Question

what was the central idea of poem the wreck of titanic

Answer 1

Central Idea: How a girl can leave a boy in pain and suffering so easily.

Answer 2

“The Wreck of the Titanic” is a narrative poem. In this poem, the poet tells us a story that he believes is worth telling – that of the RMS Titanic. As he’s describing the events leading from the start of its voyage to the moment at which it sinks, we can see it all happening before our eyes. Every word in the poem is devoted to expressing the magnificence of the ship itself, and the valiant behavior of its crew, led by the now famous Captain Edward John Smith. In fact, the poem is so detailed that we can see in it the precursor to James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic. Both are epic in their scale and dramatic in their presentation. Keith captures the shock and helplessness experienced by the passengers of the Titanic after it hit the iceberg very well. By showing how the passengers were filled with optimism at the start of the voyage, he creates an effective contrast between that and their later despair. The fact that they vehemently trusted that the Titanic would never sink makes us sympathize with them that much more at the time of its sinking. However, Keith focuses much more on the crew than on the passengers of the Titanic. His description makes it clear that he had great respect for the brave-hearts who tried their utmost to save as many passengers as they could. They had no fear for their own lives but rather devoted themselves to helping others. They were so organized that they had an entire plan for evacuation ready as soon as the ship struck the iceberg. They were sympathetic to the weaker among the passengers, allowing women and children to escape first.


Keith also captures the despair of the Captain very poignantly. He knew he had let down everyone who had depended on him, and so he could not forgive himself. This guilt, coupled with his love for the Titanic itself, made sure that he did not even attempt to move out of the bridge from which he had been issuing commands. The most enduring picture given by Keith is off the band, who continued to play as the ship was going down. These extraordinary men knew there was no chance of them being saved, and so they gave their last moments to singing a hymn to God, for it was by His will that they would live and die.