Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE SWIMMER (1), by RODEN BERKELEY WRIOTHESLEY NOEL Poet's Biography First Line: Who would linger idle Last Line: And shadow-haunted ocean gleams. Subject(s): Swimming & Swimmers | ||||||||
Who would linger idle, Dallying would lie, When wind and wave, a bridal Celebrating, fly? Let him plunge among them, Who hath wooed enough, Flirted with them, sung them, In the salt sea-trough. He may win them, onward On a buoyant crest, Far to seaward, sunward, Ocean-borne to rest! Wild wind will sing over him, And the free foam cover him, Swimming seaward, sunward, On a blithe sea-breast! On a blithe sea-bosom Swims another too, Swims a live sea-blossom, A grey-winged sea-mew! Grape-green all the waves are, By whose hurrying line Half of ships and caves are Buried under brine; Supple, shifting ranges Lucent at the crest, With pearly surface-changes Never laid to rest; Now a dipping gunwale Momently he sees, Now a fuming funnel, Or red flag in the breeze; Arms flung open wide, Lip the laughing sea; For playfellow, for bride, Claim her impetuously! Triumphantly exult with all the free, Buoyant, bounding splendour of the sea! And if while on the billow Wearily he lay, His awful wild playfellow Filled his mouth with spray, Reft him of his breath, To some far realms away He would float with Death; Wild wind would sing over him, And the free foam over him, Waft him sleeping, sunward, All alone with Death; In a realm of wondrous dreams And shadow-haunted ocean gleams. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...NOW THE CHILDREN ARE OLD ENOUGH by ANDREW MOTION STARING AT THE PACIFIC, AND SWIMMING IN IT by ALICIA SUSKIN OSTRIKER THE SWIMMER by JOHN CROWE RANSOM STILL ON WATER by KENNETH REXROTH SEA SLUMBER-SONG by RODEN BERKELEY WRIOTHESLEY NOEL |
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