Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Six Sailors", Irving Feldman presents a rich tapestry of life at sea through the lens of six men aboard the freighter "Willis Kerrigan". The poem merges vivid descriptions of shipboard life with meditative reflections on identity and purpose. Dedicated to Pete Foss, one of the sailors, it captures the camaraderie, challenges, and daily routines that define the lives of those who labor on the ocean.

The poem begins by grounding itself in historical context. Feldman mentions "Pete Foss, / God give him good berth!" and describes how the narrator shipped out as a deckhand in 1951 aboard a freighter chartered to Union Sulphur and Oil. The mention of the "Marshall Plan" and "old Liberty de-mothballed in Baltimore" situates the voyage in post-war America, as surplus ships were repurposed for peacetime commerce. The ship's “stack colors dull ochre, black” and its pickup crew from “the seven / saloons of Hoboken, Mobile, Camden, Pedro” evoke a gritty realism.

The narrator then introduces the crew: “bosun, carpenter, watches. Jake, / Cox, Wally, Slim, Chips, the Finn, myself, / Ole, Moe, Chris the Dane, Pete Foss, bosun.” Feldman’s detailed and colloquial descriptions capture the diversity and peculiarities of the crew members, describing them as "average sorts of monster, more or less: / brawler or bragger, wino, nut, nag, / bully, slob, simpleton, thief." These descriptors are harsh but tempered with humor and familiarity, revealing the complexity of each sailor's character.

The poem contrasts this vivid characterization with broader metaphors for sailors' lives, describing them as “this carp of leaden contempt, / this john aspiring to mackerel, / these sponge, crab, clam, / bottom-feeders almost to a man.” Feldman paints the sailors as marginalized figures, “lungless on land, finless afloat,” who are perpetually caught between worlds. Their lives are reduced to "sifting the margin of muck / with sodden sense and cramping gut."

Life at sea is described as an unpredictable mix of danger, camaraderie, and routine: “Adrift in wide iron belly / amid tall waves always at world edge, / sailors are liable to misadventure / into monstrosity.” Feldman recounts various "adventures," including near mutiny, stolen fiddles, drunken brawls, and fistfights. Each event is tinged with absurdity and a sense of being "nothing legendary, / just ‘adventures,’ nothing more."

Despite these challenges, Feldman emphasizes the sailors' shared humanity and the rituals that shape their daily lives: "our common peaceable humanity’s / old routine: chipping gunwale rust / soogeeing the wheelhouse down, bow watch / under the stars.” The repetitive tasks of keeping the ship clean and operational, coupled with shared meals, card games, and “endless talk of sex,” underscore the mundane realities of their existence. The ship becomes a “homeless household,” an odd mix of routine and isolation.

A turning point in the poem arrives when six sailors, including Pete Foss, climb the mainmast to scrape and repaint it. This moment transforms the poem from gritty realism to a meditation on unity and transcendence: “Each from his isolation, each / from transmogrification, / his little pleasure / or lengthy sleep, / a sudden gracing woke.” As the sailors work together, they find a shared purpose and community in their “common labor.” The mast becomes “a confluence of task and wave, / of waves blown into wind,” and the men are brought together in this “pure transparent day.”

Feldman shifts to more poetic and philosophical imagery as he describes the six sailors on their bosun chairs: “we wind-jockeys on bosun chairs / in our thrilled community / let lines go and flew, out around / the dancing lodgepole of the turning sky.” The experience becomes almost mythic, as the sailors transcend their individual isolation to become part of something larger. They “scrape it clean, to make it new,” creating a moment of renewal and hope amidst the challenges of seafaring life.

The poem concludes with a sense of unity and joy: “that first and dazzling morning of the world.” This phrase suggests a rebirth or a fresh start, as the sailors are momentarily free from their struggles and can revel in the beauty of the sea and sky.

Overall, "Six Sailors" is a richly textured poem that juxtaposes the harsh realities of life at sea with moments of transcendence and unity. Feldman’s vivid language, detailed characterization, and skillful use of metaphor create a poignant meditation on the complexity of identity and purpose in a world marked by both isolation and camaraderie. The poem celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the joy of shared labor amidst the challenges of the open ocean.

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