Escaping backward to perceive 1
The Sea upon our place－
Escaping forward, to confront
His glittering Embrace－
Retreating up, a Billow's height 5
Retreating blinded down
Our undermining feet to meet
Instructs to the Divine.
The Sea upon our place－
Escaping forward, to confront
His glittering Embrace－
Retreating up, a Billow's height 5
Retreating blinded down
Our undermining feet to meet
Instructs to the Divine.
(F.969/J.867)
[1–8] This poem is about Moby Dick (1851) by Herman Melville (1819–1891).
[1, 3] backward, forward:: Ahab, captain of the whaleship Pequod, commanded his crew to hunt Moby Dick.
[4] glittering:: glittering is used to describe the whale's teeth, mouth, and spout.
[7] undermining:: in the story, Moby Dick attacked the boat from just beneath the boat.
[8] the Divine:: death of Ahab and his crew (except Ishmael), instructed by Ahab. "the glorified White Whale as he so divinely swam."
"The glittering mouth yawned beneath the boat like an open-doored marble tomb; and giving one sidelong sweep with his steering oar, Ahab whirled the craft aside from this tremendous apparition" (Moby Dick).