Whether my bark went down at sea－1
Whether she met with gales－
Whether to isles enchanted
She bent her docile sails－
By what mystic mooring 5
She is held today－
This is the errand of the eye
Out upon the Bay.
Whether she met with gales－
Whether to isles enchanted
She bent her docile sails－
By what mystic mooring 5
She is held today－
This is the errand of the eye
Out upon the Bay.
(F.33/J.52)
[1] my bark:: Lady Franklin's cry.
[2] she:: John Franklin's ship.
[3] isles enchanted:: like Calypso.
[5] mystic:: the result of the expedition was not confirmed in Dickinson's time.
[7] errand:: the expedition was requested by the government. the eye:: the Arctic.
[8] Bay:: a gulf and laurel, expedition for fame.
John Franklin (1786–1847) started an expedition to complete about 500 kilometres unexplored coastline in the Canadian Arctic in May 1845. After two years without any response, his wife Jane Griffin tried to find an answer by sponsoring more expeditions from 1850 to 1875, and generated some public notices at that time.