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Poem: The Night Sea

The Night Sea

 
I want to breath again
beneath the mythic pond.
This presence blows the wind
And bares the dew soaked dawn.
The spirits sing from wells.
The earth’s throat opens wide.
They say what no man tells.
Their secrets dance inside.
The king is sleeping still.
His drawbridge dream released.
His knights ride Isis’ hill.
And dive her bluest seas.
His white deer fly through snow
To kingdoms no man’s known.

This is in iambic trimeter poem with the form of an English Sonnet.

© 2011 Stephen Pickering

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4 responses to “Poem: The Night Sea”

  1. Stephen Pickering Avatar

    Well, actually, in a way, your teacher is right. I was thinking in part about “The Holy Grail” which relates to King Arthur. In some ways “King Arthur” represents the best that is in us all, rather than just one person at one time in the past, and to this extent, he can be ‘woken’ up and made real now in us all. Yes, I was thinking, at least in part, about King Arthur, when I wroter, “The King is Sleeping Still” because there is that Myth that “He” is ‘Eternally’ sleeping on “Avalon”.

    I thank you so much for your revelations. It makes me happy they could be of some help to you and your class.

  2. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    I think that I understand the poem now, thank you, and I really enjoy reading it. When I had asked my teacher in school today she thought the “King” is an allusion to King Aurthor, which makes me wonder about interpretations that have been made about other pieces of literature. But I feel like I can relate more to your poem now knowing what it is really about.

  3. Stephen Pickering Avatar

    Hi Elizabeth,

    Thanks so much for reading my poem. The theme of this poem is that “Spirit” is born from Nature as opposed to being something that is separate from Nature. In other words the “Supernatural” and the “Natural” are not separate things, but rather the Spirit, which represents the fullfillment of the highest potentialities of the human conscious, is born from Nature, is the ‘child’ of Nature, as opposed to being something which must try to control Nature.

    Why is the “King” “sleeping”? The King represents what is in your heart reaching it’s highest potential. The theme of the poem is that following Nature, your natural impulses, as opposed to only believing what others or Society tells you to do, is the way to wake this King that is inside us all, up, and then to have the Adventure.

    And this “magical” adventure is meant to happen right now in our lives, not some time in the distance past or future, but what is keeping that from happening is not following our own inner Nature, or heart.

    Hope that helps!

    Let me know if you have any other Questions. I really enjoy it, and it helps me as well.

  4. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    Would you tell me the theme of this poem? I’ve been having a bit of a hard time deciphering it. So far I’ve concidered longing or discovery or adventure or wanting to go home, but im not sure. If you would let me know it would really help me out, thank you:)

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