Howard Nemerov's Poetry

Howard Nemerov’s poem, I Only Am Escaped Alone to Tell Thee, captures the feelings of regret of a former whale hunter reflecting on his participation in the whale hunt and on how it has led to much unnecessary pain for and death of the whale species. His insights into this regret are prompted by a picture of a great whale ship, which sets this poem into motion. The author’s voice reminds us of the witnesses in the Bible like Job’s servants who tell Job about the destruction of his herd, and of Jonah who survives being swallowed by a whale to talk about the experience. In the same way, the poet in Nemerov’s poem feels compelled to record the fear of the whale hunting. He regards himself as the only survivor of a whale hunt, who regrets what

On the one hand, the water is troubled because the whales are being chased through the water. On the other hand, the water is troubled since it reflects the guilt of the narrator. The narrator feels guilty because the hunters break the calm of the ocean in order to kill the whale. The mention of “beneath the troubled glass” connects the rough water with the hunter’s advanced technology, which is the ship. Not only the peace is broken, but the whale's’ life is destroyed when “the needle drew their blood”. Nemerov uses a simile that vividly describes the harpoon as a needle , which causes great pain for the whale. It reminds the narrator of “the black flukes of agony.” The black flutes refer to the whales moving in pain when they are attacked by harpoons. It illustrates the comparison between the calm and peace of the ocean and the blood and pain of the whales. At the same time, the narrator is also wondering, if it was worth it to kill these magnificent creatures just to make money or use them for lamp oil or corsets. The reader knows the narrator’s answer is “no.” The reader feels the narrator’s regret in the powerful words describing the death of the whale. The narrator states that the whale “beat[s] at the air till the light blows out.” The feeling is made stronger when the narrator