In The Harbour: Becalmed

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807 (Portland) – 1882 (Cambridge)



Becalmed upon the sea of Thought,
Still unattained the land it sought,
My mind, with loosely-hanging sails,
Lies waiting the auspicious gales.

On either side, behind, before,
The ocean stretches like a floor,--
A level floor of amethyst,
Crowned by a golden dome of mist.

Blow, breath of inspiration, blow!
Shake and uplift this golden glow!
And fill the canvas of the mind
With wafts of thy celestial wind.

Blow, breath of song! until I feel
The straining sail, the lifting keel,
The life of the awakening sea,
Its motion and its mystery!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

28 sec read
135

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 535
Words 96
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. more…

All Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poems | Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Books

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