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What Is The Mood Of 'The Inchcape Rock'?

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Robert Southey wrote a poem in the years 1796-1798 which was later published in 1802. The poem, The Inchcape Rock, tells the story of a monk’s attempt to install a warning bell on Inchcape, a reef off the east coast of Scotland. It tells how the bell was removed by a robber named Ralph, who consequently perished on the reef while returning to Scotland. The Inchcape Rock is written in the form of a ballad, which is a type of poem that narrates a story in short stanzas. The poet uses descriptive and narrative techniques to enhance the effect of the poem. The poem is told in a neutral diction since it uses standard language and vocabulary words without really using elaborate words; however, the author uses a few archaic words and phrases such as “blest” and “quoth” in order to demonstrate to the reader that the poem does not take place in modern time. The language used throughout the poem is plain rather than flowery, and includes a couple of lines of dialogue. The dialogue presented in the poem differs from that of the narrative voice; the narrative voice describes the setting and the actions that occur in the poem while the dialogue presents a conversation …show more content…

The author uses syntax to create a uniform rhyming scheme. There are eight feet in each line of the poem that are consistent until the end of the poem. Words such as “flow’d” and “scream’d” are used in order to keep balance in the beats; therefore, creating rhythm. The poem is organized into stanzas, each stanza having the first line rhyme with the second and the third line rhyme with the fourth. For example, the first stanza reads: “No stir in the air, no stir in the sea; the ship was still as she could be; her sails from heaven received no motion; her keel was steady in the ocean.” (Lines 1-4) The syntax used by the author helps in the meaning of the poem by setting the tone. By setting the tone of the story, one is able to see the meaning behind

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