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I Am Standing Upon The Seashore

Author: Henry Van Dyke

This Page Includes: Full Verses of the Poem in Text. A Recording of the Poem (Audio). A Free PDF Download for reading purposes. Free Editable Google Doc Download if you wish to make changes or to personalise the poem. The page also includes what the poem is about, structure of poem and explaining the best parts.

I Am Standing Upon The Seashore Poem Verses

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone"

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

And that is dying...

Death comes in its own time, in its own way.
Death is as unique as the individual experiencing it.

Audio Recording

Please note the audio recording may not exactly match the text version as 'I Am Standing Upon The Seashore' can be tailored/personalised

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Personalised Poem

Would you like to customise this poem? You have the option to personalise it by accessing the provided link, which will direct you to Google Docs. From there, you can download the poem ‘Memories’ to your personal Google Docs account or Microsoft Word where you will be able to edit the poem however you want.

Personalised Poem

About the poem

The poem is a metaphor for the experience of death. The speaker observes a ship sailing off into the distance, and someone at their side remarks that the ship is gone. The speaker questions where the ship has gone, and the response is that it is simply out of sight. The speaker then reflects on how the ship is still just as large and able to bear its load as it was before, and that its diminished size is only in the perception of the observer. The poem suggests that death is like the ship sailing away – it is a natural part of life and comes in its own time and way. The poem encourages the reader to embrace death as a unique experience, just as there are always other eyes watching for the ship's return. Ultimately, the poem celebrates the continuity of life and the idea that death is not an end, but a transition to something else.

The Structure of Poem

The poem consists of a single stanza and it is written in free verse with no set meter or rhyme scheme. It presents an extended metaphor of a ship setting sail into the ocean as a metaphor for death, conveying the idea that death is a natural and necessary part of life. The speaker reflects on the ship's departure and the changing perspective of those who observe it, emphasizing the idea that death is a transition rather than an ending. The poem also touches on the idea that death is subjective and experienced differently by each individual.

Best Quote from I Am Standing Upon The Seashore Poem

This is a quote from the poem I Am Standing Upon The Seashore by Henry Van Dyke

"And that is dying...Death comes in its own time, in its own way. Death is as unique as the individual experiencing it."

This quote offers a unique perspective on death, emphasizing that it is a natural process that occurs in its own time and way, and that it is unique to each individual. It provides comfort and understanding that death is not an end, but a transition.