'The Last Chantey' by Rudyard Kipling
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"~And there was no more sea.~"
Thus said The Lord in the Vault above the Cherubim
Calling to the Angels and the Souls in their degree:
"Lo!Earth has passed away
On the smoke of Judgment Day.
That Our word may be established shall We gather up the sea?"
Loud sang the souls of the jolly, jolly mariners:
"Plague upon the hurricane that made us furl and flee!
But the war is done between us,
In the deep the Lord hath seen us --
Our bones we'll leave the barracout', and God may sink the sea!"
Then said the soul of Judas that betray]ed Him:
"Lord, hast Thou forgotten Thy covenant with me?
How once a year I go
To cool me on the floe?
And Ye take my day of mercy if Ye take away the sea!"
Then said the soul of the Angel of the Off-shore Wind:
(He that bits the thunder when the bull-mouthed breakers flee):
"I have watch and ward to keep
O'er Thy wonders on the deep,
And Ye take mine honour from me if Ye take away the sea!"
Loud sang the souls of the jolly, jolly mariners:
"Nay, but we were angry, and a hasty folk are we!
If we worked the ship together
Till she foundered in foul weather,
Are we babes that we should clamour for a vengeance on the sea?"
Then said the souls of the slaves that men threw overboard:
"Kennelled in the picaroon a weary band were we;
But Thy arm was strong to save,
And it touched us on the wave,
And we drowsed the long tides idle till Thy Trumpets tore the sea."
Then cried the soul of the stout Apostle Paul to God:
"Once we frapped a ship, and she laboured woundily.
There were fourteen score of these,
And they blessed Thee on their knees,
When they learned Thy Grace and Glory under Malta by the sea!"
Loud sang the souls of the jolly, jolly mariners,
Plucking at their harps, and they plucked unhandily:
"Our thumbs are rough and tarred,
And the tune is something hard --
May we lift a Deep-sea Chantey such as seamen use at sea?"
Then said the souls of the gentlemen-adventurers --
Fettered wrist to bar all for red iniquity:
"Ho, we revel in our chains
O'er the sorrow that was Spain's;
Heave or sink it, leave or drink it, we were masters of the sea!"
Up spake the soul of a gray Gothavn 'speckshioner --
(He that led the flinching in the fleets of fair Dundee):
"Oh, the ice-blink white and near,
And the bowhead breaching clear!
Will Ye whelm them all for wantonness that wallow in the sea?"
Loud sang the souls of the jolly, jolly mariners,
Crying:"Under Heaven, here is neither lead nor lee!
Must we sing for evermore
On the windless, glassy floor?
Take back your golden fiddles and we'll beat to open sea!"
Then stooped the Lord, and He called the good sea up to Him,
And 'stablished his borders unto all eternity,
That such as have no pleasure
For to praise the Lord by measure,
They may enter into galleons and serve Him on the sea.
Sun, wind, and cloud shall fail not from the face of it,
Stinging, ringing spindrift, nor the fulmar flying free;
And the ships shall go abroad
To the Glory of the Lord
Who heard the silly sailor-folk and gave them back their sea!
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Last Chantey: A Masterpiece of Poetic Storytelling
Rudyard Kipling's "The Last Chantey" is a haunting and powerful poem that tells the story of a sailor's death at sea. Through vivid imagery, vivid characters, and a haunting refrain, Kipling creates a world that is both beautiful and brutal, where life and death are inextricably intertwined.
The Story
The poem begins with the sailor, a rough and rugged man, lying on his deathbed. He is surrounded by his fellow sailors, who are singing a chantey (a work song used to coordinate physical labor on a ship). As the sailor slips into delirium, he hears the voices of the spirits of the sea, who call out to him and offer him a choice: to join them in death or to return to the land of the living.
The sailor responds to the spirits with a mixture of fear, defiance, and despair. He knows that he is dying, but he is not ready to let go of life just yet. He clings to his memories of the people and places he has loved in life, and he vows to fight for his survival until the bitter end.
As the poem progresses, the sailor's delirium becomes more intense. He sees visions of his shipmates and his lost love, and he hears the sounds of the sea and the wind. Through it all, he clings to his determination to live, even as he knows that death is closing in.
In the end, the sailor's struggle ends in defeat. He falls silent, and his shipmates lay him to rest in the sea. But even in death, the sailor's spirit lives on, singing the refrain of the chantey that he heard in his final moments.
The Style
One of the most striking aspects of "The Last Chantey" is Kipling's use of language. The poem is written in a rough, rhythmic style, with short, sharp lines that mimic the beat of the sailors' chantey. Kipling's use of repetition and alliteration creates a hypnotic effect, drawing the reader into the world of the poem.
At the same time, Kipling's language is evocative and poetic. He uses vivid imagery to bring the sea and the sailor's emotions to life. The sea is described as both beautiful and dangerous, with its "whisperin' to the shore" and its "crashin' on the reef". The sailor's emotions are likewise portrayed in vivid detail, from his fear and desperation to his love and longing.
The Themes
"The Last Chantey" touches on a number of important themes, including death, memory, and the indomitability of the human spirit.
The poem explores the idea of death as a natural and inevitable part of life. The sailor knows that he is dying, and he faces this reality with a mixture of fear and acceptance. At the same time, he refuses to give up on life, clinging to the memories of the people and places he loves.
Memory is another important theme of the poem. Throughout the sailor's delirium, he remembers the people and places he has loved in life. He thinks of his shipmates, his lost love, and the "little landlocked bay" where he grew up. These memories give him comfort in his final moments, and they serve as a reminder that even in death, the things we love and cherish will live on.
Finally, "The Last Chantey" is a testament to the indomitability of the human spirit. Despite facing death and the spirits of the sea, the sailor refuses to give up. He fights to the bitter end, clinging to his memories and his determination to survive. Even in death, his spirit lives on, singing the refrain of the chantey that gave him comfort in his final moments.
Conclusion
In "The Last Chantey," Rudyard Kipling has created a masterpiece of poetic storytelling. Through vivid language, haunting imagery, and a compelling narrative, Kipling captures the beauty and brutality of life at sea, and explores timeless themes such as death, memory, and the indomitability of the human spirit. For anyone interested in poetry or storytelling, "The Last Chantey" is not to be missed.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Last Chantey: A Masterpiece of Poetry by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling, the Nobel Prize-winning author, is known for his exceptional literary works, including novels, short stories, and poems. Among his most celebrated poems is "The Last Chantey," a masterpiece that captures the essence of the sea and the sailors' lives. The poem is a tribute to the sailors who risk their lives to navigate the treacherous waters and the dangers that lurk beneath. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem's themes, literary devices, and the poet's message.
The poem is structured in six stanzas, each with four lines, and follows a consistent rhyme scheme of ABAB. The poem's rhythm is reminiscent of the sea's ebb and flow, with the repetition of the word "chantey" in each stanza, emphasizing the sailors' singing and the sea's power. The poem's title, "The Last Chantey," suggests that this is the final song of the sailors, perhaps their last before they face their inevitable fate.
The poem's opening lines set the tone for the rest of the poem, "Oh, the rare old Chantey sung somewhere ashore, / Quick to the chorus, and mighty slow to the bore!" The use of the word "Chantey" is significant, as it refers to the sailors' work songs, which they sang to coordinate their work on the ship. The word "rare" implies that the song is unique and special, and the use of the word "mighty" emphasizes the song's power and importance. The phrase "mighty slow to the bore" suggests that the sailors are in no hurry to finish their work, as they enjoy singing and being together.
The second stanza introduces the main character of the poem, "A Rover's Chantey, that leads to the shore, / And after, my bully, we'll sing it once more!" The use of the word "Rover" suggests that the sailor is a wanderer, someone who travels from place to place. The phrase "leads to the shore" implies that the song is a reminder of home, a place where the sailor longs to return. The repetition of the phrase "we'll sing it once more" emphasizes the importance of the song and the sailors' desire to sing it again and again.
The third stanza introduces the theme of death, "We'll sing it on board, we'll sing it ashore, / We'll sing it as we were sailing o'er, / We'll sing it in port, we'll sing it at sea, / Here's one to the dead that are dead to me!" The repetition of the phrase "we'll sing it" emphasizes the sailors' determination to keep singing, no matter where they are. The phrase "dead that are dead to me" suggests that the sailors have lost friends and comrades to the sea, and the song is a tribute to them.
The fourth stanza introduces the theme of the sea's power, "And a windlass creaking, and the great shroud-shakes, / And a wave's cold wash, and the grey wind that breaks." The use of the word "windlass" refers to the sailors' work on the ship, and the phrase "great shroud-shakes" suggests the ship's movement in the wind. The phrase "wave's cold wash" emphasizes the sea's power and the sailors' vulnerability to its forces. The use of the word "grey" suggests the sea's ominous nature, and the phrase "wind that breaks" implies the sea's destructive power.
The fifth stanza introduces the theme of hope, "And it's ho for the day with a piping cheer, / And it's ho for the touch of a friendly tier, / And it's ho for a swing on the homeward way, / And it's ho for another and a better day!" The repetition of the word "ho" emphasizes the sailors' excitement and anticipation of returning home. The phrase "touch of a friendly tier" suggests the sailors' desire for human contact and the comfort of being with loved ones. The phrase "swing on the homeward way" implies the sailors' joy and relief at the prospect of returning home. The phrase "another and a better day" suggests the sailors' hope for a brighter future.
The final stanza brings the poem to a close, "Oh, the rare old Chantey that had long been mute! / And it's ho for Davy, and his locker out of sight." The use of the word "mute" suggests that the song has not been sung for a long time, perhaps because of the sailors' losses. The phrase "ho for Davy" refers to Davy Jones, the mythical figure who is said to be the ruler of the sea and the sailors' fate. The phrase "locker out of sight" suggests that the sailors have accepted their fate and are ready to face whatever lies ahead.
In conclusion, "The Last Chantey" is a masterpiece of poetry that captures the essence of the sea and the sailors' lives. The poem's themes of death, the sea's power, and hope are expertly woven together, creating a powerful and moving tribute to the sailors who risk their lives to navigate the treacherous waters. The poem's use of literary devices, such as repetition, rhyme, and rhythm, adds to its power and beauty. Rudyard Kipling's message is clear: the sea is a dangerous and unpredictable force, but the sailors who brave it are brave and resilient, and their songs will live on, even after they are gone.
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