Columbus

The defining theme of “Columbus” is found in what the figure of Columbus represents: an unbreakable will in the face of adversity and danger. As the ship’s mate details throughout the poem, the problems facing Columbus and his crew during their voyage are many and serious. The ship’s crew are growing “mutinous” (Line 9) and ready to rebel, with everyone in poor health and looking “wan and weak” (Line 10) after their prolonged time at sea. The natural world surrounding them is not a friendly ally, but a threat: “[T]he very stars are gone” (Line 6), rendering traditional navigation impossible, and the “mad sea [is] show[ing] his teeth” (Line 26), threatening a shipwreck.

Yet, in spite of all these real dangers, Columbus refuses to panic, and does not even betray the slightest sign of self-doubt. His refrain “‘Sail on!’” at the end of each stanza reinforces the key theme of refusing to give in even in the face of serious setbacks. For this reason, the poem’s speaker hails Columbus as inspirational, as the speaker claims Columbus’s resilience is the “grandest lesson” (Line 39) he gave to the world. Columbus’s determination is thus represented as something to which to aspire, with his voyage serving as both a creative retelling of his historical voyage and a moral lesson about the power of endurance and hope more generally.