Poem. 2.3.

THE INCHCAPE ROCK

BY BEJOY SIR ROBERT SOUTHEY

 ROBERT SOUTHEY (12 August 1774 - 21 March 1843.

Southey was born in Wine Street, Bristol to Robert Southey and Margaret Hill. He
was an English poet of the romantic school of poetry and Poet Laureate from
1813 till his death. He was a poet, historian ,biographer and an essayist. He was
a prolific , experimental writer. He laid his hands at all the genres of literature.
He was rightly called ‘The Complete Man of Letters’ by S.T Coleridge. He was a
trend setter and his literary works were found desirable and difficult to imitate.
He wrote epics, romances , metrical tales , ballads, plays, monodramas, odes ,
eclogues, sonnets and miscellaneous lyrics. His prose works include
histories,biographies,essays,reviews,translations,travelogues,semi- fictional
journalism, polemical dialogues, autobiography and anecdotes. Southey’s
Prose is considered superior to his Poetry by great critics.

Mr. Bejoy K.M

 The Poem at a glance
 It is a Lyrical ballad. The story is related with a reef named Inchcape Rock. The
Abbot of Aberbrothock is a holy , kind person. He installed a bell on the dangerous
Inchcape Rock that had previously caused many shipwrecks. Whenever the sea
becomes furious, this bell warns the passing ships. This helps the seamen
understand, where the rock is and could avoid the danger of an accident. For this
noble work of the Abbot of Aberbrothock, mariners praised and blessed him.
 Sir Ralph the Rover, who is a pirate , felt jealous at the fame of the Abbot. Out of
wickedness and jealousy, Ralph cuts the Bell down to the sea, so that he could rob
more ships by putting them in danger. One day, while going back to the Scottish
shore after plunders ,his ship loses the direction in the sea. His ship is left in the midst
of storms. His ship crashes against the rock and all crew along with Ralph drowns
and dies. Thus nature punishes the cruel pirate for his wicked action. We may call it
‘Poetic Justice’ or God’s punishment . The poem is, thus, based on the 'Biblical
reference; “As you sow, so shall you reap”.
Mr. Bejoy K.M
INCHCAPE ROCK. STANZA - WISE SUMMARY

 In the first stanza of the poem the poet describes the calmness of
the sea. The air, the sea, the ship – all were still. The sails of the ship
were getting no motion from the wind. Its keel was steady in the
ocean.

 The second stanza describes the mild sea waves. The waves were
rising and falling so little that they did not make any sign or sound.
The waves were gently flowing over the Inchcape Rock without
moving or ringing the bell.

 The third stanza is about the bell. The ‘good old Abbot of
Aberbrothock’ positioned the Inchcape bell there on the Inchcape
Rock. During the storms it floated on a buoy and rang wildly swung
by the high tides to alert everyone that the dangerous rock was
there.
Mr. Bejoy K.M
 In the next four lines, the poet tells us how the bell guided the
mariners in the bad weather. The seamen could not see the Rock as
it stayed hidden under the high waves during the storms. But they
could hear the ringing bell and went away from the perilous
(dangerous) rock. So the bell saved their lives. Then the seafarers
blessed and thanked the Abbot for his good job and kindness.

 The fifth stanza delivers a cheerful atmosphere, as it generally

happens before every disaster. On a particular bright day
everything looked joyful. The sea-birds were whirling over the sea
and screaming in joy.

 In the sixth stanza of the poem Sir Ralph is introduced for the first
time. On that fine day, the buoy (an anchored floating sign to show
the reef) on the Inchcape Rock was clearly visible, as it was a
blackish spot in the green ocean. Sir Ralph the Rover went onto the
deck of his vessel and gazed at the dark spot of the buoy.

Mr. Bejoy K.M

 The next stanza deals with Ralph’s feelings and thoughts. He was delighted at the
good spring atmosphere. He was making whistling sounds and singing in joy. He
was actually overjoyed. But no one knew that a sinful thought in his mind was
behind this happiness.
 In the eighth stanza the Rover himself speaks and reveals his desire. His eyes
were fixed on the floating buoy on the Inchcape Rock. Sir Ralph the Rover
ordered his crew to take a boat to the Inchcape Rock. Then he says that he is
going to plague (kill or destroy) the good work of the Abbot of Aberbrothock.
 The ninth stanza describes that the Rover’s men took the boat to the Inchcape
Rock. There he bent over the boat and cut the bell from the Rock.
 The next stanza pictures how the bell was sinking down making the bubbling
sound. Bubbles rose and burst around. Sir Ralph was happy thinking that the bell
would save no more ships and the seamen would no longer bless the Abbot.

Mr. Bejoy K.M

 Sir Ralph the Rover then sailed away from the rock. Thereafter he had robbed and
looted many ships which met with accidents, crashing to the Inchcape Rock. He is
now a rich man with all the looted treasures. And now he decides to go back to the
Scotland shore with his ship.
 The twelfth stanza describes the gloomy atmosphere on the day the Rover is sailing
back to Scotland. The sun is hidden behind the thick fog. Strong winds were blowing
all the day, and now, in the evening it has stopped blowing.
 The next four lines continues the gloom. The Rover is now on the deck of his ship. They
can’t see land or any shore as it is very dark. Sir Ralph assures the crew that the
moon will appear soon and so there will be light.
 In the fourteenth stanza one of Ralph’s men says that he hears the roaring sound of
the waves breaking against something. So, he hopes they should be near the shore.
He also regrets that the Inchcape Bell is no more, as the bell sound could guide them
in this perilous situation.

Mr. Bejoy K.M

 But no sound was there. The tides were strong. The Rover and his team are drifting
along with the ship. Suddenly the vessel gets a jerking. They all realize that the
vessel has hit the Inchcape Rock.
 Sir Ralph the Rover pulls his hairs in frustration. He curses himself for his evil deeds.
Meanwhile the water fills in from every corner of the vessel and it starts sinking in
the sea.
 In the last stanza of the poem, as the Rover and his crew are dying, Ralph hears a
sound, like the ringing of the Inchcape Bell. It was actually his death knell that the
Devil himself was ringing beneath the water.
 Thus the Rover gets punishment for his sinful actions. Robert Southey always
delivers a strong message and a moral through his poems , and this ballad is also, not
an exception.
Mr. Bejoy K.M
Mr. Bejoy K.M
Mr. Bejoy K.M
 Inchcape or the Bell Rock is a
reef about 11 miles (18km) off
the east coast of Angus,
Scotland, near Dundee and
Fife.

It is the world's oldest surviving sea-

washed reef.
It is occupied by the Bell Rock
Lighthouse.
Mr. Bejoy K.M
INCHCAPE ROCK BELL
The bell rock light house is visible
for 30 miles. According to legends
the rock is called Bell Rock
because of a 14th century
attempt by the Abbot of Arbroath
to install a warning bell on it.
The Bell lasted only one year before
it was stolen by a Dutch Pirate
This story is immortalized in the
“The Inchcape Rock”.

Mr. Bejoy K.M

 TheAbbot of Aberbrothock,
John Gedy and some monks
made it to the location of the
Inchcape Rock in the 14th
Century in between 1301 – 1399.
 Arbroath Abbey, was a Scottish
town.

Mr. Bejoy K.M

 Ballad
o Ballad is a long narrative poem, that tells a story
o Usually written in four line stanzas called quatrains.
o Ballads are the most ancient of all literary forms.
o Ballad can also refer to a romantic or a sentimental
song.
o The narration of ballads is impersonal.
o Popular ballad is a piece of folk art.
o In 1798, Wordsworth and Coleridge published a
collaborative volume called ‘Lyrical Ballads’.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, is an example of a
very famous Ballad
Mr. Bejoy K.M
Archaic words used in the poem.
(Old English words)

Blest = Blessed
Joyance = Joyous
Speck = Dot
Quoth = Said
Canst = Can not
Methinks = I think
curst = Cursed
Hath = Has

Mr. Bejoy K.M

The character of the Abbot of Aberbrothock

❖ He is the head of the Abby

❖ He is kind hearted
❖ He is generous and helpful
❖ He is a Holy and pious man
❖ He is a virtuous man
❖ He is intelligent and innovative

Mr. Bejoy K.M

The character of Ralph the Rover

❖ He is a wicked pirate
❖ He is evil minded and villainous
❖ He is a jealous and carefree man
❖ He is notorious, dark and destructive
❖ He is over confident and impulsive

Mr. Bejoy K.M

 MORAL / THEME/ MESSAGE OF THE POEM

 The Poem gives us the moral that those who do bad

actions , will ultimately be punished accordingly. The poem
teaches us the moral lesson – ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’.
The poem ,thus, proves the principle that crime or
wickedness gets its own punishment. If you do good ,you will
be rewarded by good and if you do bad ,you will be
rewarded by bad only. Thus the poem gives a clear message
– ‘he who digs a pit for others , falls in to the same pit’.

Mr. Bejoy K.M

 Appreciation of the Poem
The Poem ‘The Inchcape Rock’ written by Robert Southey is a Ballad which tells us
about a real stretch of treacherous rocks near the Scottish coast. The title of the
poem gives us the clue that this rock is a main part of an interesting story. An Abbot,
who symbolizes good, places a bell on the Inchcape Rock to warn sailors from
possible shipwrecks. Ralph, a wicked pirate, symbolizing evil, cuts the bell out of
jealousy and ill will. The Abbot is loved and praised for his good deed and Ralph, at
the end, is punished for his own wicked deed. The poem, a Ballad, is written in
stanzas of 4 lines, with aabb rhyme scheme. The story is told in simple language.
Poet uses many old English words like blest, quoth, canst etc. The poem begins in a
happy mood as it is spring season and in the later part there is a mood of sorrow
and gloom, which is the winter season. Thus the mood changes from happiness to
mischief and finally to sorrow and destruction. The poet has used figures like
alliteration,personification,metaphor,inversion,repetition,apostrophe,onomatopoeia
in the poem. He has used many visual and sound imaginary for great effect. The
poem is didactic with a clear message and moral – when we try to trouble others,
trouble first comes to the doer. I enjoyed the poem especially for its story, moral,
figures and musical quality.
Mr. Bejoy K.M
 ICE BREAKERS
1. Word Register related to marine life.
Ans: sailors, ships, tides, anchor, submarine, captain, winds, storm, sea-birds,
port, harbour, shipyard, patrol, lighthouse, trawler, sail, mast, deck, deep sea.

2. Mention at least 4 famous rocks in the world and mention the places where
they are.
Ans:
a) Balancing Rock (Krishna’s butter-ball). Balanced on a slope – 250 tons. It is
in Mahabalipuram.
b) Ayer’s Rock, called Uluru by Australian. It has carvings and paintings,
composed of stand stone. It is in Central Australia
c) Giant’s Causeway, it is made up of some 40000 inter-locking basalt
columns. Most of the columns are hexagonal. It is in northern Ireland and is
one of the great natural wonders of the world.
d) Sigiriya, it is in Sri Lanka which is a rock plateau formed from magma of an
extinct volcano.
 Brainstorming
1. Narrate the scene described in the beginning of the poem.
Ans: A clear calm day at sea as the season is spring and the mood is of
happiness. The sea is quiet and the ship is still. The wind is not blowing and
the sails are unmoving. The waves do not move the Inchcape bell. The
weather is pleasant and the sailors are in a joyous mood.

2. Jealousy is the most incurable defect. justify.

Ans : Poverty of all sorts or our own shortcomings, is the root cause of
jealousy. When we find what we don’t have in others, we feel jealous of
them. When someone is in a better position, financially better, successful
and more famous than us, normally people feel jealous of others.
Sometimes there is an urge in us to trouble them or destroy them as we are
jealous of them. Wicked minded people, who are lazy and wants
everything without hard work, try to destroy people who have achieved
success because of their continuous hard work. There is no medicine for
jealousy and jealous people have to take deliberate and continuous
efforts to remove this evil quality from them.
Mr. Bejoy K.M
 Figures of Speech

1. Alliteration and Repetition : No stir in the air, no stir in the sea. (The word ‘stir’ is repeated
and the cosonant letter ‘S’ is repeated twice for alliteration.)

2. Alliteration : On a buoy in storm it floated and swung, Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away. He
scour’d the seas for many a day. And now grown rich with plundered store, he steers his
course for Scotland's shore. ( consonant letters are repeated )

3. Personification : The ship was as still as she could be. (Ship is given the name ‘ she’ as if a
human being.

4. Onomatopoeia : Down sank the bell with a gurgling sound. (The word gurgling – sound of
the word resembles its meaning.)

5. Metaphor : The devil below was ringing his knell. (The pirate, in his dying moments hears
the ringing of the Inchcape bell and imagines that this bell sound is similar to his own
death knell.)

6. Inversion : On the deck the rover takes his stand (The word order is incorrect)

7. Apostrophe : Oh Christ ! (An address to someone, who is not present there)

Mr. Bejoy K.M
 Assignments
1. Expand the ideas on the following
a) Pride goes before a fall.
b) Time and tide wait for none.
c) Man proposes, God disposes.
d) Look before you leap.
2. With the help of internet find out information about opportunities in ‘ On and off the
shore’ the Indian Navy.

3. Collect information about colleges that provide education in Oceanography.

4. List the required qualifications / different fields, opportunities for women to join the
Indian Navy.

5. Define Ballad and mention the names of a few very famous Ballad writers.

6. Poetic creativity- Compose 4-6 lines on the following ;

a) Remorse or regret
b) Anger or hatred or jealousy.
c) Spring season, Winter season
d) Sea or Ocean or River.

Mr. Bejoy K.M

7. Write the character sketches of ;
a) The Abbot
b) Ralph the Rover

8. Explain briefly what is light house and its uses.

9. Write a paragraph about a good action that you did for someone else.

10. Make an assessment about your own good qualities and bad qualities.

11. The pirate is given the title ‘Sir’ though he was a dreaded criminal. He is called a
‘rover’. Give reasons for the same.

12. Which are the four seasons : Explain each season briefly. (Spring, Summer, Autumn
and Winter)

13. Explain the significance of the title of the poem,’The Inchcape Rock’.

14. The poem is a ballad. Do you agree ? Explain why .

Mr. Bejoy K.M

FOR ALL MY DEAR STUDENTS

WITH LOVE & BLESSINGS,