Editor's note
Ranking is generated by Storgy's classification model, which scores each poem's thematic depth on this subject relative to the rest of the corpus. The list is re-indexed weekly as new poems enter the public-domain corpus.
Best poems about — Storgy
Ocean.
Twenty-five poems, ranked.
25 of the finest public-domain poems about ocean, ranked by thematic depth. Scored by Storgy's classification model against the rest of the corpus, and re-indexed weekly as new works enter the canon.
The leading three
01
Sea Fever
John Masefield · 1902
“A sailor experiences an irresistible draw back to the ocean and the free-spirited life it embodies. Each stanza echoes the same restless yearning, progressing f…”
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02
Sea Garden
H. D. · 1916
“Sea Garden is H.D.'s debut collection (1916), and the title poem establishes the book's tone: a garden by the sea that defies the notion of a delicate, pictures…”
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03
An Open Boat
Alfred Noyes · 1922
“A woman in a lifeboat tossed by stormy waves clings to the hope that her lover is still alive, wrapping her hair around him to keep him warm as the other surviv…”
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The complete index
- 04
Cap'n Storm-Along
Alfred Noyes · 1922
This is an energetic sea shanty-style poem celebrating a legendary British naval commander, "Cap'n Storm-along," who guides a ragtag fleet of fishing and patrol boats against Germa…
- 05
Death by Water
T. S. Eliot · 1922
A dead sailor named Phlebas floats through the ocean, his body stripped bare by the sea, and all his worldly worries — money, ambition, life itself — vanish entirely. The poem conc…
- 06
The Big Black Trawler
Alfred Noyes · 1922
A sailor shares the tale of a rugged old fisherman on a large black trawler who makes it through a polar shipwreck by relying on sheer determination and a clever trick: soaking his…
- 07
Sea Heroes
H. D. · 1924
A poet names ancient sea-heroes, mainly from Homer's Phaeacians, discovering that simply voicing these names can soothe feelings of grief and exile. The poem transitions from the o…
- 08
Thetis
H. D. · 1924
H. D.'s "Thetis" vividly imagines the sea-goddess Thetis gliding through a bright, jewel-like coastal realm. The poem focuses on light, color, and texture—amber stones, crimson san…
- 09
Arethusa
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Arethusa is a water nymph who runs across mountains and oceans to evade Alpheus, the river-god pursuing her out of love. The sea separates to make way for her, and ultimately, the…
- 10
Becalmed
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A poet finds himself mentally stuck, unable to write, envisioning his mind as a sailing ship stranded on a calm, sparkling sea. He cries out for inspiration to blow like the wind a…
- 11
Fog over the Sea
Carl Sandburg
A brief, vivid poem that showcases Carl Sandburg's hallmark free-verse style, "Fog over the Sea" observes a thick fog drifting in across the water and gently enveloping the world b…
- 12
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
A grizzled old sailor stops a stranger on his way to a wedding and insists he listens to a wild tale: once, the sailor killed a friendly albatross without cause, and the entire cre…
- 13
Seaweed
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A massive ocean storm pulls seaweed from rocks and reefs across the globe, transporting it until it finds rest on a peaceful shore. Longfellow suggests that this is just like poetr…
- 14
Seaweed
James Russell Lowell
A speaker who finds it hard to pray looks to the ocean’s tides as a reminder that God never fully abandons anyone. Like seaweed gripping the rocks in the dark, patiently awaiting t…
- 15
Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This poem narrates the tale of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, an actual English explorer who vanished at sea in 1583 while returning from Newfoundland. Longfellow gives Death the character…
- 16
Sonnet on the Sea
John Keats
Keats's "On the Sea" is a Petrarchan sonnet that invites the reader to pause, gaze at the ocean, and allow its vastness to soothe a restless or overstimulated mind. The sea is depi…
- 17
The Inchcape Rock
Robert Southey
A wicked pirate named Ralph the Rover cuts the warning bell from the Inchcape Rock—a treacherous reef off Scotland—out of spite for the good Abbot of Aberbrothok, who placed it the…
- 18
The Sirens
James Russell Lowell
This page features two distinct poems by James Russell Lowell: "The Sirens," where mythical Sirens entice a weary sailor with visions of rest and tranquility, blending stunning ima…
- 19
The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A traveler strolls along the beach at dusk, vanishes into the night, and never returns — yet the tide continues its endless rhythm of rising and falling. The sea washes away the tr…
- 20
The Tides
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A speaker observes the tide receding and is convinced it won't come back — yet it surges in again with great intensity. Longfellow captures this moment to express how his creativit…
- 21
The Wreck of the Hesperus
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A sea captain dismisses a sailor's warning about an approaching storm and heads straight into a hurricane with his young daughter aboard. The storm claims his life, leaving his dau…
- 22
The Phantom Fleet
Alfred Noyes · 1902
A man falls asleep in a cottage adorned with naval paintings and awakens in a dream where the spirits of Britain's most legendary admirals — Nelson, Drake, Raleigh, and others — re…
- 23
Sea Gods
H. D. · 1916
A speaker and her companions challenge those who claim the sea gods are broken and powerless, instead presenting armfuls of violets as a heartfelt invitation for their return. The…
- 24
Sea Lily
H. D. · 1916
A sea lily (a type of flower or marine creature) endures harsh winds, sand, and waves, yet it doesn't get destroyed; it rises instead. The poem explores how something delicate can…
- 25
A Summer Day by the Sea
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A summer day at the seaside is coming to a close, and Longfellow observes the sunset transition into night. The poem captures two emotions simultaneously: the day was lovely, yet b…
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