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Emily Partrich
Mrs. Carter
Literature and Composition 1A
11 March, 2014
Once by the Pacic the Ocean Came to Life
Once by the Pacic
The shattered water made a misty din. 1
Great waves looked over others coming in,
And thought of doing something to the shore
That water never did to land before.
The clouds were low and hairy in the skies, 5
Like locks blown forward in the gleam of eyes.
You could not tell, and yet it looked as if
The shore was lucky in being backed by cliff,
The cliff in being backed by continent;
It looked as if a night of dark intent 10
Was coming, and not only a night, an age.
Someone had better be prepared for rage.
There would be more than ocean-water broken
Before God's last Put out the light was spoken.
by Robert Frost
There are multiple interpretations of the poem, written by Robert Frost who
illustrated his childhood fear of the ocean through violent diction, euphoric tones,
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gurative language, and phonetic intensives. Perhaps it is meant to describe a
magnicent supernatural being, or to depict an apocalyptic storm. Whatever the reason
behind the poem, Frost uses numerous literary devices to convey it and emphasize the
vast power of the sea.
The most simplistic literary device used by Frost is the element of sound. A
harsh tone is conveyed through the use of aggressive diction such as the shattered
water (1) and -water broken (13). These words simply add to the overall fearful tone
the speaker has towards the ocean. Frost uses both euphonic and cacophonous tones
to verbally break up the poem as well as allow it to ow and move smoothly.
Euphonious terms such as water (1), thought (3), and shore (8) are harmonious
and represent the calm and smooth ocean. Cacophonous terms like lucky (8),
backed (9), and spoken (14) are all used to symbolize the breaking of the waves and
the choppy waters as they verbally chop up the ow of the poem. He also uses
phonetic intensives such as gleam (6) to enforce the idea that the light is hidden; and
as light is often viewed as being insightful, one can assume that the clouds covering the
light illustrate a hidden truth or secret which henceforth leads to the assumption of a
powerful being, explained throughout the poem as the ocean.The traditional
Shakespearean rhyme scheme of AABB CCDD EEFF GG is another sound element
used by Frost. This creates a pleasant and smooth sound when read and therefore
enhances the depiction of the ocean as calm and smooth. Many of the sound elements
used in the poem create gentle and calm images in the readers mind and are therefore
ironic given that the general message is the powerfulness and wrath of the ocean.
Change this
to convey
the
importance
of the poem
Restate to
Frost uses
Reword to
say couplet
instead
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The gurative language in the poem is used to show the powerfulness of the
ocean and intensify its violent nature. The personication of the ocean as having
thought (3) gives the ocean human traits and therefore immense power. Also the
depiction of the clouds being hairy in the skies (5) allows the reader to better visualize
the movement of the clouds. The simile used to describe the clouds as being like locks
blown forward in the gleam of eyes (6) is also used to stress the image of a powerful
ocean because the reader is able to imagine the clouds as covering the sun, making the
scene dark and ominous.
The tension-lled diction used by Frost throughout the poem creates a
hesitant tone that takes shape through words such as thought (3) and coming. These
words describe the oceans power being almost disastrous and having the potential to
be wrathful. This diminishes the authority of the ocean and hints at a supernatural being
that wields power over the destructive ocean.
Lastly, Frost uses discrete allusions to the bible and to God in his last line Before
Gods last Put out the light was spoken. (14). His allusion to God is used at the end of
the poem to stop the destruction of the ocean. This is placed so strategically at the end
of the poem so that the reader visualizes the incredible power and violence of the ocean
and it being only restrained by cliffs and continents (8) but then seeing that
God is so supremely powerful that he can end the oceans wrath with a simple
statement. The phrase put out the light (14) is a direct allusion to Genesis 1:3 And
God said, Let there be light, and there was light. In the poem, however, Frost simply
alludes to this by stating the opposite- that God will put out the light- which can lead to
Change to
illustrate
Change to
tense
diction Frost
uses.
Explain
what this is
Reword and
clarify this
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an apocalyptic interpretation of the poem as well as serve to emphasize Gods
immeasurable power.
The elements used in Frosts poem illustrate and exemplify both the power and
destructiveness of the ocean as well as the supreme power of God. Frost uses sound
elements to depict the ocean as calm and smooth but interrupts that smooth image with
cacophonous diction, personication, and similes. He also alludes to the Bible at the
very end of the poem, stating that God has supreme power over the ocean.