Introduction: “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow first appeared in 1842 as part of his collection Ballads and Other Poems. This dramatic ballad tells the tragic story of a schooner caught in a violent storm, emphasizing themes of human pride, fate, and the power of nature. The skipper, ignoring an old sailor’s warning, sails into a hurricane, leading to the shipwreck and the death of all aboard, including his innocent daughter. The poem’s vivid imagery, such as “The breakers were right beneath her bows, / She drifted a dreary wreck”, and its haunting conclusion, where the maiden is found lashed to the mast, contribute to its lasting impact. The poem’s popularity stems from its lyrical quality, gripping narrative, and moral lesson, warning against arrogance in the face of nature’s might. Its inspiration from real-life shipwrecks, particularly near Norman’s Woe in Massachusetts, adds to its historical and emotional resonance.
Text: “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
It was the schooner Hesperus,
That sailed the wintry sea;
And the skipper had taken his little daughtèr,
To bear him company.
Blue were her eyes as the fairy-flax,
Her cheeks like the dawn of day,
And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds,
That ope in the month of May.
The skipper he stood beside the helm,
His pipe was in his mouth,
And he watched how the veering flaw did blow
The smoke now West, now South.
Then up and spake an old Sailòr,
Had sailed to the Spanish Main,
“I pray thee, put into yonder port,
For I fear a hurricane.
“Last night, the moon had a golden ring,
And to-night no moon we see!”
The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe,
And a scornful laugh laughed he.
Colder and louder blew the wind,
A gale from the Northeast,
The snow fell hissing in the brine,
And the billows frothed like yeast.
Down came the storm, and smote amain
The vessel in its strength;
She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed,
Then leaped her cable’s length.
“Come hither! come hither! my little daughtèr,
And do not tremble so;
For I can weather the roughest gale
That ever wind did blow.”
He wrapped her warm in his seaman’s coat
Against the stinging blast;
He cut a rope from a broken spar,
And bound her to the mast.
“O father! I hear the church-bells ring,
Oh say, what may it be?”
“‘T is a fog-bell on a rock-bound coast!” —
And he steered for the open sea.
“O father! I hear the sound of guns,
Oh say, what may it be?”
“Some ship in distress, that cannot live
In such an angry sea!”
“O father! I see a gleaming light,
Oh say, what may it be?”
But the father answered never a word,
A frozen corpse was he.
Lashed to the helm, all stiff and stark,
With his face turned to the skies,
The lantern gleamed through the gleaming snow
On his fixed and glassy eyes.
Then the maiden clasped her hands and prayed
That savèd she might be;
And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave
On the Lake of Galilee.
And fast through the midnight dark and drear,
Through the whistling sleet and snow,
Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel swept
Tow’rds the reef of Norman’s Woe.
And ever the fitful gusts between
A sound came from the land;
It was the sound of the trampling surf
On the rocks and the hard sea-sand.
The breakers were right beneath her bows,
She drifted a dreary wreck,
And a whooping billow swept the crew
Like icicles from her deck.
She struck where the white and fleecy waves
Looked soft as carded wool,
But the cruel rocks, they gored her side
Like the horns of an angry bull.
Her rattling shrouds, all sheathed in ice,
With the masts went by the board;
Like a vessel of glass, she stove and sank,
Ho! ho! the breakers roared!
At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach,
A fisherman stood aghast,
To see the form of a maiden fair,
Lashed close to a drifting mast.
The salt sea was frozen on her breast,
The salt tears in her eyes;
And he saw her hair, like the brown sea-weed,
On the billows fall and rise.
Such was the wreck of the Hesperus,
In the midnight and the snow!
Christ save us all from a death like this,
On the reef of Norman’s Woe!
Annotations: “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| Original Stanza | Meaning in Simple English |
| It was the schooner Hesperus, / That sailed the wintry sea; / And the skipper had taken his little daughtèr, / To bear him company. | A ship called Hesperus sailed into a cold, stormy sea. The captain took his young daughter along for the journey. |
| Blue were her eyes as the fairy-flax, / Her cheeks like the dawn of day, / And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds, / That ope in the month of May. | The captain’s daughter was beautiful, with blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and fair skin. She is described as pure and delicate. |
| The skipper he stood beside the helm, / His pipe was in his mouth, / And he watched how the veering flaw did blow / The smoke now West, now South. | The captain stood at the ship’s wheel, smoking his pipe, and watched the changing wind directions. |
| Then up and spake an old Sailòr, / Had sailed to the Spanish Main, / “I pray thee, put into yonder port, / For I fear a hurricane.” | An experienced sailor warns the captain to take shelter at a nearby port because he senses a storm is coming. |
| “Last night, the moon had a golden ring, / And to-night no moon we see!” / The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe, / And a scornful laugh laughed he. | The old sailor notices a weather sign (a golden ring around the moon) that predicts a storm, but the captain arrogantly ignores him and laughs. |
| Colder and louder blew the wind, / A gale from the Northeast, / The snow fell hissing in the brine, / And the billows frothed like yeast. | The storm grows stronger, with freezing winds and heavy snow. The waves churn violently. |
| Down came the storm, and smote amain / The vessel in its strength; / She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed, / Then leaped her cable’s length. | The storm hits the ship with full force. The ship trembles like a frightened horse before being tossed violently. |
| “Come hither! come hither! my little daughtèr, / And do not tremble so; / For I can weather the roughest gale / That ever wind did blow.” | The captain comforts his daughter, telling her not to be afraid because he believes he can handle the storm. |
| He wrapped her warm in his seaman’s coat / Against the stinging blast; / He cut a rope from a broken spar, / And bound her to the mast. | He wraps his daughter in a coat to keep her warm and ties her to the mast so she won’t be swept away. |
| “O father! I hear the church-bells ring, / Oh say, what may it be?” / “‘T is a fog-bell on a rock-bound coast!” — / And he steered for the open sea. | The daughter hears what she thinks are church bells, but the captain says it’s a fog bell warning of danger. He sails farther into the storm instead of seeking safety. |
| “O father! I hear the sound of guns, / Oh say, what may it be?” / “Some ship in distress, that cannot live / In such an angry sea!” | The daughter hears gunfire from a ship in distress, but they cannot help because of the storm. |
| “O father! I see a gleaming light, / Oh say, what may it be?” / But the father answered never a word, / A frozen corpse was he. | The daughter sees a light, but the captain does not respond—he has frozen to death. |
| Lashed to the helm, all stiff and stark, / With his face turned to the skies, / The lantern gleamed through the gleaming snow / On his fixed and glassy eyes. | The captain is still tied to the ship’s wheel, his dead body frozen in place with his eyes staring blankly upward. |
| Then the maiden clasped her hands and prayed / That savèd she might be; / And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave / On the Lake of Galilee. | The girl prays to be saved and remembers the story of Jesus calming the sea. |
| And fast through the midnight dark and drear, / Through the whistling sleet and snow, / Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel swept / Tow’rds the reef of Norman’s Woe. | The ghostly-looking ship drifts through the storm toward the deadly reef called Norman’s Woe. |
| And ever the fitful gusts between / A sound came from the land; / It was the sound of the trampling surf / On the rocks and the hard sea-sand. | The crashing waves and rough surf can be heard from the shore. |
| The breakers were right beneath her bows, / She drifted a dreary wreck, / And a whooping billow swept the crew / Like icicles from her deck. | The ship is directly above dangerous waves and crashes. The waves wash the sailors overboard like icicles. |
| She struck where the white and fleecy waves / Looked soft as carded wool, / But the cruel rocks, they gored her side / Like the horns of an angry bull. | The ship crashes into the rocks, which look harmless from afar but are actually deadly. |
| Her rattling shrouds, all sheathed in ice, / With the masts went by the board; / Like a vessel of glass, she stove and sank, / Ho! ho! the breakers roared! | The ship breaks apart, covered in ice, and sinks. The waves roar in victory. |
| At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach, / A fisherman stood aghast, / To see the form of a maiden fair, / Lashed close to a drifting mast. | In the morning, a fisherman finds the dead body of the girl tied to a piece of the ship’s wreckage. |
| The salt sea was frozen on her breast, / The salt tears in her eyes; / And he saw her hair, like the brown sea-weed, / On the billows fall and rise. | The girl’s body is frozen with seawater and tears, and her hair floats in the waves like seaweed. |
| Such was the wreck of the Hesperus, / In the midnight and the snow! / Christ save us all from a death like this, / On the reef of Norman’s Woe! | The poem ends with a warning: may God protect others from suffering the same terrible fate. |
Literary/Poetic Devices: “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| Literary Device | Example | Explanation |
| 1. Alliteration | “The breakers were right beneath her bows” | Repetition of the “b” sound creates a rhythmic effect and enhances the imagery. |
| 2. Allusion | “And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave / On the Lake of Galilee.” | Reference to the biblical story of Jesus calming the sea, reinforcing the theme of faith. |
| 3. Apostrophe | “Come hither! come hither! my little daughtèr” | The captain directly addresses his daughter, though she is helpless in the situation. |
| 4. Assonance | “The snow fell hissing in the brine” | Repetition of the “i” sound creates a hissing effect that mimics the sound of the snow. |
| 5. Consonance | “And the billows frothed like yeast” | The repetition of the “t” and “s” sounds enhances the rhythmic flow of the poem. |
| 6. Enjambment | “And fast through the midnight dark and drear, / Through the whistling sleet and snow” | The sentence flows beyond the line break, maintaining the poem’s natural rhythm. |
| 7. Foreshadowing | “Last night, the moon had a golden ring, / And to-night no moon we see!” | The old sailor’s weather prediction hints at the impending storm and disaster. |
| 8. Hyperbole | “For I can weather the roughest gale / That ever wind did blow.” | The captain exaggerates his ability to withstand any storm, showcasing his arrogance. |
| 9. Imagery | “The salt sea was frozen on her breast, / The salt tears in her eyes” | Strong visual and tactile descriptions help the reader picture the frozen body of the girl. |
| 10. Irony | The captain ignores the sailor’s warning and believes he can handle the storm, but he dies. | His arrogance leads to his downfall, demonstrating situational irony. |
| 11. Metaphor | “The billows frothed like yeast.” | The waves are compared to rising yeast to emphasize their movement and turbulence. |
| 12. Mood | “Through the whistling sleet and snow, / Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel swept” | The mood is eerie and ominous, reinforcing the tragic atmosphere. |
| 13. Onomatopoeia | “Ho! ho! the breakers roared!” | The word “roared” mimics the loud, crashing sound of the waves. |
| 14. Paradox | “Some ship in distress, that cannot live / In such an angry sea!” | The idea that a ship “cannot live” presents a paradox, as ships are meant for the sea but are powerless against it. |
| 15. Personification | “The cruel rocks, they gored her side / Like the horns of an angry bull.” | The rocks are given human-like cruelty and compared to a raging bull. |
| 16. Repetition | “O father! I hear…” (repeated multiple times) | Repeating the daughter’s desperate cries emphasizes her fear and helplessness. |
| 17. Rhyme Scheme | “It was the schooner Hesperus, / That sailed the wintry sea; / And the skipper had taken his little daughtèr, / To bear him company.” | The poem follows a ballad meter with an ABCB rhyme scheme, creating a song-like quality. |
| 18. Simile | “Her cheeks like the dawn of day.” | The daughter’s cheeks are compared to the soft, warm colors of dawn, highlighting her innocence and beauty. |
| 19. Symbolism | The daughter represents innocence, while the storm represents fate and uncontrollable forces. | Objects and events in the poem symbolize deeper meanings about life, death, and fate. |
| 20. Tone | The tone shifts from calm and proud at the beginning to tragic and sorrowful at the end. | The poem’s tone reflects the captain’s overconfidence at first and then the overwhelming power of nature. |
Themes: “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1. Human Pride and Arrogance: One of the central themes of the poem is the danger of human arrogance and overconfidence in the face of nature. The skipper, despite being warned by an old sailor about an approaching hurricane, dismisses the warning with a scornful laugh, saying, “Last night, the moon had a golden ring, / And to-night no moon we see!” The old sailor recognizes this as a sign of an impending storm, yet the captain remains overconfident in his abilities and refuses to seek shelter. His pride blinds him to the reality of the danger, leading to the destruction of his ship, the loss of his crew, and most tragically, the death of his innocent daughter. His arrogance represents the common human tendency to ignore warnings and overestimate control over nature, making this a timeless cautionary tale.
2. The Power of Nature: Throughout the poem, nature is depicted as a force far greater than human strength or skill. The storm arrives with immense force, described as, “Colder and louder blew the wind, / A gale from the Northeast.” The wind, snow, and waves mercilessly attack the ship, showing that nature is indifferent to human life. The storm ultimately proves stronger than the skipper’s skill, breaking the ship apart and sending it toward the deadly reef of Norman’s Woe. The raging sea and cruel rocks are personified as merciless and destructive forces, especially in the lines, “The cruel rocks, they gored her side / Like the horns of an angry bull.” This theme highlights how nature is unpredictable and uncontrollable, no matter how skilled or confident humans may be.
3. Innocence and Tragedy: The poem emphasizes the tragedy of innocence lost, particularly through the captain’s young daughter. She is described with pure and delicate imagery, such as, “Blue were her eyes as the fairy-flax, / Her cheeks like the dawn of day.” Her presence on the ship symbolizes vulnerability and purity, making her fate even more heartbreaking. She repeatedly expresses fear, asking her father about the church bells, gunfire, and the distant light, but he reassures her without realizing the doom ahead. The most tragic moment comes when the skipper dies, leaving her alone and helpless. In the end, her lifeless body is found lashed to a drifting mast, her beauty and innocence frozen in death: “The salt sea was frozen on her breast, / The salt tears in her eyes.” This theme reflects the senseless suffering of the innocent, reinforcing the poem’s emotional depth and tragic impact.
4. Fate and Divine Intervention: The poem also explores the idea of fate and divine will in human life. The captain’s choices and the natural forces at play suggest that the ship was doomed from the start, as if destiny had already sealed their fate. The daughter, in her final moments, turns to faith and prayer: “And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave / On the Lake of Galilee.” This reference to Jesus calming the storm in the Bible suggests that she seeks divine intervention, but unlike in the biblical story, her prayers go unanswered. This contrast emphasizes the powerlessness of humans against fate and suggests that sometimes, no matter how much one prays or hopes, destiny unfolds as it must. The poem closes with the plea, “Christ save us all from a death like this, / On the reef of Norman’s Woe!”—a final acknowledgment that only divine mercy can protect against such cruel fates.
Theoretical Perspectives of “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| Theoretical Perspective | Explanation | References from the Poem |
| 1. Moral Criticism | This perspective evaluates literature based on the moral lessons it teaches. The poem warns against pride, arrogance, and recklessness, emphasizing the consequences of ignoring wise counsel. The skipper’s overconfidence leads to tragedy, making the poem a cautionary tale about listening to wisdom and respecting nature’s power. | – The old sailor warns, “I pray thee, put into yonder port, / For I fear a hurricane.” But the skipper laughs at the warning, leading to disaster. – The poem ends with the plea, “Christ save us all from a death like this, / On the reef of Norman’s Woe!” reinforcing its moral message. |
| 2. Romanticism | Romantic literature often emphasizes the power of nature, human emotion, and individual experience. The poem embodies these elements by depicting nature as an uncontrollable force, while also focusing on the emotions of the characters, especially the young daughter’s fear and innocence. | – The storm is portrayed as an overwhelming, almost supernatural force, “The snow fell hissing in the brine, / And the billows frothed like yeast.” – The poem highlights emotion and tragedy, especially when the maiden is found frozen: “The salt sea was frozen on her breast, / The salt tears in her eyes.” |
| 3. Feminist Criticism | This perspective analyzes the representation of gender roles. The captain’s daughter is portrayed as passive, innocent, and dependent on her father, reinforcing traditional views of female helplessness. She has no control over her fate, and her role in the poem serves to highlight male failure (the captain’s arrogance) rather than giving her agency. | – The daughter is only described in terms of her beauty, “Blue were her eyes as the fairy-flax, / Her cheeks like the dawn of day.” – She repeatedly seeks her father’s guidance, asking, “O father! I hear the church-bells ring, / Oh say, what may it be?” – She is physically bound to the mast by her father, symbolizing her complete lack of power over her situation. |
| 4. Fatalism (Determinism) | Fatalism suggests that events are preordained and unavoidable. The poem implies that no matter what choices the captain made, fate had already sealed the ship’s doom. The daughter’s prayers, the old sailor’s warning, and even the captain’s attempts to protect her are all futile against the forces of nature and destiny. | – The ship is inevitably drawn toward destruction: “Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel swept / Tow’rds the reef of Norman’s Woe.” – The daughter prays for salvation, “And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave,” but unlike the biblical story, her prayers go unanswered, reinforcing the power of fate. |
Critical Questions about “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1. How does the poem portray human arrogance and its consequences?
The poem presents human arrogance as a fatal flaw, particularly through the character of the skipper. Despite an experienced sailor’s warning about the storm, the skipper dismisses it with a scornful laugh, believing he can control the forces of nature:
“Last night, the moon had a golden ring, / And to-night no moon we see!”
This foreshadows the impending disaster, as the golden ring around the moon is a known sign of an approaching storm. However, the skipper, blinded by pride and overconfidence, refuses to steer the ship to safety. His hubris (excessive pride) leads to his downfall, a common theme in tragedy. The storm ultimately overpowers him, freezing him at the helm:
“Lashed to the helm, all stiff and stark, / With his face turned to the skies.”
His tragic fate serves as a warning about human limitations and the dangers of ignoring wisdom and experience. The poem suggests that respect for nature and humility are crucial for survival.
2. How does the poem use nature as a powerful and uncontrollable force?
Nature is depicted as an overwhelming and indifferent force, capable of destroying human life without remorse. The storm is described with violent and terrifying imagery, reinforcing its unstoppable power:
“The snow fell hissing in the brine, / And the billows frothed like yeast.”
Here, the hissing snow and foaming waves suggest that nature is alive and aggressive, actively attacking the ship. The ship is compared to a frightened horse that trembles and leaps, emphasizing its helplessness:
“She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed, / Then leaped her cable’s length.”
The final destruction of the ship by the “cruel rocks” further highlights nature’s indifference to human suffering:
“The cruel rocks, they gored her side / Like the horns of an angry bull.”
By personifying nature as violent and merciless, Longfellow reinforces the theme that humans are powerless against the forces of the natural world. The poem serves as a reminder of nature’s unpredictability and dominance over human endeavors.
3. What is the significance of the captain’s daughter in the poem?
The captain’s daughter serves as a symbol of innocence and helplessness, making the tragedy even more poignant. She is described in delicate and pure imagery:
“Blue were her eyes as the fairy-flax, / Her cheeks like the dawn of day.”
Her beauty and youth contrast sharply with the ruthlessness of the storm, making her fate particularly heartbreaking. As the storm intensifies, she expresses fear and uncertainty, asking her father about the church bells, gunfire, and distant light. Her father, however, continues to reassure her falsely, believing he can weather the storm.
Her ultimate death, bound to the mast, symbolizes both her father’s failure and the cruelty of fate:
“The salt sea was frozen on her breast, / The salt tears in her eyes.”
By the end of the poem, she becomes a tragic figure, representing the loss of innocence in the face of nature’s merciless power. Her character also highlights the theme of fate, as despite her prayers for salvation, she is powerless to escape her doomed destiny.
4. What role does fate play in the poem? Is the disaster preventable?
Fate plays a major role in the poem, suggesting that some events are inevitable regardless of human effort. From the moment the skipper ignores the warning, it seems that the ship’s doom is already sealed. The ship’s movement toward Norman’s Woe is described as ghostly and inevitable:
“Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel swept / Tow’rds the reef of Norman’s Woe.”
Even when the captain tries to protect his daughter by tying her to the mast, it is ultimately futile. The imagery of the storm and the unstoppable force of nature suggest that human decisions cannot always alter fate.
The daughter’s final act—praying and remembering Christ’s miracle of calming the sea—suggests a hope for divine intervention:
“And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave / On the Lake of Galilee.”
However, in contrast to the biblical story, no miracle occurs. Instead, the ship crashes, and everyone perishes. This lack of divine rescue reinforces the fatalistic view that certain events are beyond human or divine control. The poem ultimately suggests that some disasters are unavoidable, no matter how much one prays or prepares.
Poems Similar to “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner“ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge – Both poems explore the power of nature and fate, featuring a tragic sea voyage where human actions lead to disaster.
- “Casabianca” by Felicia Dorothea Hemans – Like “The Wreck of the Hesperus”, this poem tells a tragic story of innocence and loyalty, focusing on a young boy who perishes in a ship disaster.
- “The Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens“ (Traditional Scottish Ballad) – Both poems follow a doomed sea journey, highlighting hubris, tragic fate, and the destructive power of the ocean.
- “The Titanic” by E.J. Pratt – This poem recounts the real-life tragedy of the Titanic, drawing parallels to Longfellow’s theme of human arrogance in the face of nature’s overwhelming force.
- “Flannan Isle” by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson – Like “The Wreck of the Hesperus”, this poem has a haunting and eerie atmosphere, dealing with mystery and unexplained maritime tragedy.
Quotations from “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| 1. “It was the schooner Hesperus, / That sailed the wintry sea;” | The poem opens by introducing the ship Hesperus, setting the stage for the tragic journey. | Romanticism – Establishes the natural setting and the human struggle against nature. |
| 2. “I pray thee, put into yonder port, / For I fear a hurricane.” | An old sailor warns the skipper to seek shelter because a storm is coming, but the captain ignores the advice. | Moral Criticism – Highlights the wisdom of experience and the danger of arrogance. |
| 3. “The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe, / And a scornful laugh laughed he.” | The captain dismisses the warning, showing overconfidence and hubris in his ability to navigate the storm. | Tragic Hero Perspective – The skipper’s pride leads to his downfall. |
| 4. “Colder and louder blew the wind, / A gale from the Northeast,” | The storm intensifies, signaling the beginning of disaster for the ship and its crew. | Naturalism – Depicts nature as an unstoppable, indifferent force that humans cannot control. |
| 5. “He cut a rope from a broken spar, / And bound her to the mast.” | The skipper ties his daughter to the mast, hoping to protect her from the storm. | Feminist Criticism – The daughter is passive and dependent, reinforcing traditional gender roles. |
| 6. “O father! I hear the church-bells ring, / Oh say, what may it be?” | The daughter misinterprets the sounds of the storm, thinking she hears church bells instead of impending doom. | Psychological Criticism – Shows her innocence and fear, emphasizing the human mind’s tendency to seek comfort in faith. |
| 7. “Lashed to the helm, all stiff and stark, / With his face turned to the skies.” | The skipper dies frozen at the helm, symbolizing his defeat by nature. | Fatalism – Suggests that his fate was sealed from the moment he ignored the warning. |
| 8. “And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave / On the Lake of Galilee.” | The daughter prays for a miracle, remembering the biblical story of Jesus calming the sea. | Religious Criticism – Highlights faith in divine intervention, but her prayers go unanswered, reinforcing tragedy. |
| 9. “Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel swept / Tow’rds the reef of Norman’s Woe.” | The wrecked ship is compared to a ghost, creating a haunting atmosphere as it moves toward destruction. | Gothic Literature Perspective – Evokes horror, doom, and supernatural imagery. |
| 10. “Christ save us all from a death like this, / On the reef of Norman’s Woe!” | The poem ends with a plea for divine protection, warning readers about the horrors of the sea. | Moral Criticism – Serves as a cautionary message, urging humility and respect for nature. |
Suggested Readings: “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Poems & Other Writings (LOA# 118). Vol. 118. Library of America, 2000.
- Vann, J. Don. “Henry W. Longfellow and Richard Bentley.” Victorian Periodicals Review, vol. 36, no. 3, 2003, pp. 261–65. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20083946. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
- STALLINGS, A. E. “Shipwreck Is Everywhere.” The Hudson Review, vol. 70, no. 3, 2017, pp. 365–99. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44786322. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
- Hovey, Kenneth Alan. “Critical Provincialism: Poe’s Poetic Principle in Antebellum Context.” American Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 3, 1987, pp. 341–54. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2712883. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
- HUBER, MIRIAM BLANTON. “CHILDREN’S POETRY (Continued).” The Elementary English Review, vol. 3, no. 9, 1926, pp. 287–99. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41382168. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.