The poem
It keeps eternal whisperings around Desolate shores, and with its mighty swell Gluts twice ten thousand caverns, till the spell Of Hecate leaves them their old shadowy sound. Often 'tis in such gentle temper found, That scarcely will the very smallest shell Be moved for days from whence it sometime fell, When last the winds of heaven were unbound. Oh ye! who have your eye-balls vexed and tired, Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea; Oh ye! whose ears are dinned with uproar rude, Or fed too much with cloying melody,— Sit ye near some old cavern's mouth, and brood Until ye start, as if the sea-nymphs choired!
on the sea
it is a poem. it is about the Sea.
On the Sea
I quite like this poem. It seems to be referring to Keats' libido. Mysterious, powerful, gentle when pleasured. The "Oh Ye!" is a clear reference to climax. The Cavern - likely the cavern of his lover's vagina, that or the deep sexual thoughts that he has which are cavernous, mysterious and should not be seen by others. I think the "mighty swell" is self explanatory, and the "eye-balls vexed and tired" could either…
Read the whole commentI quite like this poem. It seems to be referring to Keats' libido. Mysterious, powerful, gentle when pleasured. The "Oh Ye!" is a clear reference to climax. The Cavern - likely the cavern of his lover's vagina, that or the deep sexual thoughts that he has which are cavernous, mysterious and should not be seen by others.
I think the "mighty swell" is self explanatory, and the "eye-balls vexed and tired" could either refer to some sort of date-rape drug or simply people who are stressed and tired and need something to get their mind off of everything (try "feast" on Keats' you-know-what)
The broken rhythm of the octave exemplifies bad-sex; or the feeling that one has without sex. The sestet represents sex itself; with the incessant "Oh ye!" and other clear and succinctly flowing rhythm
On the Sea
Darren C brought up some very good points. I do disagree with his castigation of fellow analyst, P. If P sees a poem about the ocean, then while P is intellectually inept, we cannot challenged his/her interpretation. However; continuing with the idea of On the Sea being emblematic of Keats' libido, I think that it is important to note the poems somewhat hyperbolic language ("wideness", "too much", "mighty", etc.)…
Read the whole commentDarren C brought up some very good points. I do disagree with his castigation of fellow analyst, P. If P sees a poem about the ocean, then while P is intellectually inept, we cannot challenged his/her interpretation.
However; continuing with the idea of On the Sea being emblematic of Keats' libido, I think that it is important to note the poems somewhat hyperbolic language ("wideness", "too much", "mighty", etc.) which instills an air of arrogance in the Petrarchan sonnet, where the poet is informing the reader of his well-endowdeness.
Keats once more uses dark imagery to describe the vagina of his lover in the concluding lines of the sonnet, encouraging his reader to sit "near some old Cavern's mouth". This appears derogatory to the reader, but at the same time the mysteriousness of the "cavern" instills a tone of idealisation and glorification of the woman: as if she is both below him hierarchically and transcends his comprehension.
your wrong
I think you are all wrong... keats was supposed to be a virgin when he died and apparently had difficulties sleeping with women... you all have very dirty minds and have violated a perfectly pure and innocent poem that is about nothing more than observing the sea and the magnificance of nature.
What does it all mean?
I have to write about this poem for homework, and i dont know what all of it means!!!