Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral · Chapter
I explained
The speaker calls upon the tyrannical sea god Aeolus to be still and not frown while Susanna travels safely across the water amid raging tempests and thunder.
What happens
The speaker calls upon the tyrannical sea god Aeolus to be still and not frown while Susanna travels safely across the water amid raging tempests and thunder.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This poem serves as the narrative climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak where the sp…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Divine Providence and Nature
The poem invokes the power of natural forces (tempests, thunder) and appeals to a divine-like authority over the sea to ensure safe passage.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“While raging tempests shake the shore, While Aelus’ thunders round us roar, And sweep impetuous o’er the plain Be still, O tyrant of the main; Nor let thy brow contracted frowns betray, While my Susanna skims the wat’ry way.”
Even as violent storms batter the coast and Aeolus's thunder crashes around us, sweeping fiercely across the land, calm yourself, cruel ruler of the sea; do not show your displeasure with a furrowed brow, while my Susanna glides across the water.
The speaker commands the storm god to relent so that Susanna may travel safely.
