Student Question
What is the summary of Lermontov's poem "The Sail"?
Quick answer:
Lermontov's poem "The Sail" describes a solitary sailboat on a foggy sea, questioning its purpose and what it seeks. As the weather worsens, it becomes clear the ship seeks turmoil rather than escape. In the final stanza, despite sunny weather, the ship still seeks a storm, symbolizing a person who pursues tumultuous relationships over contentment.
I am using the translation of "The Sail" by Frank Beck.
In the first stanza, the speaker begins by describing a white and lonely sailboat out on a blue and foggy sea. He then asks what the boat is looking for and what is wrong at home that it is trying to escape.
In the second stanza, the weather at sea grow windy and harsh. The ship's mast bends. The speaker realizes that the ship has not gone to sea to escape trouble but to seek trouble. We learn that "contentment" is not what the ship desires.
In the third and final stanza of the poem, the weather has become bright and sunny again. Nevertheless, the "rebellious" ship seeks a storm—as if it can find love amid a storm.
The ship can be understood to represent a person who seeks out stormy and confrontational relationships, just as a ship on the high seas might be said to be seeking out storms.
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