The Compass, with Variations
One close of day--'twas in the BayOf Naples, bay of glory!While light was hanging crowns of goldOn mountains high and hoary,A gallant bark got under weigh,And with her sails my story.
For Leghorn she was bound direct,With wine and oil for cargo,Her crew of men some nine or ten,The captain's name was Jago;A good and gallant bark she was,La Donna (call'd) del Lago.
Bronzed mariners were hers to view,With brown cheeks, clear or muddy,Dark shining eyes, and coal-black hair,Meet heads for painter's study;But midst their tan there stood one man,Whose cheek was fair and ruddy;
His brow was high, a loftier browNe'er shone in song or sonnet,His hair, a little scant, and whenHe doff'd his cap or bonnet,One saw that Grey had gone beyondA premiership upon it!
His eye--a passenger was he,The cabin he had hired it,--His eye was gray, and when he look'dAround, the prospect fired it,--A fine poetic light, as ifThe Appe-Nine inspir'd it.
His frame was stout, in height aboutSix feet--well made and portly;Of dress and manner just to giveA sketch, but very shortly,His order seem'd a compositeOf rustic with the courtly.
He ate and quaff'd, and joked and laughed,And chatted with the seamen,And often task'd their skill and ask'd,"What weather is't to be, man?"No demonstration there appeared,That he was any demon.
No sort of sign there was that heCould raise a stormy rumpus,Like Prospero make breezes blow,And rocks and billows thump us,--But little we supposed what heCould with the needle compass!
Soon came a storm--the sea at firstSeem'd lying almost fallow--When lo! full crash, with billowy dash,From clouds of black and yellow,Came such a gale as blows but onceA cent'ry, like the aloe!
Our stomachs we had just preparedTo vest a small amount in;When, gush! a flood of brine came downThe skylight--quite a fountain,And right on end the table rear'dJust like the Table Mountain.
Down rush'd the soup, down gush'd the wine,Each roll, its role repeating,Roll'd down--the round of beef declar'dFor parting--not for meating!Off flew the fowls, and all the gameWas "too far gone for eating!"
Down knife and fork--down went the pork,The lamb too broke its tether;Down mustard went--each condiment--Salt--pepper--all together!Down everything, like craft that seekThe Downs in stormy weather.
Down plunged the Lady of the Lake,Her timbers seem'd to sever;Down, down, a dreary derry down,Such lurch she had gone never;She almost seem'd about to takeA bed of down forever!
Down dropt the captain's nether jaw,Thus robbed of all its uses,He thought he saw the Evil OneBeside Vesuvian sluices,Playing at dice for soul and ship,And throwing Sink and Deuces.
Down fell the steward on his face,To all the Saints commending;And candles to the Virgin vow'd,As save-alls 'gain'st his ending.Down fell the mate, he thought his fate,Checkmate, was close impending!
Down fell the cook--the cabin boy,Their beads with fervor telling,While Alps of surge, with snowy verge,Above the yards came yelling.Down fell the crew, and on their kneesShudder'd at each white swelling!
Down sunk the sun of bloody hue,His crimson light a cleaverTo each red rover of a wave:To eye of fancy-weaver,Neptune, the god, seemed tossing inA raging scarlet fever!
Sore, sore afraid, each Papist pray'dTo Saint aid Virgin Mary;But one there was that stood composedAmid the waves' vagary;As staunch as rock, a true game-cock'Mid chicks of Mother Carey!
His ruddy cheek retained its streak,No danger seem'd to shrink him:His step still bold--of mortal mouldThe crew could hardly think him:The Lady of the Lake, he seem'dTo know; could never sink him.
Relaxed at last the furious galeQuite out of breath with racing;The boiling flood in milder mood,With gentler billows chasing;From stem to stern, with frequent turn,The Stranger took to pacing.
And as he walked to self he talked,Some ancient ditty thrumming,In undertone, as not alone--Now whistling, and now humming--"You're welcome, Charlie," "Cowdenknowes,""Kenmure," or "Campbells' Coming."
Down went the wind, down went the wave,Fear quitted the most finical;The Saints, I wot, were soon forgot,And Hope was at the pinnacle:When rose on high a frightful cry--"The Devil's in the binnacle!"
"The Saints be near," the helmsman cried,His voice with quite a falter--"Steady's my helm, but every lookThe needle seems to alter;God only knows where China lies,Jamaica, or Gibraltar!"
The captain stared aghast at mate,The pilot at th' apprentice;No fancy of the German SeaOf Fiction the event is:But when they at the compass look'd,It seem'd non compass mentis.
Now north, now south, now east, now west,The wavering point was shaken,'Twas past the whole philosophyOf Newton, or of Bacon;Never by compass, till that hour,Such latitudes were taken!
With fearful speech, each after eachTook turns in the inspection;They found no gun--no iron--none--To vary its direction;It seem'd a new magnetic caseOf Poles in Insurrection!
Farewell to wives, farewell their lives,And all their household riches;Oh! while they thought of girl or boy,And dear domestic niches,All down the side which holds the heart,That needle gave them stitches.
With deep amaze, the Stranger gazedTo see them so white-livered:And walked abaft the binnacle,To know at what they shivered;But when he stood beside the card,St. Josef! how it quivered!
No fancy-motion, brain-begot,In eye of timid dreamer--The nervous finger of a sotNe'er showed a plainer tremor;To every brain it seemed too plain,There stood th' Infernal Schemer!
Mix'd brown and blue each visage grew,Just like a pullet's gizzard;Meanwhile the captain's wandering wit,From tacking like an izzard,Bore down in this plain course at last,"It's Michael Scott--the Wizard!"
A smile passed o'er the ruddy face:"To see the poles so falterI'm puzzled, friends, as much as you,For with no fiends I palter!Michael I'm not--although a Scott--My Christian name is Walter."
Like oil it fell, that name, a spellOn all the fearful faction;The captain's head (for he had read)Confess'd the needle's action,And bow'd to Him in whom the NorthHas lodged its main attraction!
Words in this poem 46
- hoary a.
- White or whitish."The hoary willows."
- leghorn n.
- A straw plaiting used for bonnets and hats, made from the straw of a particular kind of wheat, grown for the purpose in Tuscany, Italy; -- so called from Leghorn, the place of exportation.
- donna n.
- A lady; madam; mistress; -- the title given a lady in Italy. [It. donna, L. domina. See Don, Dame.]
- sonnet n.
- A short poem, -- usually amatory. [F., fr. It. sonetto, fr. suono a sound, a song, fr. L. sonus a sound. See Sound noise.]
- premiership n.
- The office of the premier.
- portly a.
- Having a dignified port or mien; of a noble appearance; imposing. [From Port demeanor.]
- shortly adv.
- In a short or brief time or manner; soon; quickly. [AS. sceortlice.]
- courtly a.
- Relating or belonging to a court. [From Court.]
- rumpus n.
- A disturbance; noise and confusion; a quarrel.
- billowy a.
- Of or pertaining to billows; swelling or swollen into large waves; full of billows or surges; resembling billows.
- vest n.
- An article of clothing covering the person; an outer garment; a vestment; a dress; a vesture; a robe. [L. vestis a garment, vesture; akin to Goth. wasti, and E. wear: cf. F. veste. See Wear to carry on the person, and cf. Divest, Invest, Travesty.]
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- broke v. i.
- To transact business for another. Brome. [See Broker, and cf. Brook.]
- tether n.
- A long rope or chain by which an animal is fastened, as to a stake, so that it can range or feed only within certain limits. [Formerly tedder, OE. tedir; akin to LG. tider, tier, Icel. tjo, Dan. töir. *64.]
- craft n.
- Strength; might; secret power. [AS. cr strength, skill, art, cunning; akin to OS., G., Sw., & Dan. kraft strength, D. kracht, Icel. kraptr; perh. originally, a drawing together, stretching, fr]
- dreary a.
- Sorrowful; distressful. [OE. dreori, dreri, AS. dreórig, sad; akin to G. traurig, and prob. to AS. dreósan to fall, Goth. driusan. Cf. Dross, Drear, Drizzle, Drowse.]
- lurch v. t.
- To leave in the lurch; to cheat.
- nether a.
- Situated down or below; lying beneath, or in the lower part; having a lower position; belonging to the region below; lower; under; -- opposed to upper. [OE. nethere, neithere, AS. ni, fr. the adv. ni downward; akin to neo below, beneath, D. neder down, G. nieder, Sw. nedre below, nether, a. & adv., and also to S]
- vesuvian a.
- Of or pertaining to Vesuvius, a volcano near Naples. [Cf. F. Vésuvien, It. Vesuviano.]
- checkmate n.
- The position in the game of chess when a king is in check and cannot be released, -- which ends the game. [F. échec et mat, fr. Per. shah mat ceckmate, lit., the king is dead, fr. Ar. mata he died, is dead. The king, when made prisoner, or checkmated, is assumed to b]
- fervor n.
- Heat; excessive warmth. [OF. fervor, fervour, F. ferveur, L. fervor, fr. fervere. See Fervent.]
- snowy a.
- White like snow.
- cleaver n.
- One who cleaves, or that which cleaves; especially, a butcher's instrument for cutting animal bodies into joints or pieces.
- rover n.
- One who practices robbery on the seas; a pirate. [D. roover a robber. See Rove, v. i.]
- papist n.
- A Roman catholic; one who adheres to the Church of Rome and the authority of the pope; -- an offensive designation applied to Roman Catholics by their opponents. [F. papiste. See Pape, Pope.]
- amid prep.
- In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a la]
- vagary n.
- A wandering or strolling. [L. vagari to stroll about. See Vague.]
- mould n.
- Crumbling, soft, friable earth; esp., earth containing the remains or constituents of organic matter, and suited to the growth of plants; soil. [OE. molde, AS. molde; akin to D. mul, G. mull, mulm, OHG. molt, molta, Icel. mold, Dan. muld, Sw. mull, Goth. mulda, and E. meal flour. See Meal, and cf. Mole a]
- ditty n.
- A saying or utterance; especially, one that is short and frequently repeated; a theme. [OE. dite, OF. ditié, fr. L. dictatum, p. p. neut. of dictare to say often, dictate, compose. See Dictate, v. t.]
- undertone n.
- A low or subdued tone or utterance; a tone less loud than usual.
- charlie n.
- A familiar nickname or substitute for Charles.
- pinnacle n.
- An architectural member, upright, and generally ending in a small spire, -- used to finish a buttress, to constitute a part in a proportion, as where pinnacles flank a gable or spire, and the like. [OE. pinacle, F. pinacle, L. pinnaculum, fr. pinna pinnacle, feather. See Pin a peg.]
- frightful a.
- Full of fright; affrighted; frightened.
- binnacle n.
- A case or box placed near the helmsman, containing the compass of a ship, and a light to show it at night. Totten. [For bittacle, corrupted (perh. by influence of bin) fr. Pg. bitacola binnacle, fr. L. habitaculum dwelling place, fr. habitare to dwell. See Habit, and cf. Bitt]
- falter v. t.
- To thrash in the chaff; also, to cleanse or sift, as barley.
- gibraltar n.
- A strongly fortified town on the south coast of Spain, held by the British since 1704; hence, an impregnable stronghold.
- amaze v. t.
- To bewilder; to stupefy; to bring into a maze. [Pref. a- + maze.]
- quivered a.
- Furnished with, or carrying, a quiver.
- dreamer n.
- One who dreams.
- visage n.
- The face, countenance, or look of a person or an animal; -- chiefly applied to the human face. [F. visage, from L. visus a seeing, a look, fr. videre, visum, to see. See Vision.]
- gizzard n.
- The second, or true, muscular stomach of birds, in which the food is crushed and ground, after being softened in the glandular stomach (crop), or lower part of the esophagus; the gigerium. [F. gésier, L. gigeria, pl., the cooked entrails of poultry. Cf. Gigerium.]
- meanwhile n.
- The intervening time; as, in the meantime (or mean time).
- tacking n.
- A union of securities given at different times, all of which must be redeemed before an intermediate purchaser can interpose his claim. Bouvier.
- izzard n.
- The letter z; -- formerly so called. [Formerly ezed, prob. fr. F. et zÉde and z.]
- palter v. i.
- To haggle. Cotgrave. [See Paltry.]
- walter v. i.
- To roll or wallow; to welter. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.] [See Welter.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Compass, with Variations is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poetical Works of Thomas Hood, Project Gutenberg ebook #15652; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Thomas Hood, The Compass, with Variations, in The Song of the Shirt, and Other Poems (1826–1845), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #15652, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/hood-poetical-works/the-compass-with-variations.html, id L20157.
Form and metre
The Compass, with Variations is 192 lines in 32 stanzas of 6 lines each. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 93%).
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AB-BAB bayA · gloryB · gold · hoaryB · weighA · storyB
- 2 ---A-A direct · cargo · ten · jagoA · was · lagoA
- 3 -A-A-A view · muddyA · hair · studyA · man · ruddyA
- 4 -A-A-A brow · sonnetA · when · bonnetA · beyond · itA
- 5 -A-A-A he · itA · look'd · itA · if · itA
- 6 AB-BAB aboutA · portlyB · give · shortlyB · compositeA · courtlyB
- 7 -A-A-A laughed · seamenA · ask'd · manA · appeared · demonA
- 8 AB-BAB heA · rumpusB · blow · usB · heA · compassB
- 9 -A---A first · fallowA · dash · yellow · once · aloeA
- 10 -AAB-B prepared · inA · downA · fountainB · rear'd · mountainB
- 11 -A-A-A wine · repeatingA · declar'd · meatingA · game · eatingA
- 12 -A-A-A pork · tetherA · condiment · togetherA · seek · weatherA
- 13 AB-BAB lakeA · severB · down · neverB · takeA · foreverB
- 14 -A-A-A jaw · usesA · one · sluicesA · ship · deucesA
- 15 -A-A-A face · commendingA · vow'd · endingA · fate · impendingA
- 16 -A-A-A boy · tellingA · verge · yellingA · knees · swellingA
- 17 -A-A-A hue · cleaverA · wave · weaverA · in · feverA
- 18 -A---A pray'd · maryA · composed · vagary · cock · careyA
- 19 -A-A-A streak · himA · mould · himA · seem'd · himA
- 20 -A-A-A gale · racingA · mood · chasingA · turn · pacingA
- 21 -A-A-A talked · thrummingA · alone · hummingA · cowdenknowes · comingA
- 22 ---A-A wave · finical · forgot · pinnacleA · cry · binnacleA
- 23 -A-A-A cried · falterA · look · alterA · lies · gibraltarA
- 25 -A-A-A west · shakenA · philosophy · baconA · hour · takenA
- 26 -AAA-A each · inspectionA · noneA · directionA · case · insurrectionA
- 27 -A-A-A lives · richesA · boy · nichesA · heart · stitchesA
- 28 -A-A-A gazed · liveredA · binnacle · shiveredA · card · quiveredA
- 29 ABA--B begotA · dreamerB · sotA · tremor · plain · schemerB
- 30 -A-A-A grew · gizzardA · wit · izzardA · last · wizardA
- 31 -A-A-A face · falterA · you · palterA · scott · walterA
- 32 -A-A-A spell · factionA · read · actionA · north · attractionA
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| One close of day--'twas in the Bay | 8 | ········ |
| Of Naples, bay of glory! | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| While light was hanging crowns of gold | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| On mountains high and hoary, | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| A gallant bark got under weigh, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And with her sails my story. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| For Leghorn she was bound direct, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| With wine and oil for cargo, | 7 | ·····/· |
| Her crew of men some nine or ten, | 8 | ········ |
| The captain's name was Jago; | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| A good and gallant bark she was, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| La Donna (call'd) del Lago. | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| Bronzed mariners were hers to view, | 8 | ·/˘˘···· |
| With brown cheeks, clear or muddy, | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Dark shining eyes, and coal-black hair, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Meet heads for painter's study; | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| But midst their tan there stood one man, | 8 | ········ |
| Whose cheek was fair and ruddy; | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| His brow was high, a loftier brow | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Ne'er shone in song or sonnet, | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| His hair, a little scant, and when | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| He doff'd his cap or bonnet, | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| One saw that Grey had gone beyond | 8 | ········ |
| A premiership upon it! | 7 | ·˘/···· |
| His eye--a passenger was he, | 8 | ···/˘˘·· |
| The cabin he had hired it,-- | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| His eye was gray, and when he look'd | 8 | ········ |
| Around, the prospect fired it,-- | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| A fine poetic light, as if | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| The Appe-Nine inspir'd it. | 7 | ···˘/˘· |
| His frame was stout, in height about | 8 | ········ |
| Six feet--well made and portly; | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Of dress and manner just to give | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| A sketch, but very shortly, | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| His order seem'd a composite | 8 | ·/˘··˘/˘ |
| Of rustic with the courtly. | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| He ate and quaff'd, and joked and laughed, | 8 | ········ |
| And chatted with the seamen, | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| And often task'd their skill and ask'd, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| "What weather is't to be, man?" | 7 | ·/˘···· |
| No demonstration there appeared, | 8 | ··˘/˘·˘/ |
| That he was any demon. | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| No sort of sign there was that he | 8 | ········ |
| Could raise a stormy rumpus, | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| Like Prospero make breezes blow, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And rocks and billows thump us,-- | 7 | ···/˘·· |
| But little we supposed what he | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| Could with the needle compass! | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| Soon came a storm--the sea at first | 8 | ········ |
| Seem'd lying almost fallow-- | 7 | ·/˘/·/· |
| When lo! full crash, with billowy dash, | 9 | ·····/˘˘· |
| From clouds of black and yellow, | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Came such a gale as blows but once | 8 | ········ |
| A cent'ry, like the aloe! | 7 | ·/˘··/· |
| Our stomachs we had just prepared | 8 | //˘···˘/ |
| To vest a small amount in; | 7 | ····˘/· |
| When, gush! a flood of brine came down | 8 | ········ |
| The skylight--quite a fountain, | 7 | ·/···/˘ |
| And right on end the table rear'd | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Just like the Table Mountain. | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| Down rush'd the soup, down gush'd the wine, | 8 | ········ |
| Each roll, its role repeating, | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| Roll'd down--the round of beef declar'd | 8 | ······˘/ |
| For parting--not for meating! | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| Off flew the fowls, and all the game | 8 | ········ |
| Was "too far gone for eating!" | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Down knife and fork--down went the pork, | 8 | ········ |
| The lamb too broke its tether; | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Down mustard went--each condiment-- | 8 | ·/˘··/˘˘ |
| Salt--pepper--all together! | 7 | ·/˘·˘/˘ |
| Down everything, like craft that seek | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| The Downs in stormy weather. | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| Down plunged the Lady of the Lake, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Her timbers seem'd to sever; | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| Down, down, a dreary derry down, | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Such lurch she had gone never; | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| She almost seem'd about to take | 8 | ·/······ |
| A bed of down forever! | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| Down dropt the captain's nether jaw, | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Thus robbed of all its uses, | 8 | ··˘···/˘ |
| He thought he saw the Evil One | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Beside Vesuvian sluices, | 8 | ˘/˘/˘˘/˘ |
| Playing at dice for soul and ship, | 8 | /˘······ |
| And throwing Sink and Deuces. | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| Down fell the steward on his face, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| To all the Saints commending; | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| And candles to the Virgin vow'd, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| As save-alls 'gain'st his ending. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Down fell the mate, he thought his fate, | 8 | ········ |
| Checkmate, was close impending! | 7 | /···˘/˘ |
| Down fell the cook--the cabin boy, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Their beads with fervor telling, | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| While Alps of surge, with snowy verge, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Above the yards came yelling. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Down fell the crew, and on their knees | 8 | ········ |
| Shudder'd at each white swelling! | 7 | /˘···/˘ |
| Down sunk the sun of bloody hue, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| His crimson light a cleaver | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| To each red rover of a wave: | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| To eye of fancy-weaver, | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| Neptune, the god, seemed tossing in | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| A raging scarlet fever! | 7 | ·/˘/˘/˘ |
| Sore, sore afraid, each Papist pray'd | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| To Saint aid Virgin Mary; | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| But one there was that stood composed | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Amid the waves' vagary; | 7 | ˘/··/˘˘ |
| As staunch as rock, a true game-cock | 8 | ········ |
| 'Mid chicks of Mother Carey! | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| His ruddy cheek retained its streak, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| No danger seem'd to shrink him: | 7 | ·/˘···· |
| His step still bold--of mortal mould | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| The crew could hardly think him: | 7 | ···/˘·· |
| The Lady of the Lake, he seem'd | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| To know; could never sink him. | 7 | ···/˘·· |
| Relaxed at last the furious gale | 8 | ˘/···/˘· |
| Quite out of breath with racing; | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| The boiling flood in milder mood, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| With gentler billows chasing; | 7 | ·/˘/˘/˘ |
| From stem to stern, with frequent turn, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| The Stranger took to pacing. | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| And as he walked to self he talked, | 8 | ········ |
| Some ancient ditty thrumming, | 7 | ·/˘/˘·· |
| In undertone, as not alone-- | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| Now whistling, and now humming-- | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| "You're welcome, Charlie," "Cowdenknowes," | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| "Kenmure," or "Campbells' Coming." | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| Down went the wind, down went the wave, | 8 | ········ |
| Fear quitted the most finical; | 8 | ·/˘··/˘˘ |
| The Saints, I wot, were soon forgot, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| And Hope was at the pinnacle: | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| When rose on high a frightful cry-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| "The Devil's in the binnacle!" | 8 | ·/˘··/˘˘ |
| "The Saints be near," the helmsman cried, | 8 | ·····/·· |
| His voice with quite a falter-- | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| "Steady's my helm, but every look | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| The needle seems to alter; | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| God only knows where China lies, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Jamaica, or Gibraltar!" | 7 | ˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| The captain stared aghast at mate, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| The pilot at th' apprentice; | 7 | ·/˘·˘/˘ |
| No fancy of the German Sea | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Of Fiction the event is: | 7 | ·/˘·˘/· |
| But when they at the compass look'd, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| It seem'd non compass mentis. | 7 | ···/˘·· |
| Now north, now south, now east, now west, | 8 | ········ |
| The wavering point was shaken, | 8 | ·/˘˘··/˘ |
| 'Twas past the whole philosophy | 8 | ····˘/˘˘ |
| Of Newton, or of Bacon; | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| Never by compass, till that hour, | 9 | /˘·/˘··/˘ |
| Such latitudes were taken! | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| With fearful speech, each after each | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Took turns in the inspection; | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| They found no gun--no iron--none-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| To vary its direction; | 7 | ·/˘·˘/˘ |
| It seem'd a new magnetic case | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| Of Poles in Insurrection! | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| Farewell to wives, farewell their lives, | 8 | ·/···/·· |
| And all their household riches; | 7 | ···/·/˘ |
| Oh! while they thought of girl or boy, | 8 | ········ |
| And dear domestic niches, | 7 | ··˘/˘/˘ |
| All down the side which holds the heart, | 8 | ········ |
| That needle gave them stitches. | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| With deep amaze, the Stranger gazed | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| To see them so white-livered: | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| And walked abaft the binnacle, | 8 | ··˘/·/˘˘ |
| To know at what they shivered; | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| But when he stood beside the card, | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| St. Josef! how it quivered! | 8 | ·/˘··/˘˘ |
| No fancy-motion, brain-begot, | 8 | ·/˘/˘·˘/ |
| In eye of timid dreamer-- | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| The nervous finger of a sot | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Ne'er showed a plainer tremor; | 8 | ··˘·/˘/˘ |
| To every brain it seemed too plain, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| There stood th' Infernal Schemer! | 7 | ··˘/˘/˘ |
| Mix'd brown and blue each visage grew, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Just like a pullet's gizzard; | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Meanwhile the captain's wandering wit, | 8 | /··/˘/˘· |
| From tacking like an izzard, | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| Bore down in this plain course at last, | 8 | ········ |
| "It's Michael Scott--the Wizard!" | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| A smile passed o'er the ruddy face: | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| "To see the poles so falter | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| I'm puzzled, friends, as much as you, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| For with no fiends I palter! | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Michael I'm not--although a Scott-- | 8 | /˘······ |
| My Christian name is Walter." | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| Like oil it fell, that name, a spell | 8 | ········ |
| On all the fearful faction; | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| The captain's head (for he had read) | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Confess'd the needle's action, | 7 | ˘/·/˘/˘ |
| And bow'd to Him in whom the North | 8 | ········ |
| Has lodged its main attraction! | 8 | ··˘··˘/˘ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.