The Last of the Eurydice
By Sir Joseph Noel Paton
THE TRAINING-SHIP Eurydice—
As tight a craft, I ween,
As ever bore brave men who lov’d
Their country and their queen--
Built when a ship, sir, was a ship, 5
And not a steam-machine.
Six months or more she had been out
Cruising the Indian sea;
And now, with all her canvas bent—
A fresh breeze blowing free-- 10
Up Channel in her pride she came,
The brave Eurydice.
On Saturday it was we saw
The English cliffs appear,
And fore and aft, from man and boy, 15
Uprang one mighty cheer;
While many a rough-and-ready hand
Dash’d off the gathering tear.
We saw the heads of Dorset rise
Fair in the Sabbath sun; 20
We mark’d each hamlet gleaming white,
The church spires, one by one;
We thought we heard the church bells ring
To hail our voyage done.
“Only an hour from Spithead, lads: 25
Only an hour from home!”
So sang the captain’s cheery voice
As we spurn’d the ebbing foam;
And each young sea-dog’s heart sang back
“Only an hour from home!” 30
No warning ripple crisp’d the wave
To tell of danger nigh;
Nor looming rack, nor driving scud--
From out a smiling sky,
With sound as of the trump of doom, 35
The squall broke suddenly.
A hurricane of wind and snow
From off the Shanklin shore;
It caught us in its blinding whirl
One instant, and no more; 40
For, ere we dream’d of trouble near,
All earthly hope was o’er.
No time to shorten sail,—no time
To change the vessel’s course;
The storm had caught her crowded masts 45
With swift, resistless force.
Only one shrill, despairing cry
Rose o’er the tumult hoarse.
And broadside the great ship went down,
Amid the swirling foam; 50
And with her nigh four hundred men
Went down, in sight of home,
(Fletcher and I alone were sav’d)
Only an hour from home!
THE TRAINING-SHIP Eurydice—
As tight a craft, I ween,
As ever bore brave men who lov’d
Their country and their queen--
Built when a ship, sir, was a ship, 5
And not a steam-machine.
Six months or more she had been out
Cruising the Indian sea;
And now, with all her canvas bent—
A fresh breeze blowing free-- 10
Up Channel in her pride she came,
The brave Eurydice.
On Saturday it was we saw
The English cliffs appear,
And fore and aft, from man and boy, 15
Uprang one mighty cheer;
While many a rough-and-ready hand
Dash’d off the gathering tear.
We saw the heads of Dorset rise
Fair in the Sabbath sun; 20
We mark’d each hamlet gleaming white,
The church spires, one by one;
We thought we heard the church bells ring
To hail our voyage done.
“Only an hour from Spithead, lads: 25
Only an hour from home!”
So sang the captain’s cheery voice
As we spurn’d the ebbing foam;
And each young sea-dog’s heart sang back
“Only an hour from home!” 30
No warning ripple crisp’d the wave
To tell of danger nigh;
Nor looming rack, nor driving scud--
From out a smiling sky,
With sound as of the trump of doom, 35
The squall broke suddenly.
A hurricane of wind and snow
From off the Shanklin shore;
It caught us in its blinding whirl
One instant, and no more; 40
For, ere we dream’d of trouble near,
All earthly hope was o’er.
No time to shorten sail,—no time
To change the vessel’s course;
The storm had caught her crowded masts 45
With swift, resistless force.
Only one shrill, despairing cry
Rose o’er the tumult hoarse.
And broadside the great ship went down,
Amid the swirling foam; 50
And with her nigh four hundred men
Went down, in sight of home,
(Fletcher and I alone were sav’d)
Only an hour from home!
Analysis
Sir Joseph Noel Paton seemed to have written a sort of parallel story that mimics a theme of the myth. It mimics the idea that just because you are very close to your goal, it doesn't mean that you can let down your guard. In the myth itself, this is portrayed when Orpheus almost has Eurydice all the way out of the Underworld, but he lets down his guard and peeks at her too soon, resulting in the loss of his wife forever.
Within the poem, Paton sets it up to compare the myth to a shipwreck. The ship was called the "Eurydice." Paton writes “'Only an hour from Spithead, lads:/ Only an hour from home!'/ So sang the captain’s cheery voice" to show the excitement that the crew is experiencing as they are so close to getting the "Eurydice" home to safety, just as Orpheus was so close to getting Eurydice out of the Underworld. Then the unexpected storm came along. The storm can symbolize when Orpheus peeks at Eurydice as it destroyed his chances of bringing her home, similar to the shipwreck. The men were very excited to return home and they weren't prepared to handle the storm so the "Eurydice" was, too, destroyed, thus destroying their chances of getting home. In both scenarios, the result was the permanent loss of something that the valued.
Within the poem, Paton sets it up to compare the myth to a shipwreck. The ship was called the "Eurydice." Paton writes “'Only an hour from Spithead, lads:/ Only an hour from home!'/ So sang the captain’s cheery voice" to show the excitement that the crew is experiencing as they are so close to getting the "Eurydice" home to safety, just as Orpheus was so close to getting Eurydice out of the Underworld. Then the unexpected storm came along. The storm can symbolize when Orpheus peeks at Eurydice as it destroyed his chances of bringing her home, similar to the shipwreck. The men were very excited to return home and they weren't prepared to handle the storm so the "Eurydice" was, too, destroyed, thus destroying their chances of getting home. In both scenarios, the result was the permanent loss of something that the valued.
About the Author: Sir Joseph Noel Paton
- Born 1821 in Dunfermline
- Died 1901 in Edinburgh
- Scottish painter
- Royal Academy Schools
- Took an interest in spiritual/ allegorical matters
- Painted composit triptych for the Prayer Room at Osbome House, Isle of Wight
- Associate of Royal Scottish Academy
- Married Margaret Ferrier
- Two sons