Activity 4: answer

Answer:   The poem is in the form of rhyming couplets. There are many examples of  alliteration: “ ..lonely sea and the sky”; “ …a star to steer her by”; “ a windy day with white clouds..”; “ the whale’s way “; “ where the wind’s like a whetted knife”.

There are also many examples of repetition “ I must go down to the seas again..” ; “ and all I ask..” ; “ grey mist .. grey dawn breaking”;  “..a wild call and a clear call .; “ the gull’s way and the whale’s way ..”. There is also the repetition of “and “ all the way through.

What is the effect of these techniques? You may have different views on this, but I felt the rhyme and repetition gave the poem a structure and shape. Each stanza consists of 4 lines in rhyming couplets. We can see that every stanza starts with the same phrase, and that every stanza lists different images of the sea. That helps us get an overall picture of the poem on a first reading. 

The repeated lines “ I must go down to the seas again” emphasises the poet’s longing for the sea, a nagging, persistent desire he cannot shake off.  Similarly, the repetition of “call” stresses the relentless nature of his desire, as if he has no choice but to answer that call.  The repetition of “ And all I ask”  is very moving: it’s a heart-felt plea /prayer for his wish to be granted before he dies.