# Little Boatie explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Henry van Dyke Jr..

## What happens

A lullaby for a fisherman's child, urging the 'little boatie' to come to rest in a safe harbor while the father is away at sea. The poem contrasts the child's sheltered life with the dangers of the deep, ending with a prayer for the father's safe return and a promise of love's protective light.

## Themes in this chapter

### Spiritual Peace and Rest

The entire poem is a call to rest, with imagery of a safe harbor, still tides, and the 'port of Sleep' as a metaphor for divine peace.

### Love and Sacrifice

The speaker's love for the child is expressed through protective care, while the father's labor at sea represents sacrifice for the family.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker, presumably a mother or guardian, sings a lullaby to the child, expressing care and concern for the father at sea.

### the Captain

Implied as the father who is 'at the deep-sea trawling' and for whom the speaker prays for safe return.

## Key lines

> Furl your sail, my little boatie; Here’s the haven still and deep, Where the dreaming tides in-streaming Up the channel creep.

Bring your boat to rest in this calm, safe harbor where the gentle tides flow softly.

_The opening lines establish the lullaby's central metaphor of a boat finding peaceful anchorage._

> Father’s at the deep-sea trawling, In the darkness, rowing, hauling, While the hungry winds are calling⁠— God protect him, little boatie, Bring him safely home!

Your father is working hard on the dangerous sea in the dark; may God keep him safe and guide him back to us.

_The speaker shifts from comforting the child to expressing anxiety for the father's safety, blending prayer with the lullaby._

> Furl your sail, my little boatie, Fold your wings, my weary dove.

Rest now, my little boat; settle down like a tired bird folding its wings.

_The metaphor shifts from boat to dove, reinforcing the theme of peaceful rest._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_10_se/chapters/little-boatie
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_10_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_10_se/chapters