Blessing the Boats

“blessing the boats” is written in free-verse, without a formal pattern of rhyme or meter. The poem is held together by the repetition of the word “may” (Lines 1, 6, 9 and 12). Repetition is a typical device in poetry but also in sermons and orations. The repetition helps to create a sense of rhythm, and writing that uses repetition is easier to memorize, which was important for religious worship before the advent of written scripture. Clifton’s use repetition of the phrase “may you” echoes a religious blessing for the smooth and harmonious journey of the reader through challenges similar to what she herself is facing. The repetition of “may you” also mimics the activity of waves, which rise and fall in a pattern of continual repetition. It is an incantation that creates a sermon-like quality akin to a chant or mantra that soothes the reader, putting them in a peaceful state.

The features of the ocean may seem daunting. Wind and waves could overwhelm a person on a boat with their power, however the speaker in “blessing the boats” personifies these powerful natural elements with more friendly, benevolent characteristics.