Don Juan: Canto the Second

George Gordon Lord Byron 1788 (London) – 1824 (Missolonghi, Aetolia)



XXIV

    The ship, call'd the most holy "Trinidada,"
       Was steering duly for the port Leghorn;
   For there the Spanish family Moncada
       Were settled long ere Juan's sire was born:
   They were relations, and for them he had a
       Letter of introduction, which the morn
   Of his departure had been sent him by
   His Spanish friends for those in Italy.XXV

   His suite consisted of three servants and
      A tutor, the licentiate Pedrillo,
  Who several languages did understand,
      But now lay sick and speechless on his pillow,
  And, rocking in his hammock, long'd for land,
      His headache being increas'd by every billow;
  And the waves oozing through the port-hole made
  His berth a little damp, and him afraid.XXVI

  'Twas not without some reason, for the wind
      Increas'd at night, until it blew a gale;
  And though 'twas not much to a naval mind,
      Some landsmen would have look'd a little pale,
  For sailors are, in fact, a different kind:
      At sunset they began to take in sail,
  For the sky show'd it would come on to blow,
  And carry away, perhaps, a mast or so.XXVII

  At one o'clock the wind with sudden shift
      Threw the ship right into the trough of the sea,
  Which struck her aft, and made an awkward rift,
      Started the stern-post, also shatter'd the
  Whole of her stern-frame, and, ere she could lift
      Herself from out her present jeopardy,
  The rudder tore away: 'twas time to sound
  The pumps, and there were four feet water found.XXVIII

  One gang of people instantly was put
      Upon the pumps, and the remainder set
  To get up part of the cargo, and what not,
      But they could not come at the leak as yet;
  At last they did get at it really, but
      Still their salvation was an even bet:
  The water rush'd through in a way quite puzzling,
  While they thrust sheets, shirts, jackets, bales of muslin,XXIX

  Into the opening; but all such ingredients
      Would have been vain, and they must have gone down,
  Despite of all their efforts and expedients,
      But for the pumps: I'm glad to make them known
  To all the brother tars who may have need hence,
      For fifty tons of water were upthrown
  By them per hour, and they had all been undone,
  But for the maker, Mr. Mann, of London.XXX

  As day advanc'd the weather seem'd to abate,
      And then the leak they reckon'd to reduce,
  And keep the ship afloat, though three feet yet
      Kept two hand- and one chain-pump still in use.
  The wind blew fresh again: as it grew late
      A squall came on, and while some guns broke loose,
  A gust--which all descriptive power transcends--
  Laid with one blast the ship on her beam ends.XXXI

  There she lay, motionless, and seem'd upset;
      The water left the hold, and wash'd the decks,
  And made a scene men do not soon forget;
       For they remember battles, fires and wrecks,
  Or any other thing that brings regret,
      Or breaks their hopes, or hearts, or heads, or necks:
  Thus drownings are much talked of by the divers
  And swimmers who may chance to be survivors.XXXII

  Immediately the masts were cut away,
      Both main and mizen; first the mizen went,
  The mainmast follow'd: but the ship still lay
      Like a mere log, and baffled our intent.
  Foremast and bowsprit were cut down, and they
      Eas'd her at last (although we never meant
  To part with all till every hope was blighted),
  And then with violence the old ship righted.XXXIII

  It may be easily suppos'd, while this
      Was going on, some people were unquiet,
  That passengers would find it much amiss
      To lose their lives, as well as spoil their diet;
  That even the able seaman, deeming his
      Days nearly o'er, might be dispos'd to riot,
  As upon such occasions tars will ask
  For grog, and sometimes drink rum from the cask.XXXIV

  There's nought, no doubt, so much the spirit calms
      As rum and true religion: thus it was,
  Some plunder'd, some drank spirits, some sung psalms,
      The high wind made the treble, and as bass
  The hoarse harsh waves kept time; fright cur'd the qualms
      Of all the luckless landsmen's sea-sick maws:
  Strange sounds of wailing, blasphemy, devotion,
  Clamour'd in chorus to the roaring ocean.XXXV

  Perhaps more mischief had been done, but for
      Our Juan, who, with sense beyond his years,
  Got to the spirit-room, and
Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 14, 2023

3:50 min read
163

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCBXD AEAEAEAD AEAEAEED AFACAAAD AAAAAAXF XXFXXBGF AHAHAHXF AIAIAIXF JAEAJAAF KAKAXAXD LXXXLFGD XXA
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 4,300
Words 742
Stanzas 12
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 3

George Gordon Lord Byron

George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, known simply as Lord Byron, was an English poet, peer and politician who became a revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence, and is considered one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement. He is regarded as one of the greatest English poets and remains widely read and influential. Among his best-known works are the lengthy narrative poems Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage; many of his shorter lyrics in Hebrew Melodies also became popular. He travelled extensively across Europe, especially in Italy, where he lived for seven years in the cities of Venice, Ravenna, and Pisa. During his stay in Italy he frequently visited his friend and fellow poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Later in life Byron joined the Greek War of Independence fighting the Ottoman Empire and died of disease leading a campaign during that war, for which Greeks revere him as a national hero. He died in 1824 at the age of 36 from a fever contracted after the First and Second Siege of Missolonghi. His only legitimate child, Ada Lovelace, is regarded as a foundational figure in the field of computer programming based on her notes for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. Byron's illegitimate children include Allegra Byron, who died in childhood, and possibly Elizabeth Medora Leigh.  more…

All George Gordon Lord Byron poems | George Gordon Lord Byron Books

4 fans

Discuss the poem Don Juan: Canto the Second with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Don Juan: Canto the Second" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/15061/don-juan:-canto-the-second>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    15
    hours
    9
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    An esteemed poet appointed by a government or conferring institution such as the Royal Household is called?
    A Pulitzer
    B British Writer
    C Official
    D Poet Laureate