The mood of this poem evokes in me a strong attachment to the lines. The words are soft and tranquil—"leisurely," "embrace," "tapering faintly"—and develop an enveloping air of peace and contentedness. The journey of the poem is not frightening or exciting, but calming. I experience life in this way (rather, I've chosen to), where life is a slowly unfolding revelation of beauty. The poem reaches that part of me.
The poem's message is a clear suggestion to the reader to experience the untested tides of their lives instead of remaining in the shallows. The poem states that these journeys profoundly affect our persons, providing wellsprings of new experiences. The excursion need not be permanent either, which Stafford demonstrates by the guiding call of Aunt Dolbee in the final stanza.
This is a poem that exists in the beauty of its reading, developing a mood to be absorbed as well as a snippet of life advice.
I enjoyed the way you described the poem's calming effect. I have not read the poem; however, just reading your response filled me with tranquility. If your description of the poem was so calming, I can't imagine what the poem was like!
ReplyDeleteI have you marked as missing this one? Did I just miss it? Sorry!
ReplyDeleteThis poem is such a lovely story. I think you've captured it nicely.