At this time, enter the port steadily,
After a long adventure, old and tired,
Weathered by wind and waves, defeated by repeated wars,
The original sail was gone, changed several times, and repaired several times.
Finally, I only saw the beauty of the ship.
The poem "The Beauty of Ships" was written in 1876, which is the author's later work. At that time, the author was 57 years old and had rich life experience. So, when he saw the ship entering the harbor, he uttered such a sigh of life.
"It entered the port steadily at that time", indicating that this ship is not a new one. Firmness requires experience, experience, and with such rich capital, it can be firm. There is no hesitation, hesitation and hesitation of the new ship. It's just that the newcomers lack experience or courage, so their performance is not satisfactory. What needs to be pointed out here is that in this poem, the ship and people are regarded as one, saying that the ship also includes the person who drives the ship. An old ship that has experienced many vicissitudes will be firm and calm when entering the port.
"I am old and tired after a long adventure." Sure enough, this ship has experienced a long adventure, traveled to many places, experienced many ups and downs, and crossed many rapids, so it is old and tired. This kind of aging and fatigue is brought about by constant struggle. The poet showed the negative influence to the readers. Aging and fatigue are the price paid by the ship, and there should be gains at the same time, so that aging and fatigue can gain value.
After being attacked, it seems to be in a passive position. When sailing at sea, the wind and waves lurk. Just now, it was calm, and in the blink of an eye, the waves may be sky-high. Of course, the ship is in a passive position, because people can't control the time and direction of the wind, nor can they control when and how high the waves rise. It is in this sense that boarding is passive, but the ship is not always in a passive position. The ship is always prepared for repeated battles and losses. Whenever there is a storm, it will immediately go into battle. Damage after many battles is a sign of glory.
"The original sail is missing, replaced or repaired several times." The disappearance of the original sail is the embodiment of ship damage. Why did the original sail disappear? This is the price of being attacked and fighting many times. As a ship, whether made of wood or steel, the hull is a relatively strong part, and the sail is made of cloth, which is not as strong as the hull. So after many attacks and battles, the original sail was gone, or it was replaced with a new one, or it was difficult to see the elegance of that year.
"In the end, I only saw the beauty of the ship", which is meaningful. An old ship was damaged in many places. How can it be beautiful? Which is more beautiful, the new boat or the old one? From the point of view of ordinary people, of course, it is the beauty of new ships, new ships and wide seas. Of course it's a beautiful thing. But the poet doesn't see it that way. From an old ship that was damaged in many places, "I only saw the beauty of that ship." Why is this? This is the aesthetic difference between ordinary people and poets. Ordinary people regard beauty as the appearance of beauty, and beauty is static. Poet's aesthetic view is the connotation and movement of beauty.
The aesthetic differences between poets and ordinary people are often manifested in spiritual and material aspects. Aesthetic essence mainly embodies the spiritual level, but ordinary people often attach material components. Not only ordinary people will do this, but economists will also add material components to their professional habits. If new ships are compared with old ships, economists, including entrepreneurs, may calculate their economic values and draw economic conclusions. Anyone who wants to prove the beauty of an old ship can calculate the economic value that has been created. What writers value is not economic value, but mainly spiritual value. Experience is beautiful, so is adventure. Whitman's The Beauty of the Ship is similar to Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. In The Old Man and the Sea, the harvest of the old man is a huge shark skeleton. It has no economic value, but it has tragic and beautiful spiritual value, which is often concerned by literature.