Emily Dickinson

The Sea of Sunset

Summary

This piece of poetry provides a vivid, lyrical depiction of the awe-inspiring beauty and mystery of sunsets over a seascape, specifically near the Yellow Sea. Through evocative imagery, it paints a picture of the warm, glowing colors washing over the land and the sea as it transitions from day to night. The poem describes how nighttime brings forth a majestic, almost magical scene, marked by purple hues and the fantasy-like imagery of merchant ships appearing briefly on the horizon before disappearing again. These 'opals' and 'fairy sails' evoke a sense of wonder and mystical intrigue, inviting the reader to contemplate the enigmatic qualities of nature and the ceaseless, mesmerizing cycle of day into night.

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This is the land the sunset washes,
These are the banks of the Yellow Sea;
Where it rose, or whither it rushes,
These are the western mystery!

Night after night her purple traffic
Strews the landing with opal bales;
Merchantmen poise upon horizons,
Dip, and vanish with fairy sails.

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