship drifts, when all of a sudden, a giant wave sweeps the sailors straight off the boat, like icicles falling off the deck of the ship. Stanza Seventeen The breakers were right beneath her bows,She drifted a dreary wreck,And a whooping billow swept the crewLike icicles from her deck.

41. She struck where the white and fleecy wavesLooked soft as carded wool,But the cruel rocks, they gored her sideLike the horns of an angry bull. Stanza Eighteen

42. Meaning The ship hits the reef. The reef is hidden by white, foamy waves that look soft and gentle. However, the waves are covering rocks that tear open the side of the ship, like the horns of an angry bull attacking. Stanza Eighteen She struck where the white and fleecy wavesLooked soft as carded wool,But the cruel rocks, they gored her sideLike the horns of an angry bull.

43. Her rattling shrouds, all sheathed in ice,With the masts went by the board;Like a vessel of glass, she stove and sank,Ho! ho! the breakers roared! Stanza Nineteen

44. Meaning The sails of the ship are covered in ice. The poles that hold the sails fall to the side. The ship breaks apart and sinks, like a fragile boat made of glass. The waves (yes, the waves of the ocean) laugh as the ship sinks. Stanza Nineteen Her rattling shrouds, all sheathed in ice,With the masts went by the board;Like a vessel of glass, she stove and sank,Ho! ho! the breakers roared!

45. At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach,A fisherman stood aghast,To see the form of a maiden fair,Lashed close to a drifting mast. Stanza Twenty

46. Meaning The next morning, a fisherman, who is walking on the beach, is shocked to sea the body of the captain's beautiful daughter, still tied to the pole, washed up on the shore. Stanza Twenty At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach,A fisherman stood aghast,To see the form of a maiden fair,Lashed close to a drifting mast.

47. The salt sea was frozen on her breast,The salt tears in her eyes;And he saw her hair, like the brown sea-weed,On the billows fall and rise. Stanza Twenty-One

48. Meaning Frozen drops of saltwater were stuck to her chest, and frozen drops of tears in her eyes. Her hair was floating up and down, like the seaweed, on the gentle waves of the shore. Stanza Twenty-One The salt sea was frozen on her breast,The salt tears in her eyes;And he saw her hair, like the brown sea-weed,On the billows fall and rise.

49. Such was the wreck of the Hesperus,In the midnight and the snow!Christ save us all from a death like this,On the reef of Norman's Woe! Stanza Twenty-Two

50. Meaning This is the story of the shipwreck of the “Hesperus,” during the snowstorm at midnight. May God protect all of us from dying this way, on the rocky reefs of Norman's Woe. Stanza Twenty-Two Such was the wreck of the Hesperus,In the midnight and the snow!Christ save us all from a death like this,On the reef of Norman's Woe!