Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral · Chapter
II explained
The power of the sea responds to a song, and the blue-eyed daughters of the sea glide along with sweeter cadence.
What happens
The power of the sea responds to a song, and the blue-eyed daughters of the sea glide along with sweeter cadence. The Thames joins the song, and Sol (the sun) shines benignly, doubling the radiance of the day.
Themes in this chapter
Classical and Biblical Allusion
References to classical figures such as Sol (the sun god) and the blue-eyed daughters of the sea (likely the Nereids or Muses) evoke a mythological framework.
Divine Providence and Nature
The natural world responds harmoniously to the song, with the sea, Thames, and sun all participating in a providential order.
Characters to notice
- Sol
The sun god, who sheds his benign ray and doubles the radiance of the day in response to the song.
Key passages
“The Pow’r propitious hears the lay, The blue-ey’d daughters of the sea With sweeter cadence glide along, And Thames responsive joins the song.”
A favorable power listens to the poem, and the sea nymphs move more gracefully in time, while the River Thames joins in harmony.
Describes the personified forces of nature responding to the poet's song.
“Pleas’d with their notes Sol sheds benign his ray, And double radiance decks the face of day.”
The sun, pleased with the music, shines kindly and makes the daylight twice as bright.
Sol (the sun) amplifies his light in approval of the harmonious scene.