The Sea The sea! the sea! it calls to me, With waves that leap to touch the sky, With tides that dance and wild winds free, Where seagulls scream, and spirits fly.
O boundless blue, dissolve my fears, Swallow the sorrow, drown the pain, As surf unfolds with ancient tears, And wraps my heart in wild refrain.
For here, beneath the sunbeams bright, A symphony of life begins, In every splash, the source of light, With every crest, the song of sins.
O mighty sea, embrace my soul; Let freedom’s breath consume my breath, As water weaves its endless scroll, And nature’s hand writes love in death.
— Excerpt from “The Sea” (not an actual poem of Melville)
- Herman Melville