And Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Ocean'

Have you ever swam in the ocean? Ever fought against the waves? Have you ever felt its intensity?? Oceans can be quite treacherous and rigid, but once you sink down beneath the water, all is calm and peaceful. In “The Ocean” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he paints an image of this by illustrating the waters and the men at sea. Men at sea are represented by showing the journey they fought on the Ocean but how after they died they were at peace. By using symbolism, rhyme, and personification, Hawthorne develops a theme in which the ocean can be crazy and wild above the water, but peaceful and calm beneath. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a writer born in New England in the early 1800’s. He grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, where his parents had

Symbolism is found when making reference to the sailors; “calmly the wearied seamen rest” (line 9). Throughout the poem, Hawthorne uses the sailors to symbolize how the sailors have died at sea, which ties back to the theme in which above waters the ocean can be tumultuous and chaotic. Rhyme is also tied into the poem in an ABAB sequence. For example, waves and caves, deep and weep (lines 1-3). Rhyme was an essential tool that the author used to further argue his theme, this also affected the author 's voice and rhythm. Personification was used to show that the earth is similar to the feelings humans express; “the earth has guilt and care,” (line 13) and “though there be fury on the waves” (line 3). By expressing that the earth has guilt and care is personification understanding that the literal earth is not capable of expressing these feelings. When the author says, “though there be fury on the waves beneath them there is none” (lines 3-4) Hawthorne means the waves are wild, loud, and furious. Waves, however, cannot have fury, that is a human

Throughout the poem the tone was subtle, however, a claim was still made. Because the speaker in the poem had a calm tone, it left me feeling a sense of displacement. I didn’t know whether the author chose to write this poem because it was something he was passionate about, or if it didn’t have sufficient meaning. With Hawthorne having ancestors of seamen, his poem could have been a representation of their lives. To me, this poem was quite relatable in the sense that there can be so much commotion above the water, but once you sink down, all is at peace. When surfing the is struggle with, paddling out often fighting the waves, that is if there isn 't a rip to pull you in. Once you ride your wave, you fall back under the water where nothing is fighting or pulling you away. Thinking in perspective and think broadly, people struggle with what 's on the outside; what they look like, how they dress, the people they are around, and what they say. When worrying so much about the outside people often find themselves in chaos or the feeling of being overwhelmed. When people focus on their inside; their beliefs, their morals, love, and passion they feel more at ease with who they are. The ocean could be a symbol for even society in that