13. THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC

13. THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC

The poem, “The Wreck of the Titanic” written by Benjamin Peck Keith talks about a  greatest tragedy in a very poignant manner. On April 14th 1942 Titanic  collided with an ice berg and sank into the depths of Atlantic Ocean. It claimed a lot of lives and treasures.

The poem  brings out some heroic acts of courage and heroism. The poem begins with the smooth commencement of the voyage. The ship  left Southampton like a poem of iron and steel. Thousands of people came to watch the departure of the ship. Everybody in the ship was feeling safe and nobody smelt death. The ship was hailed as the best work of man. At this time nobody knew that the ghostly white mountain of ice was  looming ominous.  Soon  Titanic struck the towering mountain and started sinking.

The remaining stanzas describe the attitude of Captain Smith, the Commander of the ship and his crew. He exhorted the crew to be patriotic. He helped the women and children get into the life boats. The band played the hymn 'Nearer My God to Thee'. Captain Smith and his crew tried their level best to save the passengers .They never tried to save themselves, but continued to do their duty in a grand manner. The poet compares this incident to the patriotic incidents of Trafalgar, Alamo, Waterloo, the Light Brigade and the brave deed of Jim Bludso.
This poem has great relevance even today. It gives insights about crisis management, patriotism and chivalry. This poem is written in simple and lucid language. The poem picturizes  all the events very realistically.