Convergence of the Twain: Lines on the Loss of the 'Titanic' by Thomas Hardy.
"Dim moon-eyed fishes near
Gaze at the gilded gear
And query: 'What does this vaingloriousness down here?'"
This poem, from what I can tell, came soon after the Titanic sank on her maiden voyage. To me, this poem represents the waste of the beauty that sank to the bottom of the sea. The speaker mocks how the elegance of the massive ship does not matter to the creatures at the bottom of the Atlantic and how the sea does not care or consider the beauty and craftsmanship that went into the building of the ship as it sinks and settles. In a way, I sense the speaker mourning the loss of the vessel and all who went down with her.
In the speakers tone at the beginning, I felt like they were condemning the vanity and arrogance that contributed to the accident that led to the deaths of hundreds on the Titanic. Overall, this was a sad poem. This poem almost seemed like a story of remembrance or a reminder that tragedy can happen at any time.
Something to think about....
No comments:
Post a Comment