[Off-topic] allk:
Joe English

Pg1

“A Sailing Vessel on Chesapeake Bay” by Fredrick Douglass

In the poem “A Sailing Vessel on Chesapeake Bay” the author expresses how much he despises being a slave, how he wishes that he were anything but himself, and how he plans to try to free himself from captivity. The author uses many elements to convey how he feels including imagery which he uses in conjunction with parallelism in order to compare and contrast his current situation with that of an inanimate object’s. The poet’s diction and rhetoric are key because they are the conduits through which the reader connects to the poem and the transfer of emotions occur allowing the reader the feel the poet’s frustration and anguish because of his current situation. (metaphor)

The use of parallelism plays a major role in the construction of the poem. The poet parallels “You are loosed from your moorings, and free. I am fast in my chains, and am a slave!” and “You move merrily before the gentle gale,

and I sadly before the bloody whip.” He first introduces with significant detail the an aspect of the ship, such as how it is able to go anywhere at its every whim, and then how he is in bondage and imprisoned on a plantation held captive, unable to control anything. Specifically, Parallelism as used here allows the reader to see the contrast between the poet and someone with their freedom, one who possesses him or herself, and endows them with the ability to experience the injustice and oppression that average slave must endure.

Joe English

Pg2

The use of imagery is just as important as parallelism in this poem because it creates the pictures that are painted in the reader’s mind. This vital component is prevalent throughout the poem. “You are freedom's swift winged angels, that fly around the world; I am confined in bonds of iron.” This is a perfect example of how the poet uses the imagery to paint a picture. The “swift winged angel” described in the poem renders the depiction of an elusive heaven like creature that is pure and essentially free, its freedom being a gift from God. The “bonds of iron” are the chains that are used to tie him up and create his prison. The use of imagery emphasizes the parallelism by combining two completely different scenes and using the details within those two portrayed scenes in order to increase the impact of the paralleled lines.

The imagery which emphasizes the parallelism throughout the poem is key. The rhetoric and diction are the vehicles through which every idea flows. The poet uses strong language coupled with stylish descriptions of each scene. As seen in “bonds of iron” and “swift winged angel” the author uses a bold description to stress the depth of his imprisonment and then an elegant depiction of an angel in order to emphasize the beauty and freedom it possesses.

The entire piece is strung to together flawlessly the imagery, parallelism, diction, and rhetoric. Each of the aforementioned aspects of the poem flow together

Joe English

Pg3

in unison creating a seamless connection of the reader and the main idea of the poem. The parallelism is emphasized by the imagery and is prevalent throughout the piece. The diction and rhetoric tie the imagery and parallelism together allowing the reader to connect to the main idea of the poem, and is the conduit through which the poet conveys the pain, angst, and torment that he as a slave must endure.