Written Near a Port on a Dark Evening
(1798–1800)
Huge vapours brood above the clifted shore,
Night on the ocean settles dark and mute,
Save where is heard the repercussive roar
Of drowsy billows on the rugged foot
Of rocks remote; or still more distant tone
Of seamen in the anchored bark that tell
The watch relieved; or one deep voice alone
Singing the hour, and bidding “Strike the bell!”
.
All is black shadow but the lucid line
Marked by the light surf on the level sand,
Or where afar the ship-lights faintly shine
Like wandering fairy fires, that oft on land
Misled the pilgrim — such the dubious ray
That wavering reason lends in life’s long darkling way.
Charlotte Smith
, VOCABULARY
Vapours - a substance that floats in the air - often something that has transitioned
from liquid or solid into a gas, such as steam from water
Brood - think deeply, hang heavily
Clifted - covered in cliffs
Mute - unable to speak
Repercussive - rebounding or reverberating, echoing - also an adjective used to
describe after-effect of something
Drowsy - sleepy
Billow - a floating, outward movement as when a sheet is caught by the wind
Rugged - rough
Remote - far away
Seamen - sailors or people that work at sea
Bark - boat
The watch - the person who keeps watch, a nightwatchman
Lucid - clear, made of light
Surf - the foam that breaks onto the shore from the sea
Fairy fires - will- o - wisps, glowing lights that appear over dark bogs/swamps that
travellers used to think were guiding lights, but which often led people astray
(thought to be caused by leaking gas on bogs / moors / swamps)
Misled - lead astray
Pilgrim - someone who makes a spiritual journey
Dubious - doubtful, suspicious, untrue
Wavering - wobbly, moving up and down
Reason - logic and the mind’s ability to make sense of the world
Darkling - growing dark or covered in darkness
STORY / SUMMARY
The story is set in a port (a place where ships come in from the sea to dock and
harbour) on a dark evening. The speaker is sitting with a view of the port, looking out
to sea. She can see a vapour ( sea mist) on top of the shore, surrounded by cliffs. It is
getting dark and night is falling, it also becomes quiet. The only sound is the ‘roar’ of
seawater crashing against rocks in the distance. And even further away, she can just
about hear the seamen out at sea who are speaking loudly with the watchman, who is
(1798–1800)
Huge vapours brood above the clifted shore,
Night on the ocean settles dark and mute,
Save where is heard the repercussive roar
Of drowsy billows on the rugged foot
Of rocks remote; or still more distant tone
Of seamen in the anchored bark that tell
The watch relieved; or one deep voice alone
Singing the hour, and bidding “Strike the bell!”
.
All is black shadow but the lucid line
Marked by the light surf on the level sand,
Or where afar the ship-lights faintly shine
Like wandering fairy fires, that oft on land
Misled the pilgrim — such the dubious ray
That wavering reason lends in life’s long darkling way.
Charlotte Smith
, VOCABULARY
Vapours - a substance that floats in the air - often something that has transitioned
from liquid or solid into a gas, such as steam from water
Brood - think deeply, hang heavily
Clifted - covered in cliffs
Mute - unable to speak
Repercussive - rebounding or reverberating, echoing - also an adjective used to
describe after-effect of something
Drowsy - sleepy
Billow - a floating, outward movement as when a sheet is caught by the wind
Rugged - rough
Remote - far away
Seamen - sailors or people that work at sea
Bark - boat
The watch - the person who keeps watch, a nightwatchman
Lucid - clear, made of light
Surf - the foam that breaks onto the shore from the sea
Fairy fires - will- o - wisps, glowing lights that appear over dark bogs/swamps that
travellers used to think were guiding lights, but which often led people astray
(thought to be caused by leaking gas on bogs / moors / swamps)
Misled - lead astray
Pilgrim - someone who makes a spiritual journey
Dubious - doubtful, suspicious, untrue
Wavering - wobbly, moving up and down
Reason - logic and the mind’s ability to make sense of the world
Darkling - growing dark or covered in darkness
STORY / SUMMARY
The story is set in a port (a place where ships come in from the sea to dock and
harbour) on a dark evening. The speaker is sitting with a view of the port, looking out
to sea. She can see a vapour ( sea mist) on top of the shore, surrounded by cliffs. It is
getting dark and night is falling, it also becomes quiet. The only sound is the ‘roar’ of
seawater crashing against rocks in the distance. And even further away, she can just
about hear the seamen out at sea who are speaking loudly with the watchman, who is
