THE OCEAN

 

Waves of salt

Crash beneath my feet

Silencing the tsunami in my mind.

I stand transfixed

Oblivious to time and space.

I am left reminiscing the days

Where it felt as if it were

Just the ocean and me.

The fiery orange sun brightens my view as it rises

Like a Phoenix

And the aquamarine water glistens in the light

The crystal sea cleanses me

Swallowing the great waves of despair that once destroyed everything

I am whole once again.

Rationale:

The theme of my poem is redemption. To me, the ocean marks a fresh start. Waves can be a metaphor for new beginnings. One wave can wash everything away, but there is always a fresh wave immediately after that starts again. This is like hope and despair. One wave of despair can be destructive, but there is always a wave of hope that follows.

My poem is formed as a wave. I formed it by indenting certain lines. I chose this form because it fits in perfectly with the topic and adds to the overall aesthetic.

I used personification to describe the waves. “Swallowing the great waves of despair that once destroyed me” (12). This shows the sea as a protective monster. It will destroy negativity for the purpose of restoring peace.

I used imagery to paint a picture of the scene that I was trying to describe. “And the aquamarine water glistens in the light” (10). This use of imagery helps readers visualise the scene the way I intended. Without imagery, the poem would be extremely vague and hard to understand.

I used a simile to better describe the scene. “The fiery orange sun brightens my view as it rises/like a Phoenix” (8-9). A Phoenix is a mythological bird that rises from its ashes reborn. It is a metaphor for new beginnings. I compared the rising sun to a Phoenix because the sun sets at night, leaving the world dark, but then it rises again. This comparison is apt for my topic of new beginnings.

I used enjambment in my poem. The sentences are randomly broken up and sometimes bleed into the next line. I chose this format because like a wave, it’s random and unpredictable.

I used diction to strengthen meanings. “I stand transfixed” (4) I could have said “I stand still” but the word “transfixed” has a stronger and more suitable meaning. This helps readers understand better with fewer words.

By Rhea Ravi Kumar

06.03.2020

Eindhoven, Netherlands

P.S: Rhea is my eldest brother T.P.Ravikumar’s daughter and is only 13 years old.