The Speaker
The poem is written from the perspective of a third-person, omniscient speaker. This figure describes the sunken wreckage of the Titanic on the ocean floor, and also argues that the collision was dictated by fate. The poem doesn’t specify anything about who this speaker is, and their omniscience precludes a clear picture of a human speaker. They describe the crash in a detached and cynical tone, which echoes the overall themes of the poem.
The Immanent Will
The most powerful actor in the poem is the “Immanent Will,” or “Spinner of the Years” (18, 31). Rather than standing in for God, the “Immanent Will” represents fate itself, or the idea that the universe predetermines all events. The detached tone of the poem suggests that the Immanent Will is not motivated by malevolence in sinking the Titanic, but instead created the Iceberg and the ship together as companions, without interest in the human beings who lost their lives in the crash. The poem puts this force in conflict with human vanity, which fails to realize its own powerlessness in the face of the universe.
Pride of Life
Against the Immanent Will, Hardy juxtaposes “Pride of Life,” a personification of human vanity (3). This pride motivates people to build the opulent Titanic, without suspecting that it could be destroyed. Ultimately, this pride is futile because fate has the power to destroy even the most impressive of human accomplishments.
The Fish
A fish encounters the wreck of the Titanic and asks “What does this vaingloriousness down here?,” a question which catalyzes the rest of the poem (15). This question mirrors the tone of the poem’s speaker, who is similarly cynical in response to the vanity embodied by the Titanic. Furthermore, the coldness and slipperiness of fish amplifies the bleak mood of the poem, and contrasts with the warmth of human beings, who are absent.
