Original Poem
"The Barrelship" Climb aboard, and hoist the weight— Rum in kegs—our precious freight, Anchors pull and ropes untie; Kiss the sea and greet the sky! Climbed aboard, and lost our way By the waves' unyielding sway Ten and eight, oh seven more That is when we crashed ashore Days have passed, and minds have gone Barrels lost were, by the tonne Opened one to take a drink Now I can not sleep a wink— Gold aside, and freight forget— As the Sun's about to set, Horror sets in—Reaper's joy— For inside was but a boy. (Note: the numbers are a year)
Translation (English)
Get on board, and lift the heavy load—
Rum in barrels—our valuable cargo,
Pull up the anchors and untie the ropes;
Say hello to the sea and the sky!
We got on board, and lost our direction
Because of the waves' relentless movement
Eighteen, oh seven more
That's when we hit the shore
Days have gone by, and minds have deteriorated
Barrels were lost, by the ton
Opened one to have a drink
Now I can't sleep at all—
Forget the gold, and the cargo—
As the Sun is about to go down,
Fear sets in—Death's delight—
For inside was just a child.
About the Poet
Unknown (Unknown)
The poet of 'The Barrelship' is unknown. The poem appears to be a modern piece, possibly written in the 21st century.
Historical Context
- Literary Form
- Narrative poem
- When Written
- Unknown, possibly 21st century
- Background
- The poem seems to explore themes of adventure, loss, and unexpected tragedy, possibly reflecting on the perils of exploration and the unforeseen consequences of human actions.
Sources: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/58093/ships-56d23c2b060f0, https://poemuseum.org/ms-found-in-a-bottle/
Detailed Explanation
The poem 'The Barrelship' narrates a tale of a sea voyage that turns tragic. It begins with the excitement of setting sail, carrying rum as precious cargo. However, the journey quickly turns perilous as the crew loses their way due to the relentless waves. The numbers mentioned (eighteen and seven) likely refer to a year, hinting at a historical or fictional event. As time passes, the crew's mental state deteriorates, and they lose barrels of rum. In a moment of desperation, they open a barrel to drink, only to discover a horrifying truth—inside is a boy, possibly a stowaway or victim of the voyage. The poem explores themes of adventure, loss, and the unexpected consequences of human actions, using vivid imagery and a narrative style to convey the emotional depth of the experience.
Themes
Literary Devices
Word Dictionary
| Word | Meaning | Translation | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| aboard | on the ship | on a ship | uh-bawrd |
| hoist | lift | raise | hoyst |
| freight | cargo | goods | freyt |
| unyielding | unrelenting | unyielding | uhn-yeel-ding |
| sway | movement | swing | sway |
| tonne | metric ton | weight | tun |
| wink | moment of sleep | short sleep | wink |
| Reaper | Death | Death | ree-per |
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