W6: Close Reading of Beyond the Breakers
Beyond the Breakers uses strong personification and descriptive words to immerse ourselves in the landscape and how Sterling might feel in the time. He is able to make the ocean intimidating and tough, but never actually saying these things outright. By describing how he feels nearby and giving beast like qualities, it’s easily understood how he wanted us as readers to feel about the ocean and what the coastlines of California can be like at times.
Sterling’s poetry is very personified throughout. He is talking about the ocean in his poem, but as seen it’s acting like a ferocious warrior or sorts, or maybe even a beast and a warrior riding it. It has its “battle cries,” which is the sound of it crashing against the rocks probably, or maybe just on the shore. The way the ocean is personified specifically feels like he is watching a storm from the coast line. I think he might of had some different descriptive language if he was actually riding in the storm.
The other literary tool I saw strongly in Sterling is his strong use of adjectives and descriptive words. Like stated, he uses them to personify, but he also uses them to make us able to envision our selves on the coastline near Carmel (most likely) and see how the ocean is. Anyone who has visited that Northern California beach knows that it’s often “angry” and cold, and not like that cozy warm one in the movies. Being in the Monterey area, it’s most likely closer to the anger and less warm and fuzzy ocean, and this might just be a cold winters day even.
“And I flung me forth at their strength, at their might of motion and sound,
Till the foam-bolts stung at my brow and the foam-chains ringed me around,
And the hissing ridges ran like dragons driven by gods—
Mad with the battle-cries and their unseen lashes and rods.”
Sterling, G. “Beyond the Breakers.” The Literature of California, The University of California Press (2000). Pg 307.
Sterling’s poetry is very personified throughout. He is talking about the ocean in his poem, but as seen it’s acting like a ferocious warrior or sorts, or maybe even a beast and a warrior riding it. It has its “battle cries,” which is the sound of it crashing against the rocks probably, or maybe just on the shore. The way the ocean is personified specifically feels like he is watching a storm from the coast line. I think he might of had some different descriptive language if he was actually riding in the storm.
The other literary tool I saw strongly in Sterling is his strong use of adjectives and descriptive words. Like stated, he uses them to personify, but he also uses them to make us able to envision our selves on the coastline near Carmel (most likely) and see how the ocean is. Anyone who has visited that Northern California beach knows that it’s often “angry” and cold, and not like that cozy warm one in the movies. Being in the Monterey area, it’s most likely closer to the anger and less warm and fuzzy ocean, and this might just be a cold winters day even.
“And I flung me forth at their strength, at their might of motion and sound,
Till the foam-bolts stung at my brow and the foam-chains ringed me around,
And the hissing ridges ran like dragons driven by gods—
Mad with the battle-cries and their unseen lashes and rods.”
Sterling, G. “Beyond the Breakers.” The Literature of California, The University of California Press (2000). Pg 307.
Hi! Oh my goodness! I literally mention that exact same thing as you in your middle paragraph about how the ocean is like warriors. That is so crazy! I felt like it was almost like a battle between heaven and hell, and how he hears laughing, I felt like that they may have alluded to angels in a way because of how beautiful he described them and the laughter he heard.
ReplyDeleteYou absolutely right about the adjectives he used and he goes so in-depth into describing the ocean. I like how you also noticed that.
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI really like how you identified that Sterling was describing the ocean as a ferocious warrior. You did a really great job on understanding his writing and I like that you even guessed as to where he was observing the ocean from. I agree that it likely was a northern California beach, in the winter that he is describing. This was a very interesting read, I like your perspective.
Thanks,
Corine
Hey Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts on Beyond the Breakers. I didn't read the poem but after hearing you and Dana describe his powerful use of metaphors and personification it makes me want to check it out. I agree with you that he was likely talking about Northern California beaches during the winter, because they are very cold and loud and scary at night. Thanks for your thoughts on this poem, I am going to have to give it a read.
Hey Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying the read. I like how you compared the ocean to that of a warrior. I really didn't see it that way at first when i had read it. Initially, i just said he was describing it as fierce, and in a way, that IS a quality of a warrior. Wish i had elaborated on it a bit more in my reading. Also i like how you brought forth how the author tries to make it feel like we are there. In a way i think the word you meant for that instance would be "imagery" rather than " strong use of adjectives and descriptive words."
again i really enjoyed reading your take on it.
-APRIL