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In literature we have been reading and analyzing a poem called “Whatching for dolphins”. With Clara Zorraquin we made this chart about the poem.
This is the poem we read:
In the summer months on every crossing to Piraeus
One noticed that certain passengers soon rose
From seats in the packed saloon and with serious
Looks and no acknowledgement of a common purpose
Passed forward through the small door into the bows
To watch for dolphins. One saw them lose
Every other wish. Even the lovers
Turned their desires on the sea, and a fat man
Hung with equipment to photograph the occasion
Stared like a saint, through sad bifocals; others,
Hopeless themselves, looked to the children for they
Would see dolphins if anyone would. Day after day
Or on their last opportunity all gazed
Undecided whether a flat calm were favourable
Or a sea the sun and the wind between them raised
To a likeness of dolphins. Were gulls a sign, that fell
Screeching from the sky or over an unremarkable place
Sat in a silent school? Every face
After its character implored the sea.
All, unaccustomed, wanted epiphany,
Praying the sky would clang and the abused Aegean
Reverberate with cymbal, gong and drum.
We could not imagine more prayer, and had they then
On the waves, on the climax of our longing come
Smiling, snub-nosed, domed like satyrs, oh
We should have laughed and lifted the children up
Stranger to stranger, pointing how with a leap
They left their element, three or four times, centred
On grace, and heavily and warm re-entered,
Looping the keel. We should have felt them go
Further and further into the deep parts. But soon
We were among the great tankers, under their chains
In black water. We had not seen the dolphins
But woke, blinking. Eyes cast down
With no admission of disappointment the company
Dispersed and prepared to land in the city.
| Context: | This poem is called “Watching for dolphins”.
It is about a group of people that went to see dolphins, but the dolphins did not appear. |
| Voice: | Narrator |
| Tone: | Happy and excited at first and sad, disappointment and desperation
at the end. |
| Theme: | The unexpected, things may go wrong, amazement and nature. |
| Techniques: | Epiphany, metaphor and similes |
| Personal opinion: | We believe that the poem is depressing, because the people went very excited to see dolphins, and they ended up seeing something that they didn’t want to see. They only saw the sea and some gulls. They were extremely disappointed at the end. Despite everything we think that this is a very sentimental and interesting poem. |