Analysis of The Corsair
George Gordon Lord Byron 1788 (London) – 1824 (Missolonghi, Aetolia)
'O'er the glad waters of the dark blue sea,
Our thoughts as boundless, and our soul's as free
Far as the breeze can bear, the billows foam,
Survey our empire, and behold our home!
These are our realms, no limits to their sway-
Our flag the sceptre all who meet obey.
Ours the wild life in tumult still to range
From toil to rest, and joy in every change.
Oh, who can tell? not thou, luxurious slave!
Whose soul would sicken o'er the heaving wave;
Not thou, vain lord of wantonness and ease!
whom slumber soothes not - pleasure cannot please -
Oh, who can tell, save he whose heart hath tried,
And danced in triumph o'er the waters wide,
The exulting sense - the pulse's maddening play,
That thrills the wanderer of that trackless way?
That for itself can woo the approaching fight,
And turn what some deem danger to delight;
That seeks what cravens shun with more than zeal,
And where the feebler faint can only feel -
Feel - to the rising bosom's inmost core,
Its hope awaken and Its spirit soar?
No dread of death if with us die our foes -
Save that it seems even duller than repose:
Come when it will - we snatch the life of life -
When lost - what recks it but disease or strife?
Let him who crawls enamour'd of decay,
Cling to his couch, and sicken years away:
Heave his thick breath, and shake his palsied head;
Ours - the fresh turf; and not the feverish bed.
While gasp by gasp he falters forth his soul,
Ours with one pang - one bound - escapes control.
His corse may boast its urn and narrow cave,
And they who loath'd his life may gild his grave:
Ours are the tears, though few, sincerely shed,
When Ocean shrouds and sepulchres our dead.
For us, even banquets fond regret supply
In the red cup that crowns our memory;
And the brief epitaph in danger's day,
When those who win at length divide the prey,
And cry, Remembrance saddening o'er each brow,
How had the brave who fell exulted now!'
II.
Such were the notes that from the Pirate's isle
Around the kindling watch-fire rang the while:
Such were the sounds that thrill'd the rocks along,
And unto ears as rugged seem'd a song!
In scatter'd groups upon the golden sand,
They game-carouse-converse-or whet the brand:
Select the arms-to each his blade assign,
And careless eye the blood that dims its shine.
Repair the boat, replace the helm or oar,
While others straggling muse along the shore:
For the wild bird the busy springes set,
Or spread beneath the sun the dripping net:
Gaze where some distant sail a speck supplies
With all the 'thirsting eve of Enterprise:
Tell o'er the tales of many a night of toil,
And marvel where they next shall seize a spoil:
No matter where-- their chief's allotment this;
Theirs, to believe no prey nor plan amiss.
But who that CHIEF? his name on every shore
Is famed and fear'd - they ask and know no more.
With these he mingles not but to command;
Few are his words, but keen his eye and hand.
Ne'er seasons he with mirth their jovial mess
But they forgive his silence for success.
Ne'er for his lip the purpling cup they fill,
That goblet passes him untasted still -
And for his fare - the rudest of his crew
Would that, in turn, have pass'd untasted too;
Earth's coarsest bread, the garden's homeliest roots,
And scarce the summer luxury of fruits,
His short repast in humbleness supply
With all a hermit's board would scarce deny.
But while he shuns the grosser joys of sense,
His mind seems nourish'd by that abstinence.
'Steer to that shore! ' - they sail. 'Do this!' - 'tis done:
'Now form and follow me!' - the spoil is won.
Thus prompt his accents and his actions still,
And all obey and few inquire his will;
So To such, brief answer and contemptuous eye
Convey reproof, nor further deign reply.
III.
'A sail! - sail! ' -a promised prize to Hope!
Her nation - flag - how speaks the telescope?
No prize, alas! but yet a welcome sail:
The blood-red signal glitters in the gale.
Yes - she is ours - a home - returning bark -
Blow fair thou breeze! - she anchors ere the dark.
Already doubled is the cape - our bay
Receives that prow which proudly spurns the spray.
How gloriously her gallant course she goes!
Her white wings flying - never from her foes-
She walks the waters like a thing of life,
And seems to dare the elements to strife.
Who would not brave the battle-fire, the wreck,
To move the monarch of her peopled deck?
IV.
Hoarse o'er her side the rustling cable rings;
Scheme AABBCCDDEEFFGGCCHHIIJJKKLLCCMMNNEEMMOACCPP QRRSSTTUUJJVVWWXXYYJJTTZZ1 1 2 2 3 3 OOXX4 4 1 1 OO Q5 5 6 6 7 7 CCKKLL8 8 EA Poetic Form Tetractys (23%) Metre 10011010111 101110010111 1101110101 0110100001101 11101110111 10101011101 10011010111 11110101001 11111101001 11110100101 11111101 1101110101 1111111111 01010100101 00101011001 1101001111 11011100101 0111110101 1111011111 010111101 11010111 1101001101 11111111101 11111010101 1111110111 1111110111 11111101 1111010101 111101111 100110101001 1111110111 10111110101 1111110101 0111111111 10101110101 110101101 11101010101 00111110100 00110011 1111110101 010101001011 1101110101 1 1001110101 01010110101 1001110101 0101110101 0101010101 1101101101 0101111101 0101011111 010110111 110110101 101101011 1101010101 1111010101 11011110 110011100111 0101111101 1101110101 1101111101 11111111001 1101110111 1111011101 1111111101 11011111001 1101110101 111101111 11010111 0111010111 11011111 11101011 0101010011 1110101 110111101 1111010111 1111011100 1111111111 1101010111 1111001101 0101010111 111110001001 011110101 1 011010111 010111010 1101110101 0111010001 11110010101 1111110101 01010101101 0111110101 11000010111 0111010101 1101010111 0111010011 11110101001 110110101 1 110010101011 Closest metre Iambic pentameter Characters 4,388 Words 820 Sentences 44 Stanzas 4 Stanza Lengths 42, 41, 15, 2 Lines Amount 100 Letters per line (avg) 34 Words per line (avg) 8 Letters per stanza (avg) 845 Words per stanza (avg) 204 Font size:Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 03, 2023
- 4:11 min read
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"The Corsair" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/15222/the-corsair>.
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