The Wanderers

The Wanderers

OVER the sea our galleys went,

With cleaving prows in order brave

To a speeding wind and a bounding wave--

A gallant armament:

Each bark built out of a forest-tree

Left leafy and rough as first it grew,

And nail'd all over the gaping sides,

Within and without, with black bull-hides,

Seethed in fat and suppled in flame,

To bear the playful billows' game;

So, each good ship was rude to see,

Rude and bare to the outward view.

But each upbore a stately tent

Where cedar pales in scented row

Kept out the flakes of the dancing brine,

And an awning droop'd the mast below,

In fold on fold of the purple fine,

That neither noontide nor star-shine

Nor moonlight cold which maketh mad,

Might pierce the regal tenement.

When the sun dawn'd, O, gay and glad

We set the sail and plied the oar;

But when the night-wind blew like breath,

For joy of one day's voyage more,

We sang together on the wide sea,

Like men at peace on a peaceful shore;

Each sail was loosed to the wind so free,

Each helm made sure by the twilight star,

And in a sleep as calm as death,

We, the voyagers from afar,

Lay stretch'd along, each weary crew

In a circle round its wondrous tent

Whence gleam'd soft light and curl'd rich scent,

And with light and perfume, music too:

So the stars wheel'd round, and the darkness past,

And at morn we started beside the mast,

And still each ship was sailing fast!

Now, one morn, land appear'd--a speck

Dim trembling betwixt sea and sky--

'Avoid it,' cried our pilot, 'check

The shout, restrain the eager eye!'

But the heaving sea was black behind

For many a night and many a day,

And land, though but a rock, drew nigh;

So we broke the cedar pales away,

Let the purple awning flap in the wind,

And a statue bright was on every deck!

We shouted, every man of us,

And steer'd right into the harbour thus,

With pomp and paean glorious.

A hundred shapes of lucid stone!

All day we built its shrine for each,

A shrine of rock for ever one,

Nor paused till in the westering sun

We sat together on the beach

To sing because our task was done;

When lo! what shouts and merry songs!

What laughter all the distance stirs!

A loaded raft with happy throngs

Of gentle islanders!

'Our isles are just at hand,' they cried,

'Like cloudlets faint in even sleeping;

Our temple-gates are open'd wide,

Our olive-groves thick shade are keeping

For these majestic forms'--they cried.

O, then we awoke with sudden start

From our deep dream, and knew, too late,

How bare the rock, how desolate,

Which had received our precious freight:

Yet we call'd out--'Depart!

Our gifts, once given, must here abide:

Our work is done; we have no heart

To mar our work,'--we cried.

Robert Browning

This lengthy peoms can almost be sung instead if being read. In fact it resembles a pirate folk song. It has 74 verses and it is about the adventures of the Wanderers. These Wanderers travel on sea on a boat through day and night. They reach shore and thus a harbour, where they see enormous buildings of lucid stone and of glorious shapes. They rest on a beach, and meet the islanders, who speak about the majestic land on which they live on. At the end of the poem the Wanderers awake from their dream. They are actually on an area of desolate rocks, and must go back to work. I believe the Wanderers in this poem are workers, who, bored and unsatisfied with their life, wander off with their minds to distant places to escape their everyday routine. The Wanderers who travel don't really exist, but become real because of the will of the workers. For a few minutes, these people become Wanderers and manage to travel to remote places. Unfortunately the beauty of this dream is shattered and the workers must return to reality. I believe Browning's message in this poem is that anyone can become a traveler, and that the only tool needed is one's mind.

In this poem the theme of "Imagination" is a central one

Among the Rocks

Among the Rocks

Oh, good gigantic smile o' the brown old earth,

This autumn morning! How he sets his bones

To bask i' the sun, and thrusts out knees and feet

For the ripple to run over in its mirth;

Listening the while, where on the heap of stones

The white breast of the sea-lark twitters sweet.

That is the doctrine, simple, ancient, true;

Such is life's trial, as old earth smiles and knows.

If you loved only what were worth your love,

Love were clear gain, and wholly well for you:

Make the low nature better by your throes!

Give earth yourself, go up for gain above!

Robert Browning

"Among the Rocks" is a twelve verse poem that praises the earth. The first verse "Oh, good gigantic smile o' the brown old earth" introduces this ode to the earth. A sense of serenity then is found throughout the poem. Words such as "sets" (verse two), "bask" (verse three) give a sense of relaxation. The poet also describes the scenery among the rocks. In verse two the reader understands that it is a morning of autumn, while on verse five a heap of stones is described. The poet then continues to speak about an ancient doctrine, probably speaking of the earth. Also love is mentioned, and probably this love is referred to not only a person but also to the earth, for it is ancient and true. The poem concludes itself with the line "Give earth yourself, go up for gain above!" (verse 1twelve). This could represent the love for earth, or maybe even death. By dying, one is giving his/her body back to earth, the "mother of all life". The "gain above" could be the afterlife, such as Paradise, or maybe the final reunion with earth. I believe this poem is trying to convey that our final destiny is to be reunited with our creator, the earth, and that it is the only true pure thing that exists.

A few facts about "Among the Rocks"