Industrious Pirate! See Him Sweep
A brief, wry poem contrasting the industrious pirate who diligently scans the seas from cape to cape, accumulating wealth through his raids, with the reader who similarly surveys life's horizon seeking opportunity. The pirate, through consistent effort and dedication to his trade, will eventually amass a fortune and retire respectably among his neighbors. The poem draws a sardonic parallel between the pirate's single-minded pursuit of gain and the reader's own ambitions, suggesting that determined industry in any pursuit, however morally questionable, leads to worldly success and social respectability. The humor lies in treating piracy as simply another profession rewarded by diligence and retirement, inviting the reader to reflect on the similarities between the pirate's acquisitive scanning of the seas and their own scanning of life's possibilities.
By Robert Louis Stevenson · First published 1882 · Genre: Children's Literature, Adventure, Fantasy · 93 words
First lines
Industrious pirate! see him sweep / The lonely bosom of the deep, / And daily the horizon scan / From Hatteras or Matapan.
Be sure, before that pirate's old, / He will have made a pot of gold, / And will retire from all his labours / And be respected by his neighbors.
You also scan your life's horizon / For all that you can clap your eyes on.
What this Textopian page supports
Industrious Pirate! See Him Sweep is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, dated 1882 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Date: 1882 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Adventure, Fantasy, Humor, Satire
- Length: 93 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Industrious Pirate! See Him Sweep by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Genres
- Children's Literature — The whimsical title and playful imagery of a pirate sweeping suggests content aimed at young readers, with lighthearted, humorous themes typical of children's books.
- Adventure — The pirate setting inherently suggests adventure and exploration, core elements of adventure fiction that align with Stevenson's known works in this genre.
- Fantasy — The absurdist concept of an industrious pirate performing mundane domestic tasks suggests fantastical or surreal elements that defy realistic expectations.
- Humor — The incongruity between the fearsome pirate archetype and the domestic image of sweeping creates comedic effect, indicating satirical or humorous intent.
Tags
poetry · children's literature · imagination · pirates · playfulness · adventure · childhood · nautical · fantasy · humor · domestic life · sweeping
More by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Treasure Island (1883)
- The Pavilion on the Links (1909)
- Olalla (1885)
- A Child's Garden of Verses (1885)
- Father Damien, An Open Letter To The Reverend Doctor Hyde Of Honolulu (1914)
- A Lowden Sabbath Morn (1916)
- Songs of Travel and Other Verses (1908)
- Prayers Written At Vailima (1916)
- All works by Robert Louis Stevenson