Leaves of Grass · Chapter
Sea-Drift explained
A collection of poems evoking the vastness, mystery, and emotional power of the sea, exploring themes of solitude, longing, death, and the eternal cycle of nature.
What happens
A collection of poems evoking the vastness, mystery, and emotional power of the sea, exploring themes of solitude, longing, death, and the eternal cycle of nature.
Themes in this chapter
Death and Immortality
The sea's endless motion mirrors the cycle of life and death, suggesting a form of immortality through nature.
Celebration of Nature and the Universe
The sea is depicted as a powerful, awe-inspiring force that connects the individual to the cosmos.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Out of the cradle endlessly rocking”
From the cradle of the sea, endlessly swaying
Opens the poem with the sea as a source of life and memory.
“The sea whisper'd me”
The sea spoke softly to me
Personifies the sea as a communicator of deep truths.