Poetry · Chapter
An Old Song explained
The speaker describes a tranquil evening by the sea, where a unique light forms a bridge across the water, and a robin sings.
What happens
The speaker describes a tranquil evening by the sea, where a unique light forms a bridge across the water, and a robin sings. He repeats a refrain from an old sailors' song about roving and a fair maid, blending the charm of the song with the dusk atmosphere.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak occurs when the speaker, despite physical pain from the storm, experiences a transcendent m…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Solitude and Reflection
The speaker experiences a solitary moment by the sea, with a unique light bridge visible only to him, and reflects through the old song.
- Love and Loss
The old song's refrain about roving and a fair maid evokes themes of romantic longing and the consequences of wandering.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The speaker who walks elate by the sea, observes the light bridge, and repeats the old song.
- The Winter Thrush
A robin that sings in the shade, contributing to the scene's tranquility.
Key passages
“The sun set, the wind fell, the sea Was like a mirror shaking:”
As the sun went down, the wind died and the sea became still, trembling like a mirror.
Describes the calm evening setting.
“A light divided the swollen clouds And lay most perfectly Like a straight narrow footbridge bright That crossed over the sea to me;”
A beam of light split the heavy clouds and formed a perfect, narrow, bright bridge across the sea toward me.
The unique light phenomenon observed by the speaker.
“I’ll go no more a-roving With you, fair maid.”
I will no longer wander with you, beautiful woman.
The refrain from the old song that the speaker repeats.
