Analysis of The Collision in the English Channel
William Topaz McGonagall 1825 – 1902 (Greyfriars Parish, Edinburgh)
'Twas on a Sunday morning, and in the year of 1888,
The steamer "Saxmundham," laden with coal and coke for freight,
Was run into amidships by the Norwegian barque "Nor,"
And sunk in the English Channel, while the storm fiend did roar.
She left Newcastle on Friday, in November, about two o'clock,
And proceeded well on her way until she received a shock;
And the effects of the collision were so serious within,
That, within twenty minutes afterwards, with water she was full to the brim.
The effects of the collision were so serious the water cduldn't be staunched,
So immediately the "Saxmundham's" jolly-boat was launched;
While the brave crew were busy, and loudly did clatter,
Because, at this time, the stem of the steamer was under water.
Then the bold crew launched the lifeboat, without dismay,
While their hearts did throb, but not a word did they say;
They they tried to launch the port lifeboat, but in that they failed,
Owing to the heavy sea, so their sad fate they bewailed.
Then into the jolly-boat and lifeboat jumped fifteen men in all,
And immediately the steamer foundered, which did their hearts appal,
As the good ship sank beneath the briny wave,
But they thanked God fervently that did them save.
Oh! it was a miracle how any of them were saved,
But it was by the aid of God, and how the crew behaved;
Because God helps those that help themselves,
And those that don't try to do so are silly elves.
So the two boats cruised about for some time,
Before it was decided to pull for St. Catherine;
And while cruising about they must have been ill,
But they succeeded in picking up an engineer and fireman, also Captain Milne.
And at daybreak on Sunday morning the men in the lifeboat
Were picked up by the schooner "Waterbird" as towards her they did float,
And landed at Weymouth, and made all right
By the authorities, who felt for them in their sad plight.
But regarding the barque "Nor," to her I must return,
And, no doubt, for the drowned men, many will mourn;
Because the crew's sufferings must have been great,
Which, certainly, is soul-harrowing to relate.
The ill-fated barque was abandoned in a sinking state,
But all her crew were saved, which I'm happy to relate;
They were rescued by the steamer "Hagbrook" in the afternoon,
When after taking to their boats, and brought to Portland very soon.
The barque "Nor" was bound from New York to Stettin,
And when she struck the "Saxmundham," oh! what terrible din!
Because the merciless water did rush in,
Then the ship carpenters to patch the breach did begin.
But, alas! all their efforts proved in vain,
For still the water did on them gain;
Still they resolved to save her whatever did betide,
But, alas! the ill-fated "Nor" sank beneath the tide.
But thanks be to God, the major part of the men have been saved,
And all honour to both crews that so manfully behaved;
And may God protect the mariner by night and by day
When on the briny deep, far, far away!
Scheme | XABB CCDX AXEE FFXA GGHH IIJJ XXXX KKLL XXAA AAMM DDDD NNOO IIFF |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (69%) |
Metre | 11011000011 010110110111 1101010101011 01001010101111 1110110001001101 001011010110101 0001100100110001 1011010100110111101 0011001001100010111 1010000110111 1011010010110 0111101101011010 10111010101 111111101111 1111101110111 1010101111111 101010101101101 0010000101011111 1011101011 11111001111 11101001101101 11110111010101 011111101 011111111101 1011101111 0111101111100 01100111111 110100101110101010101 011111001001 011101011010111 0101100111 10010011110111 1010011101101 01110111011 01011001111 110011100101 01101101000101 1101011110101 1010101010001 1101011101110101 0111111111 011101111001 01010010110 1011001101101 1011110101 110101111 110111010101 1010110110101 111110101101111 0111111110001 01101010011011 110111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 2,908 |
Words | 533 |
Sentences | 20 |
Stanzas | 13 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 52 |
Letters per line (avg) | 44 |
Words per line (avg) | 10 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 177 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 41 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 18, 2023
- 2:40 min read
- 129 Views
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"The Collision in the English Channel" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/41889/the-collision-in-the-english-channel>.
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