Poetry · Chapter
CCLII explained
A brief poetic plea to the oceans to carry the narrator to a remote island where he can escape the deceit and emotional turmoil symbolized by women, while also asking not to bring a particular woman who shows no emotion.
What happens
A brief poetic plea to the oceans to carry the narrator to a remote island where he can escape the deceit and emotional turmoil symbolized by women, while also asking not to bring a particular woman who shows no emotion.
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
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker’s obsessive pursuit of the divine rose fragrance…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Deception and Self-Deception
The narrator fears the hidden dangers in women's smiles and tears, reflecting a theme of deception.
- Nature and Artifice
The contrast between the natural ocean and the artificial, deceptive human emotions is central to the poem.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator speaks in first person, pleading with the oceans for escape.
Key passages
“Bear me, good oceans, to some isle Where I may never fear The snake alurk in woman’s smile, The tiger in her tear.”
Carry me, kind oceans, to an island where I won't have to dread the hidden deceit in a woman's smile or the ferocity in her tears.
The narrator seeks refuge from perceived female duplicity.
“Yet bear not with me her, O deeps, Who never smiles and never weeps.”
But do not bring along that woman, O seas, who shows no emotion at all.
The narrator also rejects a woman who is emotionally unresponsive.
