1.
Title and Poet:
The poem "Inchcape Rock," penned by Robert Southey.
He was born in Bristol, England. He was a Poet Laureate of England from 1813 to
1843. Some of his short poems like ‘The Scholar’. ‘The Battle of Blenheim’,
‘Bishop Hatto’, ‘The Inchcape Rock’ etc. are very popular with the school
children.
‘The Inchcape Rock’ is a ballad. It’s the story of the 14th
century attempt by the Abbot of Aberbrothok to install a warning bell on
Inchcape, a notorious sandstone reef about 11 miles (18km) off the east coast
of Scotland. The poem is a thought-provoking masterpiece that delves deep into
the intricacies of human actions and their inevitable consequences.
2.
Theme:
At its core, "Inchcape Rock" weaves a tale around
the themes of karma and retribution (revenge). The poem serves as a poignant
(touching) reminder that every action has a ripple effect (as breeze causes waves),
and the choices we make ultimately shape our destiny. It brilliantly captures
the adage (saying) “As you sow, so shall you reap," symbolizing the idea
that evil deeds may seem successful momentarily, but in the end, they lead to
downfall.
3.
Style, Poetic Devices and Language:
The Poem is a ballad written in a narrative and rhymed
couplets having the rhyming scheme of ‘aabb’.
The poet adroitly (skillfully) employs a range of poetic devices. They are as
follow:
Personification: In stanza two waves are referred as ‘They’.
The sun is described as ‘gay’ (stanza six)
Repetition: ‘No stir’ and ‘So little’
Alliteration – Surge’s swell, then they (stanza four)
Anaphora – And then….
And
blest …. (Stanza four)
Imagery: ‘bright, shining sun’, ‘steady ship’, ‘green ocean’,
etc.
The poet has interwoven
imagery, symbolism, personification and many more poetic devices to convey the
theme.
The language of the poem is both simple and powerful,
evoking a sense of empathy and reflection in the reader's mind.
4.
Opinion:
The human morality is timeless as is a rock. "Inchcape
Rock" stands as a testament to the timelessness of human morality. The work of Abbot of Aberbrothok is highest form
of morality. It stays forever. Whereas the happiness sought by the Ralph the Rover
is momentary. He pays for his bad actions. Even though the narrative is very
long but it is very captivating and engages readers from start to the end. The
poem is finest embodiment of poetic justice which is part and parcel of a
drama. "Inchcape Rock" serves
as a reminder that our choices are not isolated events but threads in the net
of existence. Use of rhyme couplets, poetic devices, archaic words and simple
language make this poem a great work of literature. The teaches us that we
should always think of the consequences of our actions before going for it.
