Poem Analysis of Out of the Ashes and Into the Sea
Poem Analysis of "Out of the Ashes and Into the Sea"
The legendary tale of the phoenix, the bird who dies and is reborn in it’s own ashes, stories of unicorns, the loch ness monster, mermaids, and of types of fantastical creatures from the Sirens to the Centaurs are found in every era and every form of artistic expression. Books, songs, epic poems, plays and, nowadays, movies, chronicle the human fascination with the supernatural. Beginning with ancient works, men have used great beasts, Gods, and mythical creatures to explain mysteries, the origin of life itself, and, at times, the human spirit, through conflict with great and supernatural adversaries. Although “The Chambered Nautilus” by Oliver Wendell Holmes contains striking similarities to Countee Cullen’s “That Bright Chimeric Beast,” in terms of figurative language, there are interesting differences between the poems which include their content, message and the author’s perspective.
The rhythm between Oliver Wendell Holmes’ “The Chambered Nautilus” and “That Bright Chimeric Beast” by Countee Cullen show similarities in that both are clear and distinct in their emphasis on certain words. In lines 33-38 of “That Bright Chimeric Beast” accentuation is clearly focusing on the presence, and importance, of the three mythological beasts portrayed in this poem.
“There only shall the swish
Be heard of the regal fish;
There like a golden knife
Dart the feet of the unicorn,
And there, death brought to life,
The dead bird be reborn.”
The same characterization is used in line 1 of “The Chambered Nautilus” when the author uses a metaphor to stress the existence, and the significance of the chambered nautilus depicted in his poem.
“This is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign,”
If it has been read correctly, it is impossible to miss the subject in either of these poems, being Mr. Cullen’s’ three mythological beasts, or Mr. Holmes’ chambered nautilus. This is partly because each author used a rhythm, which makes it possible to recognize the topic of each poem, through a specialized use of figurative language.
However alike these poems are in rhythm parallels how unlike they seem to be in content. The most obvious difference between the two poems, is that one speaks about three fictional beasts, and the other about one genuine animal. The three mythological beings in Countee Cullen’s poem are the phoenix, the unicorn and a great whale. In Oliver Wendell Holmes’ poem, the chambered nautilus,...