A Channel Crossing
This poem is about a journey on a boat from Calais, which begins as the day is drawing to a close. At first everything is pleasant and the stars sparkle in the sky. The speaker then questions why this bliss changes, before the poem changes tone and a storm begins. The lightening and thunder is described as awe-inspiring, like the stars had been described previously in the poem.
The poet describes the effect of the storm on the wind and the waves. Then the boat is pushed upright before splashing back down to the sea. The boat is within the storm for three hours before it emerges. The storm can still be seen, subdued in the background, but the ship is clear of it. There is a sense of relief and calm and the moon can be seen to the West. The storm is compared to the struggles of the soul for life and joy.
The storm completely subsides and is reflected upon.
Choriambics
The speaker relents, questioning his love about why she had to die. He asks what drew her away from the light, from life. He describes his love's eyes, hands and hair, as it was before death and as it appears after death. He describes the kiss of death as colder than his kisses in the past and asks if she loves death more than him. He speaks of death's roses compared to those he gave to her in life, red lilies of love and the poppies of death now surrounding her.
At the end of the poem, the speaker resigns, telling her to sleep if she wishes and admitting that this eternal sleep is 'sweeter' than his love is in her eyes.
A Forsaken Garden
There is an abandoned garden filled with dead weeds and surrounded by a wall of rocks situated near a cliff. It is also surrounded by fields and no one ever visits. Thorns, rocks and weeds are left behind there. There are no flowers, nothing blooms and the nightingale does not sing there. There one can hear the sea-bird calling. The wind and the rain are the only things that come and go. The wind hovers there. A hundred years ago, lovers laughed and cried there, but that is forgotten now.
The poet describes possible scenarios in which these lovers feature. One says to the other that the sea flowers of foam will outlive the roses that wither. He says that men that don't love passionately might die, but suggests they are different. The poet then describes how the same wind was present at that time and suggests that their love died, or perhaps continued throughout their lives. He compares love to a rose that must die and states that it never continues beyond the grave.
The poet says that the roses and lovers are the same now in death, and that just as they are forgotten, so we too shall be. This garden is described as the place where death died
