Jeffrey Fleischer
Jun 08, 2017

The Storm

I look at the storm raging over the sea.
The clouds are being drained of their strength.
Whales dive in and out of the tempest.
Their cries are heard around the world.
Even pirates are screaming in fear.
Ships are getting tossed to and fro.
Captains struggle with their wheels.
Sailors cling to the riggings.
Death calls from the depths of the sea.
I pray there will be survivors.

About This Poem

Review Request Direction: How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?

Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft

About the Author

Region, Country: New York City, NY, USA, USA

More from this author

Comments

Geezer

Geezer

7 years 10 months ago

that there is more to this than meets the eye. What kind of storm is this? It certainly must world wide.
The beginning and the end were good, I just don't see anything in the middle. There is nothing that tells how this storm affects so much, but tells so little.~ Geezer.
.

jane210660

I have one or two problems with this poem.
It doesn't really set a scene, tell you anything or go anywhere. Is it supposed to be set in historical times or current? Is it an observation on the world at the moment, or just an observation of a storm? It needs more cohesion. What did you want to convey to the reader? It seems a bit of a haphazard collection of vaguely nautical phrases at the moment, without a clear point.

Race_9togo

some ideas for you...
Where are you experiencing this storm FROM, a boat, a ship, an armchair, a bar, or a shoreline? The answer is important, and will 'set the stage', as it were.
Whales are huge, slow, usually gentle creatures, who are afraid of little in the ocean(except, of course, for US). I like your attempt to accentuate the fear of humans with the slow patience and power of whales, but I do not think that it goes far enough, so try developing that a little. A starting point; whale song is echoing, eerie and quietly powerful, while human screams are the opposite; try that.
Cut down the words, cut down the words! I tell everybody this - the less words you have, the more you have to think about the meaning and the cadence of those still on the page, and I often find that editing for word count often forces me into a sweep of emotion that was missing from my first draft. Try it, and see if you agree.
Captains don't usually take the helm; its the job of helmsmen and able seamen, mainly.
And finally...I've experienced this, first hand, in small boats and ships. It is terrifying. Focus on that terror: it will make the ending, already very good, even better.
Hope this helps! Keep writing, I am enjoying your work.

Keith Logan

It is hard to say what I mean without showing so I will limit myself to the first couple of lines.
I am drawn to the storm raging over the sea.
where clouds are renewing their strength.
I feel it is important that look is not just seen as a slight glance
and the next line, storm clouds are not easily drained, they carry countless tons of water.

A

there isn't much I can add to the advice already given, but just a point or two: Those short sentences read like a proverbial laundry list or headlines. You can combine two sentences into one, provided you fill in what is lacking between your screaming 'headlines.' Also, don't be afraid to use enjambments (the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line or couplet of a poem to the next with no pause).
Ali

wesley snow

I have a positive one. Though free verse, the use of a relatively clean meter made the poem an easy read for me. I won't add to the suggestions given. They are concise enough.