cud anyone describe in brief or tell a site that describe the theme of "abroad at a ship's helm" and "the moon is distant from the sea" please. im not sure if i understood the themes of both the poems. after understanding it i might be able to tell if both have similar themes or not.

Isn't Aboard at a ship's helm about a ship on a ship? Two ships sailing, one through the water, the other through life.

In the Moon is distant from the Sea, isn't Emily putting the sea and the moon as lovers, then in the last comparing herself to her love?

This site will give you some ideas on the Dickenson poem.

http://www.eliteskills.com/analysis_poetry/The_Moon_is_distant_from_the_Sea_by_Emily_Dickinson_analysis.php

ok this was little helpful. thanx :)

now pls correct me if im wrong.
the themes of both poems deal with finding direction in life. however the only difference is that in Aboard at a ship's helm talks about finding personal direction within a person and in the Moon is distant from the Sea it talks about finding personal direction with an external source.

Yes, I agree, however I am not so confident that Emily sees her love as external, nor the moon distant from the sea. My view is that she sees the Moon and Sea as one, and herself and her love as one, in a unison.

The beauty of poems that we call can get individual meanings.

on that note i too kind of get a new idea of it. secondly since u described ur thoughts i realized that the moon and sun doesnt have any force on each other! am i right!?

Good ideas in here. Go with your own thinking, now -- you've spent about 4 hours in this thread that you could have been spending writing up your assignment.

lolss well well its good to get good ideas to and fro :) but that way i shall become even more smarter at understanding poems since im not an expert with it! neways thanx for the gr8 convo and insight on the poems!

Poetry is not easy, that's for sure. Here's a couple of websites that give really good ideas for how to read and re-read and re-read a poem and work on understanding it -- and then being able to write about it.

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/poetry-explication.html

http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/best/study/poetry.htm

PS -- Don't let the word "explication" bother you; it's just a fancy way to say explanation, line-by-line!

wow!!!!!!!!! very helpful! thanx a lot!!!!!

To understand the themes of the poems "Abroad at a Ship's Helm" and "The Moon is distant from the Sea," you can start by analyzing the main ideas conveyed in each poem. Here's a step-by-step process you can follow to gain a better understanding of their themes:

1. Read and analyze the poems: Start by reading the poems carefully and paying attention to the language, imagery, and overall tone. Take note of any recurring symbols, metaphors, or patterns that stand out to you.

2. Identify the central ideas: Consider the main messages or ideas that the poets are trying to convey in each poem. Look for clues in the language and imagery used to describe emotions, experiences, or observations.

3. Note the themes: Based on the central ideas you identified, try to summarize the underlying themes or insights that the poems explore. Themes are the universal concepts or messages that the poet wants to convey to the reader.

4. Seek expert analysis: If you're still uncertain about the themes or would like a detailed exploration, you can refer to literary analysis websites or books for expert interpretations of the poems. These sources often provide in-depth explanations of the themes, symbolism, and poetic devices used.

5. Compare the themes: Once you have a good grasp of the themes for both poems, you can compare them to determine if there are any similarities or differences. Look for common underlying ideas, emotions, or observations that connect the poems or set them apart.

For finding a site that provides detailed analysis of these poems, you can try searching for the titles of the poems followed by the term "poem analysis" or "poem themes" in a search engine. This should help you find websites, articles, or blogs that offer interpretations and discussions about the themes of these poems.