The Inchcape Rock — POETRY

The Inchcape Rock – Robert Southey Summary:
 It was all calm. There was no movement in the air. There was no disturbance in the sea. The ship was perfectly still. Her sails were not moved by air in the sky. Its lower part was steady in the ocean. The waves flowed over the Inchcape Rock. They made no noise. They were gentle small waves. As they rose and fell gently, they did not move the Inchcape Bell.
 The good old Abbot of Aberbrothok had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock. In the storm it floated on a buoy. As it swung over the waves, it gave its warning ring. When the waves swelled and covered the rocks, the mariners heard the warning bell. They knew that they were near the dangerous rock. The timely warning saved them from danger. So they thanked the Abbot of Aberbrothok.
 One day, the sun was shining brightly in the sky. All things were cheerful that day. The sea-birds screamed joyfully as they flew round. The buoy on which rested the Inchcape Bell looked like a dark speck on the green ocean. Sir Ralph the Rover walked on the deck of his ship. His eyes were fixed on the dark speck. He was pleased with himself. He whistled in his excessively joyful mood. But his joy was not innocent. While watching the Inchcape float, he ordered his men to put out the boat and row him to the Inchcape Rock.
 The, malicious sea pirate had decided to cause pain to the priest of Aberbrothok. So, the boat was lowered in the sea. The boatmen rowed it to the Inchcape Rock. Sir Ralph bent over from the boat and cut the bell from the Inchcape float. As a result, the bell sank with a gurgling sound. Bubbles rose to the surface. Sir Ralph was pleased with himself to think that none would have the reason to thank the Abbot Aberbrothok.
 Sir Ralph the Rover sailed away. He explored the seas, plundered store, and became more and more rich. Then he steered his ship towards Scotland. The sky was covered by a thick haze. All day the wind had blown violently. In the evening, the wind had died away. No land was visible to Sir Ralph as he stood on the deck. He hoped that all would be clear soon. There was the noise of the big waves. It was hoped that they were near the shore. Sir Ralph wished that he could hear the Inchcape Bell.
 The wind had dropped. Their ship drifted along. Then suddenly, their ship struck with a shivering shock. It was the Inchcape Rock. Sir Ralph the Rover was desperate, for he saw his doom now. He cursed himself for what he had done with the Inchcape Bell. The ship was found sinking beneath the tide. Sir Ralph saw his approaching death. Even in his dying fear he could hear one dreadful sound. It was the sound of the Inchcape Bell, now being rung by the Devil.
Critical Appreciation:
 The poem is based on the workings of laws of sowing and reaping. ‘What you, sow, so shall you reap seems so true when we read this poem. A bad man’s dastardly deeds led to his demise. The poem effectively embodies the medieval theme of crime and punishment.
 The characters of the benevolent, big-hearted and humane Abbot has been adroitly contrasted with the ill-disposed, vindictive, wicked and jealous pirate, Sir Ralph the Rover. It is an instructive poem through which the poet wants to spread the message that we should refrain from evil deeds. It is a simple narrative, a modern ballad with a moral theme and it is also didactic in nature. It professes that God is just and the evil that one plots for others, recoils on oneself. Good is always victorious and evil is punished. Destiny and fate play their role.

 The poet has effectively made use of archaic words and expressions to give the impression that the story is of olden times. He also has used a uniform rhyming scheme aabbcc ddee and as regards the metre there is a specific rhythm and a uniform number of beats. Use of alliteration and assonance adds to the musical effect of narration.
Paraphrase:
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. Without either sign or sound of their shock, The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock; So little they rose, so little they fell, They did not move the Inchcape Bell.
 There was no motion in the air and no activity in the sea. The ship of Sir Ralph, the sea pirate, was stationary as there was no wind to move its sails. Even the keel was stable in (the ocean. The waves flowed over the Inchcape Rock noiselessly and softly without moving the Inchcape Bell. The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock; On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung, And over the waves its warning rung. When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell, The Mariners heard the warning Bell; And then they knew the perilous Rock, And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok
 This bell had been placed on the Inchcape Rock by the Abbot of Aberbrothok. On a stormy day it swayed and swung and its warning bell could be heard. On hearing the sound of this bell, the mariners knew that the dangerous rock was nearby. They blessed the Abbot of Aberbrothok for helping them to save themselves from this life threatening rock. The Sun in the heaven was shining All things were joyful On that day; The sea–birds scream‘d as they wheel‘d round, And there was joyaunce in their sound. The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen A darker speck on the ocean green; Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck, And fix’d his eye on the darker speck. He felt the cheering power of spring, It made him whistle, it made him sing; His heart was mirthful to excess, But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness. His eye was on the Inchcape Float; Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat, And row me to the Inchcape Rock, And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.” The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,And to the Inchcape Rock they go; Sir Ralph bent over from the boat, And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.
 The Sun was shining brilliantly in the sky. All things seemed bright and lively on that particular day. The sea birds were screaming in delight. Their joy was expressed in their sound. The buoy of the Inchcape Bell could be seen far away like a dark stain on the green colored ocean. Sir Ralph the Rover, the sea pirate watched this bell from his deck. The pleasant weather enlivened his spirits and he whistled and sang in merriment. But Rover’s exuberant delight was merely a malicious delight over the misfortune that was going to befall on the Abbot of Aberbrothok. Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock, Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”
 He then ordered his men to take out a boat and row him to the Inchcape Rock. He said that he had decided to torment the Abbot of Aberbrothok. The boat was brought forward and the boatman rowed towards the Inchcape rock. Sir Ralph cut the bell from the Inchcape float. The bell fell down and sank in the sea with a rippling sound forming bubbles all around. Sir Ralph triumphantly said that the next man who comes to the rock would not survive to bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok
Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away, He scour’d the seas for many a day; And now grown rich with plunder‘d store, He steers his course for Scotland’s shore. So thick a haze o’er spreads the sky, They cannot see the sun on high; The wind hath blown a gale all day, At evening it hath died away. On the deck the Rover takes his stand, So dark it is they see no land. Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon, For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”
 After doing this evil act, Sir Ralph sailed away. For many days he searched the seas thoroughly and after looting and plundering collected a large amount of booty. Then he proceeded for Scotland’s shore. Suddenly a thick fog spread over the sky and the Sun was not visible as the thick layer of smoke hid it. Strong winds blew the whole day but it became calm in the evening. Sir Ralph stood on the deck. It was pitch dark and the land was not visible. He commented that soon it would be a clear day as dawn would arrive with the rising moon. “Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar? For me thinks we should be near the shore.” “Now, where we are I cannot tell, But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.” They hear no sound, the swell is strong, Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock, “Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!” Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair, He curst himself in his despair; The waves rush in on every side, The ship is sinking beneath the tide. But even in his dying fear, One dreadful sound could Sir Rover hear;
sound as if with the Inchcape Bell. The Devil below was ringing his knell.
 One of the men asked if anyone could hear the sound of the waves. He said that according to him they should be approaching the shore. He said that he actually couldn’t understand where they had reached and wished he could hear the Inchcape Bell. No sound was heard and large waves were being formed. Though the violent winds had lost their lost their force yet they slowly drifted along. Suddenly the ship collided with a sudden violent blow. Sir Ralph was shocked and regretted his act as he knew that they had struck against the Inchcape Rock. He was helpless when the ship was sinking beneath the tide. He was terror struck as he knew his death was near. He could hear the dreadful sound of the Inchcape Bell as if it was the Devil below ringing it ominously and mournfully as if at a funeral.
Central Idea:
 The theme of the poem is that evil deeds never go unpunished. The evil doer initially doesn’t feel the prick of his conscience but in the end he is always miserable. Every good deed is awarded with good and every bad deed is punished with evil. The evil-doer becomes the victim of his own wicked designs. He digs a pit for others but he himself falls into it. The Inchcape rock is also based on the idiom “What goes around comes around”. The benevolent Abbot of Aberbrothok, concerned about the safety of the travellers placed a bell on the Inchcape Rock so as to avoid accidents but the jealous. Sir Ralph the Rover, a pirate just out of spite and greed cuts it off. He himself becomes a victim of it and receives a watery grave. He is full of remorse then, but it was too late. The theme has been handled in a dexterous manner and the poet is convincingly able to convey the message to the reader.