Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PICTURES OF TRAVEL: THE BALTIC, PART 2: 2. THUNDERSTORM, by HEINRICH HEINE Poet's Biography First Line: Heavily lies on the ocean the storm Last Line: "and thou, knight of the ring, polydeuces!" Subject(s): Sea; Storms; Ocean | ||||||||
HEAVILY lies on the ocean the storm, And through the darksome wall of clouds Quivers the forked lightning flash, Suddenly gleaming and suddenly vanishing, Like a thought from the head of Cronion. Over the desert, far-heaving water Afar the thunders are rolling, The snowy billowy horses are springing, Which Boreas' self did engender Out of the beautiful mares of Erichton, And the seafowl are mournfully fluttering, Like shadowy corpses by Styx, By Charon repulsed from his desolate bark. Poor, but merry little ship, Yonder dancing the strangest dance! AEolus sends it his briskest attendants, Who wildly strike up for the frolicsome dance; The one is piping, another is blowing, The third is beating the hollow double-bass -- And the staggering sailor stands at the rudder, And on the compass is steadily looking, That trembling soul of the vessel, And raises his hands in entreaty to heaven; "O rescue me, Castor, thou hero gigantic, "And thou, knight of the ring, Polydeuces!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...HALL OF OCEAN LIFE by JOHN HOLLANDER JULY FOURTH BY THE OCEAN by ROBINSON JEFFERS BOATS IN A FOG by ROBINSON JEFFERS CONTINENT'S END by ROBINSON JEFFERS THE FIGUREHEAD by LEONIE ADAMS |
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