Poem : 'The faithful ship' ; 3 April, 2023.

                           
3 May, 2023
Uploaded to ChatGPT for analysis
Poem : “The faithful ship”
Soman Ragavan : Hello. Can I post a poem of mine for analysis, please ?

ChatGPT
Hello Soman Ragavan! Sure, you can post your poem for analysis. I'll do my best to provide you with feedback and insights. Please feel free to share your poem.
 
Soman Ragavan : My poem : "The faithful ship." Please analyse by each stanza, then give overall comments. Mention similar poems from other authors, where possible. This refers to a ship that plied for many years between Mauritius and the island of Rodrigues, both in the Indian Ocean. THE FAITHFUL SHIP 

ChatGPT :
Thank you for sharing your poem "The faithful ship." Here's a stanza-wise analysis followed by an overall comment:

Stanza 1: The first stanza is an introduction to the ship. The ship is described as a feat of craftsmanship, a grand old lady of the seas, and a valiant voyager. The stanza also highlights the ship's reliability as a provider for thousands of people who depend on it.

Stanza 2: This stanza describes the various types of cargo that the ship carries, including animals like hens, cows, pigs, and ducks. The stanza also draws a comparison between the ship and Noah's ark, suggesting that the ship is carrying a diverse array of creatures.

Stanza 3: The third stanza describes the ship's resilience in rough weather conditions. It highlights the fact that the ship's engines groan and puff, while it is being roughed by the waves. The stanza also suggests that the ship carries with it the hopes and fears of the people who rely on it.

Stanza 4: This stanza describes the ship's role as a provider of food, materials, and drinks. The stanza highlights the fact that the drinks are often so strong that people would tremble as they release the bottles.

Stanza 5: The fifth stanza describes the ship's arrival at the port and how it was greeted by the people who would work to unload its cargo. The stanza also highlights the ship's dedication and its tireless efforts to ferry people and goods between the two ports.

Stanza 6: This stanza describes how the ship has been dedicated to serving the people of the island for many years. It highlights the fact that the ship has become an integral part of the island's daily life, even as people lay in bed.

Stanza 7: This stanza describes the ship's maintenance and the team of people who work tirelessly to ensure that it remains in good condition. The stanza also highlights the importance of the smoke trails left behind by the ship, which serve as a reminder of its dedication and service.

Stanza 8: The eighth stanza describes the ship's tragic fate. The ship was not preserved or conserved for its service but was instead sold as scrap metal. The stanza reflects the poet's lament at the loss of such a faithful ship.

Stanza 9: The final stanza is a plea for recognition of the ship's service and a tribute to its enduring memory. The poet suggests that even though the ship was sold as scrap metal, it will remain an immortal symbol of service and dedication.

Overall, "The faithful ship" is a poignant and moving tribute to a ship that served the people of the island for many years. The poem captures the ship's importance and its impact on the lives of the people who relied on it. The use of metaphors, such as the comparison with Noah's ark, adds depth and meaning to the poem. The poem's final stanza is particularly powerful, as it offers a call for recognition and remembrance of the ship's service. In terms of similar poems, one might compare "The faithful ship" to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," which also deals with the theme of the sea and the fate of ships.
 
Soman Ragavan : Thank you. Goodbye for now.

ChatGPT
You're welcome! Have a great day!

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                              THE  FAITHFUL  SHIP

A feat of craftsmanship were thou indeed,
Grand old lady of the seas, valiant voyager;
Thousands yonder regularly did thou feed,
Ruler of the waves, dependable provider.

What a colourful cargo faithfully thou carried !
In thy entrails, what a hilarious lot, so varied !
Dozens of hens and cows, pigs and ducks :
The lot regularly ferried thou to the docks.

Sometimes me thought thou were some latter day Ark :
Like old man Noah's, though made of stronger bark;
Of God's creatures carried thou some jolly samples,
And, among some of them some cunning examples.

Time after time plied thou 'tween the two ports,
In all weather, even in raging storms of all sorts;
Thy engines groan'd and puff'd and cough'd,
While by the wild waves were thou rough'd.

Impassive witness to sighs and tears,
Object of crushing and churning fears,
Thou carried with thee the fervent hopes
Of the folks trembling behind yon ropes.

Victuals and materials did thou ferry to yon land,
As well as concoctions of the most strange blend;
Many instantly to heaven the drinks did send
As they releas’d the bottles with a trembling hand.

                                      * * *

A sight were thou of the most welcome sort,
Sailing confidently towards the little port;
Greet'd by this porter and yon nanny,
Thy sight promis’d labour to many.

How many times dutifully had thou plied
'Tween this generous land and yon shore;
In thy wake, how many tearfully had cried :
How many had felt their hearts so sore !

Of dedicat'd service year after year
Did thou render, here and there, to all;
Day after day answer'd thou every call,
Thou, our most cherish'd carrier.

A whole island ceaselessly thou fed,
Even as the multitudes lay in bed;
Dutifully did thou tend to the folks yonder,
Supplying their needs, dependable mother.

A dedicat'd team oil'd thy entire entrails,
Tend'd to thy muscles and essential organs,
So thou might ensure to thy devot'd fans
The sight of those lingering smoke trails.

                                  * * *

Oh God, what a cruel fate ! How callous !
How did they repay this ship so marvellous !
For posterity should thou have been preserv'd :
For thy service, should thou have been conserv'd.

But, fate finally had decid'd otherwise :
Thou were not to see again the dawn rise :
The dawns towards which thou labour'd
No more by thee would be encounter'd.

Such a faithful ship, a ruler so mighty,
Fender of the waves, a queen afloat !
'Twas decid'd thy reign should cease finally :
That, as scrap metal, should end this boat.

Ah, me ! Give me back my cherish'd boat,
Give me at least an old, forlorn washer,
A batter'd screw or nut, a worn-out ladder :
Anything on which poetically I could gloat  !

Give me at least a discard'd part
Of my glorious and valiant ship,
That tender'd to us its very heart,
But, that was reward'd with the whip !

To the scrap-yard did they send thee,
To be batter'd, to be whipp'd and sawn,
To a thousand pieces to be drawn :
With flames to be kill'd off, with glee.

Everywhere I turn there's just rampage
In this maddening life, so savage;
A glorious ship, for its mettle remember'd,
To be sold as scrap metal was dismember'd.

Such callousness should be forbidden :
How can such devot'd service be forgotten !
The price per ton of iron did they consider,
And proceed’d with the murder of the ruler.

But, now with this poetical chant should all reckon,
As our pen, our devastating weapon, we summon :
Even if they did strike at thee in manners callous,
Thou wilt remain our immortal "M.V. MAURITIUS."

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