Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Aboard the San Juan Ferry" by Christopher Howell is a brief yet profound meditation on movement, existence, and the deceptively ordinary moments that carry deeper significance. Through the imagery of a ferry journey and the natural world, Howell explores the transient nature of human life and the continuous renewal inherent in each moment.

The poem opens with a philosophical assertion: “That we coast island to island / in our named lives / is nothing to bother earth’s gleaming / blood.” This line sets the stage for a reflection on human life as part of a larger, indifferent natural order. The phrase “in our named lives” highlights the human tendency to label and give significance to our experiences, framing our journeys as more meaningful than they might be from the earth’s perspective. Howell suggests that the earth, with its “gleaming blood”—a vivid, almost primordial image that evokes vitality and permanence—is unaffected by the small crossings and milestones humans deem important.

As the ferry approaches shore, the poem shifts focus to the surrounding environment: “Above us, as the ferry swings / in toward shore, sea birds whirl / like bits of paper in the blue bowl / of the day.” This imagery creates a scene of delicate movement and fragility. The birds, compared to “bits of paper,” suggest something light, transient, and subject to the whims of the wind. The “blue bowl of the day” paints the sky as a vessel holding the day’s potential, encapsulating both expanse and containment. This metaphor emphasizes the fleeting nature of time and human endeavors against the vast backdrop of existence.

The declaration, “We have come,” implies a sense of arrival and achievement, but it is immediately followed by “We have made another / crossing, and the sea behind us / is entirely new.” This conclusion underscores the cyclical and ever-changing nature of life. Each crossing—whether literal or metaphorical—leads to a new perspective, a shift in what is left behind. The “sea behind us / is entirely new” suggests that even as we move forward, the past is reshaped by our movement; it remains dynamic and altered by each journey. This image conveys the idea that life is a series of moments that renew themselves with each step, glance, or experience, leaving the past both familiar and transformed.

Howell’s poem is a meditation on the simultaneous significance and insignificance of human actions. The act of crossing, represented by the ferry, becomes a metaphor for life’s constant motion and the human desire to frame our movements as important milestones. Yet, the world around us—represented by the sea, the sky, and the indifferent earth—remains unchanged and ever-renewing, underscoring the ephemeral nature of our perceptions. “Aboard the San Juan Ferry” encapsulates the delicate balance between our sense of purpose and the boundless continuity of existence, reminding us that each moment, while meaningful in our “named lives,” is but a small part of a larger, ceaseless flow.

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