Reading Notes W6: Beyond the Breakers & The Black Vulture, PART B

Citation: “Beyond the Breakers” and “The Black Vulture” -George Sterling pg.208-210

Beyond the Breakers:

The poem is addressed to James Hopper. It describes the boat arrival on the coastal town of Carmel and how the narrator felt at the time. With the background information we see that he stays in Carmel, and that from the start he saw glory in the area. It is composed of fourteen stanzas of four meters each. The author uses a rhyme scheme A, A, B, B, as well as rhythm to give the setting a beating flow. Almost like the crashing waves on the beach or strong the coastal breeze. It adds a sense of beauty, power, and glory to the ocean-side. Sterling also uses a lot of metaphor and personification. This is seen in calling the sea lonely, but also comparing it to a nurturing mother. The water and the power of it as well as its grasp was enticing to the author, and he marveled at its grace and balance.

The Black Vulture:

This is a very short poem. It is composed of only two stanzas, one with eight lines with rhyme scheme A, B, B, A, A, B, B, A, and the next with six lines and a pattern A, B, C, A, B, C. It has fourteen lines total, therefore it is considered a sonnet. While there is rhyme, there is a choppy rhythm and the rhyme scheme is inconsistent. This compares to the unpredictable nature and fierceness of a vulture or any bird of prey.

Both poems compare the life of the coastal region of Carmel. While the first poem is focused on first impressions, we can infer that the impression is lasting as, even in the second poem, the narrator describes the sea and things pertaining to it as strong and powerful but also a harmonious balance of beauty.