Poem Analysis - The Sea To The Shore

Introduction: A Passionate Pursuit

Lucy Maud Montgomery’s "The Sea To The Shore" is a vibrant and imaginative love poem that personifies the sea as a passionate suitor and the shore as its desired beloved. The poem begins with a tentative, almost pleading tone, but quickly shifts into a declaration of confident, even forceful, love. This contrast underscores the sea's multifaceted nature and its unwavering determination to win the shore's affection. Ultimately, the poem celebrates a powerful and inevitable union forged through nature's grand spectacle.

The Everlasting Theme of Unconventional Love

The poem’s central theme is the unconventional and powerful nature of love. It presents love not as a gentle, passive emotion, but as a force capable of shaping the world. This is evident in the sea's initial willingness to adopt a humble approach, asking "Shall I creep to thy white feet, in guise of a humble lover?" But the poem quickly dismisses this submissive stance, recognizing that such meekness is "no way of the sea." The love the sea embodies is grand and assertive, a force that will "storm thee away with laughter." This depiction of love contrasts with traditional, more demure portrayals, emphasizing its potential for both tenderness and strength.

Imagery of Nature's Grandeur: Beauty and Power

Vivid imagery is crucial to developing the poem’s themes. The poem employs natural elements to symbolize both the sea's power and the beauty of the potential union. The "beard of snow" and "wildest of billows" portray the sea's untamed energy, while "the silver of morning" and "purple of night" depict the beauty that surrounds their courtship. Furthermore, the "red-gold wedding ring, mined from the caves of sunset," transforms a natural phenomenon into a symbol of enduring commitment. By blending images of force and beauty, the poem suggests that true love encompasses both strength and gentleness.

Symbolism: Sea and Shore as Eternal Lovers

The sea and the shore themselves serve as potent symbols. The sea represents a dynamic, powerful, and sometimes volatile force, constantly in motion and capable of great change. The shore, on the other hand, symbolizes stability, beauty, and perhaps a degree of reticence or maidenly shyness, as hinted at in the line "biding thy maiden coyness." Their relationship becomes a metaphor for the eternal push and pull, the attraction and resistance, that often characterizes romantic relationships. The inevitable union they represent suggests that even seemingly opposing forces can find harmony and create something beautiful and lasting.

Triumphant Conclusion: A Celestial Wedding

In conclusion, "The Sea To The Shore" is a celebration of a forceful, inevitable, and ultimately triumphant love. Through vivid imagery, powerful symbolism, and a dynamic shift in tone, the poem transforms a natural phenomenon into a grand romantic narrative. The final image of the stars waiting on their pleasure and the north wind trumpeting a "thunderous marriage march" elevates the union of the sea and shore to a celestial event, suggesting that their love is not only powerful but also divinely ordained. The poem implies that true love is a force of nature, capable of overcoming any obstacle and creating a bond that resonates throughout the universe.