Today in class we read Watching For Dolphins by David Constantine, we annalized it and finally we made a chart.

Watching for dolphins by David Constantine: (POEM)

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 bi-focals; 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.

Resultado de imagen para DOLPHINS

 

CONTEXT: Watching for dolphins is a poem in wich people are hoping to see dolphins

VOICE: The voice is someone who is in that boat waiting to watch the dolphins

THEME: This poem is trying to tell us that we do not control nature.

TONE: In this poem there is a changing tone, at first exitment, hope and at the end sadness and dissapointment.

TECHNIQUES: Simile: «stared like a saint». metaphor: » but soon we were among the great tankers, under their chains in black water» and epiphany

PERSONAL OPINION: I really liked the poem but it is relly sad. In my opinion i also think it is really relatable, i believe that because in life, we pass throught a lot of dissapointments and this poem is an example.

David Constantine reading Whatching for dolphins.