The Sea by Virna Sheard (1918)
The work is a lyrical meditation on nature’s role in the cycle of life and death, with the sea embodying both nurturing comfort and the inexorable pull of mortality. The narrative employs the sea as a personified cradle—a vast, ever-moving force that rocks all who encounter it into a peaceful, dreamlike state. As the text unfolds, the sea becomes a metaphor for eternal rest and renewal, where human fears yield to the gentle, divine orchestration of nature. Celestial imagery—lunar light, silken waves, and angelic motifs—is used to evoke a sense of cosmic guardianship, suggesting that what appears to be an end is merely a part of a larger, transcendent cycle. The work intertwines the physical beauty and mystery of the ocean with spiritual symbolism, portraying a landscape where natural phenomena serve as signs of fate and divine intent. Characters in the narrative, whether implicitly or explicitly addressed, are drawn into this vast, enveloping environment, their lives mirroring the sea’s own rhythms of ebb and flow. The act of surrendering to the sea’s embrace is depicted not as a loss, but as a transformative experience—an awakening to the reality that life’s transient nature is deeply interwoven with an ongoing promise of rebirth. Through evocative descriptions and profound imagery, the narrative challenges conventional perceptions of fear and mortality by presenting death as an integral, peaceful part of existence: a sleep from which awakening is assured when the natural world reclaims what it has once cradled. The cyclical nature of existence is central, with each phase—embodied by the rise and fall of tides and the oscillation between light and darkness—illustrating the seamless continuity between life, death, and the divine.
By Virna Sheard · First published 1918 · Genre: Poetry, Nature Writing, Religious Allegory · 239 words
First lines
The sea is but a cradle wide and deep, -- A cradle that the moon rocks to and fro; What peace they find who there fall fast asleep, What lovely dreams, -- 'Tis not for us to know.
But God hath sent the angel of the sea To sing to them an endless lullaby; And that they may not dread night's mystery, He lights for them the candles of the sky.
They are infolded by the silken waves, And wrapped in shining blue, and emerald green; They drift through opalescent ocean caves, That only God Himself hath ever seen.
The great salt wind that no man holds in thrall, Touches them softly, as it passes by; -- I think the silver sea gulls know them all, And greet them with their lonely tender cry.
What this Textopian page supports
The Sea is listed on Textopian as a poem by Virna Sheard, dated 1918 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Virna Sheard
- Date: 1918 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Nature Writing, Religious Allegory, Allegorical Fiction, Literary Fiction
- Length: 239 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Sea by Virna Sheard
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The work employs structured verse, rhyme, and meter, making its form and language distinctly poetic.
- Nature Writing — The text vividly describes natural elements and the sea, focusing on its beauty and mystery.
- Religious Allegory — The poem incorporates divine figures and spiritual imagery, suggesting a deeper metaphysical symbolism.
- Allegorical Fiction — Beyond its literal depiction, the work uses the sea as a metaphor for broader existential themes.
Tags
drama · romance · adventure · seafaring · nature · isolation · transformation · identity · loss · legacy · mystery · family