Reflection on The Sea View By Charlotte Smith

The Spenserian sonnet, The Sea View, by Charlotte Smith creates a stark contrast between how the shepherd views the sea as a natural beauty and how he views the sea overtaken by the violent behaviors of men. Smith uses blazon to describe physical features of the sea, but these features were either positive or negative depending on whether you were looking these features before or after the volta. The first 8 lines of this sonnet capture the true beauty of the sea by describing it in an angelic and serene tone. Smith uses descriptive words such as soft, bright, celestial, purple radiance, magnificent, tranquil, joy, and serene to illustrate to the reader the perfection of the natural (undisturbed) state of the sea. We also see this same pattern of peacefulness through Smith’s use of rhyme scheme in the first 8 lines. The pattern of ababbcd creates and even flowing description of the sea and helps to create the harmonious sea view.

The volta occurs at line 9, and from that point Smith completely transforms the adjectives used in her blazon and the overall tone in the following 6 lines. Following the volta, the reader is exposed to a negative blazon of the sea with descriptions such as dark, plague spots, demon, death, war freighted, fierce, red, destructive, dead, dying, pollute, and blood. In comparison to the first 8 lines of the sonnet, these descriptions are the extreme opposite of those presented in that section. In doing this Smith creates a strong sense of anger and resentment toward the men who overtake and disturb the natural beauty of the sea. We feel the impact that these men have on the poor shepherd who enjoys the sea view without the presence of violent men. The rhyme scheme for this section of the sonnet is also very sporadic and irregular. With a rhyme scheme of dcddee the poem does not allow for a smooth read, and often causes the reader to stop and reflect on the line just read.

I feel that Smith use of diction and rhyme scheme accurately portrayed the shepherd’s distress toward the men who have taken over God’s beautiful and peaceful creation and have filled it with their man made violence and hatred. This extreme comparison, broken up at the volta, helps to narrow the reader into the heart felt emotions of being angry of no longer being able to view the sea with such tranquility and peace and leaves the reader also feeling resentment toward the men for overtaking the beauty that the sea offers.