Eyes Like the Sea
By Gilbert Parker
Eyes like the sea, look up, the beacons brighten,
Home comes the sailor, home across the tide!
Back drifts the cloud, behold the heavens whiten,
The port of Love is open, he anchors at thy side.
Poem Analysis:
Gilbert Parker, a Canadian writer and poet, was known for his evocative language and romantic imagery. His poem Eyes Like the Sea is a brief but deeply expressive piece that explores themes of love, longing, and homecoming. With just four lines, Parker crafts a vivid scene using nautical imagery, weaving together the metaphor of the sea with the emotional journey of love and reunion.
Love as a Safe Harbor
The poem centers around the metaphor of love as a welcoming port—a place of safety and belonging. The lines:
"The port of Love is open, he anchors at thy side."
suggest that love provides a final destination, a refuge after a long and perhaps arduous journey. The speaker compares the subject’s eyes to the sea, reinforcing the idea that love, like the ocean, is vast and powerful but also capable of offering solace.
The Imagery of Homecoming
Parker uses the imagery of a sailor returning home to symbolize reunion, possibly after separation or hardship. The line:
"Home comes the sailor, home across the tide!"
captures a sense of movement, emphasizing the journey taken by the sailor—whether literal or metaphorical—to reach his beloved. The ocean, often associated with adventure and uncertainty, is now a pathway leading to love and stability.
Transformation and Renewal
The poem also suggests a shift from uncertainty to clarity:
"Back drifts the cloud, behold the heavens whiten,"
Here, the retreating clouds signify the dissipation of doubt or difficulty, revealing the bright sky—perhaps symbolizing hope, enlightenment, or a new beginning. The return of the sailor is not just physical; it carries emotional weight, signaling the resolution of past struggles and the embrace of love’s certainty.
Poetic Structure and Style
The poem is composed of a single quatrain (four-line stanza) with a rhythmic, musical quality. The rhyme scheme (ABAB) enhances its lyrical flow, reinforcing the idea of movement—both the movement of the tide and the emotional journey of reunion.
Parker’s choice of words is simple yet powerful, relying on natural imagery to evoke deep emotions. The interplay between the sea, the sky, and the sailor’s return creates a dynamic, visual representation of love’s enduring presence and its role as a guiding force.
Symbolism
- The Sea – Often a symbol of vast emotions, unpredictability, and longing, the sea in this poem reflects both the depth of the speaker’s love and the journey that leads back to it.
- The Sailor – Representative of a lover, possibly one who has been away or lost in life’s challenges but finds his way home.
- The Clouds and Sky – The transition from clouds to whitened heavens suggests clarity, peace, and renewal—symbolizing the certainty and joy of a long-awaited reunion.
Eyes Like the Sea is a beautifully compact poem that encapsulates the essence of love as a sanctuary. Through nautical imagery and romantic metaphors, Gilbert Parker conveys the idea that love, much like the port awaiting a weary sailor, offers security, comfort, and belonging. The poem’s simple yet profound structure makes it both accessible and deeply resonant, highlighting Parker’s ability to express powerful emotions within a brief poetic frame.