The North Ship

The North Ship

by Philip Larkin

Stanza 1:

I saw three ships go sailing by,
Over the sea, the lifting sea,
And the wind rose in the morning sky,
And one was rigged for a long journey.

Paraphrasing:

I saw three ships sail past,
Moving over the rising sea,
As the wind began to pick up in the morning sky,
And one ship was prepared for a long voyage.

Stanza 2:

The first ship turned towards the west,
Over the sea, the running sea,
And by the wind was all possessed
And carried to a rich country.

Paraphrasing;

The first ship sailed westward,
Crossing the sea, which was moving rapidly,
It was entirely guided by the wind
And was carried to a prosperous land.

Stanza 3:

The second ship turned towards the east,
Over the sea, the quaking sea,
And the wind hunted it like a beast
To anchor in captivity.

Paraphrasing:

The second ship sailed eastward,
Over the trembling sea,
The wind chased it fiercely, like a predator,
Until it was forced to stop and remain stuck.

Stanza 4:

The third ship drove towards the north,
Over the sea, the darkening sea,
But no breath of wind came forth,
And the decks shone frostily.

Paraphrasing:

The third ship sailed northward,
Across the sea, which grew darker,
But there was no wind to help it move,
And the deck glistened with frost.

Stanza 5:

The northern sky rose high and black
Over the proud unfruitful sea,
East and west the ships came back
Happily or unhappily:

Paraphrasing;

The sky to the north grew high and dark,
Over the barren, unproductive sea,
The ships from the east and west returned,
Either content or unhappy with their journey.

Stanza 6:

But the third went wide and far
Into an unforgiving sea

Under a fire-spilling star,

And it was rigged for a long Journey.

Paraphrasing;

But the third ship traveled far and wide
Into a harsh and unforgiving sea,
Beneath a star spilling fiery light,
And it was prepared for a long, uncertain journey.

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Summary: In the poem "The North Ship," three ships sail in different directions: one to the west, one to the east, and one to the north. Each ship faces different challenges: the first reaches a rich land, the second gets trapped, and the third sails into a dark, empty sea with no wind. The poem ends with the third ship continuing on a long and difficult journey.

Central Idea: The central idea of the poem is that life’s journey is full of unpredictable paths. Some paths may lead to success, others to struggle, and some to uncertain or lonely destinations. The poem reflects on these different outcomes and the challenges faced along the way.