"Of an anxious watch, perched in the bow
As it dashed under cliffs. My feet were cast
In icy bands, bound with frost,
With frozen chains, and hardship groaned
Around my heart. Hunger tore
At my sea-weary soul. No man sheltered..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
Lines 7–12 use caesuras to develop the seafarer’s bleak tale. A caesura is a pause within a line of poetry, usually in the form of a period (.), comma (,), em dash (—), or ellipses (...). In this context, caesuras reinforce the poem’s rhythm while also emphasizing the stark, distressing images of the seafarer’s suffering.
"It tells
Of smashing surf when I sweated in the cold..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The repetition of words beginning with the letter “s” in line 6 is an example of sibilance. Sibilance involves repeating words containing the letter “s” in order to create a hissing sound when the words are read aloud. The words “smashing,” “surf,” and “sweated” highlight both visual and aural imagery in order to immerse the reader in the seafarer’s experience.
"And forth in sorrow and fear and pain..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The repetition of the word “and” in line 3 is an example of polysyndeton, a device in which conjunctions like “and,” “but,” and “or” are repeated in rapid succession. In this context, polysyndeton establishes the poem’s gloomy tone by slowing down the pace of the line in order to emphasize the nouns “sorrow,” “fear,” and “pain.”
"This tale is true, and mine. It tells..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
Lines 1–3 use enjambment, a device in which a sentence, phrase, or thought that originates in one line flows into subsequent lines. Enjambment appears many times throughout “The Seafarer” to create anticipation, urgency, and emotional intensity.
