Poetry · Chapter
Turn o’ the Tide explained
The poem reflects on the ebb and flow of the tide in Seal Harbour, using the movement of ships to symbolize the human heart's desire for both adventure and rest, and the balance between freedom and home.
What happens
The poem reflects on the ebb and flow of the tide in Seal Harbour, using the movement of ships to symbolize the human heart's desire for both adventure and rest, and the balance between freedom and home.
Themes in this chapter
Spiritual Peace and Rest
The tide's ebb brings a yearning to rest in the lee of the high hill land, holding haven and stay, reflecting a desire for spiritual peace.
The Pilgrimage of Life
The little ships venture a voyage they know not where, symbolizing life's journey and the constant turning between adventure and home.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator's heart goes round with the vessels, experiencing the turn of the tide as a mystical call to range far or find harbor in love's true home.
Key passages
“The tide flows in to the harbour— The bold tide, the gold tide, the flood o’ the sunlit sea— And the little ships riding at anchor, Are swinging and slanting their prows to the ocean, panting To lift their wings to the wide wild air, And venture a voyage they know not where— To fly away and be free!”
The incoming tide brings a sense of adventure, as anchored ships turn toward the open sea, eager to sail into the unknown and experience freedom.
The rising tide symbolizes the call to explore and embrace life's uncertainties.
“The tide runs out of the harbour— The low tide, the slow tide, the ebb o’ the moonlit bay— And the little ships rocking at anchor, Are rounding and turning their bows to the landward, yearning To breathe the breath of the sun-warmed strand, To rest in the lee of the high hill land— To hold their haven and stay!”
The outgoing tide turns the ships back toward land, longing for the comfort and safety of the shore and a place to rest.
The ebbing tide represents the desire for security, rest, and the comfort of home.
“My heart goes round with the vessels— My wild heart, my child heart, in love with the sea and the land— And the turn o’ the tide passes through it, In rising and falling with mystical currents, calling At morn, to range where the far waves foam, At night, to a harbour in love’s true home, With the hearts that understand!”
The narrator's heart mirrors the ships' movements, feeling the pull of both the sea and the land, and finding that the tide's rhythm leads from morning adventure to evening rest in a loving home.
The turn of the tide becomes a metaphor for the heart's dual longing for freedom and belonging.