Robert Gray - Late Ferry Analysis

Robert Gray’s poem, Late Ferry, conveys the concept of a physical and emotional journey. Gray explores the idea of an individual taking their own initiative to create their own independent future, subsequently breaking away from the crowd and stepping out of their comfort zone.

The ferry in this sonnet symbolises not only the physical journey that an individual may encounter but also the emotional journey. This particular journey illustrates the ferry leaving its comfort zone and travelling into the unknown. The visual imagery of “beyond the tomato stake patch of the yachts”, it can be seen that the ‘patch of tomatoes’ is a secure site for the ferry, surrounded by other yachts.   However the ferry soon leaves the company of the yachts and slowly moves down the sea, towards the harbor. This particular scene symbolises the venture of an individual who does not want to follow the crowd, but wants to take a risk in life and leave their comfort zone and move into the unknown. The allusion, “A Busby Berkeley spectacular”, illustrates how breaking away from the pack and being independent can lead you to great things, as a busby Berkeley spectacular is bright, lively and dazzling. The darkness of the poem symbolises uncertainty of a journey, however it does not necessarily mean that one is limited in their journey. The metaphor “across an empty dark” represents the ferry’s uncertain odyssey, however as the poem continues the ferry still pursues its journey and this can be seen in the line, “the ferry wades now into the broad open harbor”. Experiencing the events of an uncertain journey strengthens a person, not just physically but also emotionally. This part of an individual’s adventure is an essential human experience as it changes the individual’s perspective, from the importance of the thoughts of others on the matter to the importance of your thoughts in the matter. Through the use of ‘personification’ the audience can see that as the ferry continues to move down...