The ocean said to me once, by Stephen Crane — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

The ocean said to me once, "Look! Yonder on the shore Is a woman, weeping. I have watched her. Go you and tell her this — Her lover I have laid In cool green hall. There is wealth of golden sand And pillars, coral-red; Two white fish stand guard at his bier. "Tell her this And more — That the king of the seas Weeps too, old, helpless man. The bustling fates Heap his hands with corpses Until he stands like a child With a surplus of toys."

Translation (English)

The ocean once told me, "Look! Over there on the shore Is a woman crying. I have been watching her. Go and tell her this — I have placed her lover In a cool green place. There is plenty of golden sand And red coral pillars; Two white fish guard his resting place. "Tell her this And more — That the king of the seas Also cries, an old, helpless man. The busy fates Fill his hands with dead bodies Until he stands like a child With too many toys."

About the Poet

Stephen Crane (Realist, Naturalism, Impressionism)

Stephen Crane (1871–1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer known for his innovative works in the Realist tradition. He gained fame with his Civil War novel 'The Red Badge of Courage' and wrote notable pieces in American Naturalism and Impressionism. Crane's life was marked by financial struggles and ill health, and he died at the age of 28.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Free verse
When Written: Late 19th century
Background: The poem reflects themes of loss, helplessness, and the inevitability of fate, common in Crane's work. It may have been influenced by his experiences as a war correspondent and his personal struggles.

Sources: https://www.poetryverse.com/stephen-crane-poems/king-seas, https://poetandpoem.com/Stephen-Maria-Crane/The-ocean-said-to-me-once, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Crane

Detailed Explanation

The poem by Stephen Crane presents a conversation between the speaker and the ocean, personifying the ocean as a sentient being capable of observing and communicating. The ocean tells the speaker about a woman weeping on the shore because her lover has died. The ocean has laid her lover to rest in a beautiful underwater setting, described with imagery of golden sand and coral-red pillars, guarded by two white fish. This setting contrasts with the woman's sorrow, suggesting a peaceful afterlife. The ocean also shares that the 'king of the seas' weeps as well, overwhelmed by the fates that bring him an abundance of corpses, likening him to a child with too many toys. This metaphor highlights the helplessness and inevitability of death and fate, themes often explored by Crane. The poem uses vivid imagery and personification to convey emotions of loss and resignation.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
yonder	over there	in that direction, at some distance	yon-der
weeping	crying	crying	weep-ing
bier	platform for a coffin	platform for a coffin	beer
surplus	extra	extra	sur-plus
fates	destinies	forces determining events	fayts
coral	marine organism structure	hard, colorful sea structure	kor-al
pillars	columns	upright structures	pil-lars
helpless	powerless	unable to help oneself	help-less
bustling	busy	full of activity	bus-tling
corpse	dead body	body of a deceased person	korps

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