Casabianca Review

·        Boy standing on a burning ship

·        Flame that lit the battles wreck

·        A creature of heroic blood

·        The flames rolled on, he would not go

·        And fast the flames rolled on

·        Upon his brow he felt their breath,

·        And in his waving hair,

·        And looked from that lone post of death

·        In still, yet brave despair

·        While o’er him fast, through sail and shroud

·        The wreathing fires made way

·        They wrapt the ship in splendor wild,

·        They caught the flag on high,

·        And streamed above the gallant child,

·        Like banners in the sky.

·        But the noblest thing that perished there

·        Was that young, faithful heart. 

 I chose the poem called “Casabianca” written by Felicia Dorothea Hemans, because of the unbelievable sense of imagery it contained. The poem is written about a young boy, and the setting is a burning ship, containing astounding descriptions about this raging fire on the verge of engulfing this poor yet brave young boy. The ship seems to be some kind of battle ship, which has endured defeat, and is on the verge of burning down. The young boy shows immense bravery and passion, as he waits for a response from his father in regards to the completion of his task. What the young boy doesn’t know is that his father is dead, so he stands strong waiting his fathers approval. I believe the imagery of the powerful flames signify the heart, passion and love of the young boy. As strong as the flames are, the boy’s devotion to his father is stronger and he is unwilling to leave his post without his fathers consent of completion. The boy shows an unbelievable amount of bravery in that he understands that he is in trouble, through his cries of distress, yet his vow and love for his father hold him back from escaping.

The way the flames of the fire are addressed in the poem make it so realistic, and it really makes you sad to think of the poor boy stranded in this situation. The way Hemans is able to portray the flames, as the passion within the boy to complete his task is breath taking, and the wreathing fire symbolizes the burning love he has for his father. Even when the boy realizes his doom, he stands strong and waits for whatever will come. The ending of the poem seems to put everything together perfectly, as it states that, “the noblest thing that perished there was that young, faithful heart.” Throughout this poem, the boy is described as brave, passionate, heroic and noble which are all words, which could also illustrate the gripping fire that is engulfing the ship. This poem is very well written, and contains some of the best descriptive imagery I have ever experienced.