"Storm at Sea" by Robert Salmon‘Valiant Men’ by Angel L. Villanueva The Society November 19, 2022 Beauty, Poetry 5 Comments . Valiant Men The sailors brave the angry storm __As waves the ocean brings. It seems to them one hundred years Of fighting death despite their fears, __Like ancient warring kings. The frigid water stings their hands __And chills their sodden skin. But they confront the ghastly howls And fight with death as thunder growls, __To reach their land and kin. The valiant men unite as one __And bravely surge ahead. No wave, or grave, their will can break Nor dim the morning light to wake; __They fight for life instead. But there, behind a swelling wave, __A larger one, they see. And so they pray their ship holds out As they again attempt to rout __A sanguinary sea. . . Angel L. Villanueva is a poet residing in Massachusetts. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 5 Responses Cheryl Corey November 19, 2022 Nicely done, Angel. It made me think of that movie, The Storm, and how so many people have lost their lives at sea. And to think of how, in times past, there was no radar, no Coast Guard, no way of knowing about an impending storm, except perhaps by studying the wind, the sky, the sea itself. Even close to land, the lighthouse was of critical importance. Reply g.KayeNaegele November 19, 2022 Very enjoyable poem, nice imagery and phrasing. Well done. Reply Paul Freeman November 19, 2022 The rhyme scheme and line length added musicality to the piece. The images are strong. I personally was reminded of Conrad’s short story Typhoon. Thanks for the read, Angel. Reply Margaret Coats November 19, 2022 The never-give-up determination of valiant men is the backbone of this atmospheric poem. They are undaunted by the surprise of double extreme waves in the final stanza, leading up to the last-line surprise naming their foe, the “sanguinary sea” in contradiction to its color. Well done poem with an unusual stanza rhyme scheme, xabba. The unrhymed first line of each stanza, to me, reflects the unexpected challenge of each surge or gust. The combination of tetrameter and trimeter lines (43443) differs a bit from the rhyme pattern, thus representing unruly nature in another way. Reply g.KayeNaegele November 21, 2022 Poems of adventure and challenge at sea have long been a moving topic of unique attraction to this day, which still bears the necessity to valiance. The oceans and seas hold intrigues unknown to most, which makes it an alluring topic. Nice form, was not detracted by the unrhymed first line, as the proceeding rhyme and meter was strong. Powerful imagery and phrasing and enticing to the imagination. Well done. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Cheryl Corey November 19, 2022 Nicely done, Angel. It made me think of that movie, The Storm, and how so many people have lost their lives at sea. And to think of how, in times past, there was no radar, no Coast Guard, no way of knowing about an impending storm, except perhaps by studying the wind, the sky, the sea itself. Even close to land, the lighthouse was of critical importance. Reply
Paul Freeman November 19, 2022 The rhyme scheme and line length added musicality to the piece. The images are strong. I personally was reminded of Conrad’s short story Typhoon. Thanks for the read, Angel. Reply
Margaret Coats November 19, 2022 The never-give-up determination of valiant men is the backbone of this atmospheric poem. They are undaunted by the surprise of double extreme waves in the final stanza, leading up to the last-line surprise naming their foe, the “sanguinary sea” in contradiction to its color. Well done poem with an unusual stanza rhyme scheme, xabba. The unrhymed first line of each stanza, to me, reflects the unexpected challenge of each surge or gust. The combination of tetrameter and trimeter lines (43443) differs a bit from the rhyme pattern, thus representing unruly nature in another way. Reply
g.KayeNaegele November 21, 2022 Poems of adventure and challenge at sea have long been a moving topic of unique attraction to this day, which still bears the necessity to valiance. The oceans and seas hold intrigues unknown to most, which makes it an alluring topic. Nice form, was not detracted by the unrhymed first line, as the proceeding rhyme and meter was strong. Powerful imagery and phrasing and enticing to the imagination. Well done. Reply
