I started Early Took my Dog — Tide-Waiter

I started Early－Took my Dog－¹
And visited the Sea－
The Mermaids in the Basement
Came out to look at me－

And Frigates－in the Upper Floor ⁵
Extended Hempen Hands－
Presuming Me to be a Mouse－
Aground－upon the Sands－

But no Man moved Me－till the Tide ⁹
Went past my simple Shoe－
And past my Apron－and my Belt－
And past my Bodice－too－

And made as He would eat me up－¹³
As wholly as a Dew
Upon a Dandelion's Sleeve－
And then－I started－too－

And He－He followed－close behind－¹⁷
I felt his Silver Heel
Upon my Ankle－Then my Shoes
Would overflow with Pearl－

Until We met the Solid Town－²¹
No One He seemed to know－
And bowing－with a Might look－
At me－The Sea withdrew－

(F.656/J.520)

[2] Sea:: a seaport, harbor.
[3] Mermaids:: mermaid-fish, a monk-fish or angel-fish.
[5] Frigates:: frigate-birds; both mermaid-fish and frigate-bird are large preyers.
[3–5] Mermaids can mean prostitudes, who came out to see a girl in the red-light district; in this case, frigates alludes to men worked in a frigate, sailors. The girl walked from a harbor's bawdy district to a scrupulous town.
[6] Hempen Hands:: strong and tight claws.
[7] Mouse:: a prey in their eyes.
[9] Tide:: a tide-waiter, one who waits for a favourable season; a customs inspector at a seaport.
[10–12] past, Shoe, Apron, Belt, Bodice:: she was lying on the sand.
[16] started:: began to move.
[21] Solid Town:: a town of scrupulous people, contrast to the harbor of sailors.
[24] Sea:: a seaman, who waits in the harbor for affair as a tide-waiter.

"Romeo and Juliet?" I suggested. "Psha! Mr. Pop; don't you remember how they turned out－Romeo became a tide-waiter in Venice, and Juliet married an apothecary." ─ A Great Humiliation. The Illustrated Dublin Journal (1862)