Rudyard Kipling

Seal Lullaby

Seal Lullaby - meaning Summary

Lullaby on the Sea

Kipling’s brief lullaby addresses a young seal, soothing it to sleep amid a dark, restless ocean. The speaker reassures the child about night and predators, transforming the sea’s motion and potential threats into a gentle, protective environment. The poem juxtaposes natural danger with parental comfort, using calm cadence and imagery to make the vast, perilous seascape feel intimate and safe for the sleeping creature.

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Oh! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us And black are the waters that sparkled so green. The moon, O'er the combers, looks downward to find us At rest in the hollows that rustle between. Where billow meets billow, there soft by the pillow. Oh, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease! The storm shall not wake thee, no shark shall overtake thee Asleep in the storm of slow-swinging seas.

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