It was a wild and breaker-beaten coast,
With cliffs above, and a broad sandy shore
Guarded by shoals and rocks as by an host,
With here and there a creek, whose aspect wore
A better welcome to the tempest-tost;
And rarely ceased the haughty billow's roar,
Save on the dead long summer days, which make
The outstretch'd ocean glitter like a lake.
And the small ripple spilt upon the beach
Scarcely o'erpassed the cream of your champagne,
When o'er the brim the sparkling bumpers reach,
That spring-dew of the spirit! the heart's rain!
Few things surpass old wine; and they may preach
Who please,–the more because they preach in vain,–
Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter,
Sermons and soda-water the day after.

Byron’s poem uses the setting of a tumultuous coast as a metaphor for the unpredictable nature of life and love. The imagery of the "wild and breaker-beaten coast" evokes a sense of danger and adventure, reflecting the turbulent path that Don Juan has embarked upon. The poet contrasts this wildness with the calm of "dead long summer days," paralleling the alternating chaos and tranquility in human experiences. The metaphor extends to the comparison of champagne's bubbles to the "small ripple spilt upon the beach," suggesting that life's exuberance is momentary and should be savored. Byron's playful dismissal of moral sermons—"the more because they preach in vain"—underscores a philosophy of seizing joy in the present, embodied in the line, "Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter, / Sermons and soda-water the day after." This juxtaposition of indulgence and moral reflection captures the duality of human nature and desires.