Sidney Lanier

Barnacles

Barnacles.
"Barnacles" (by Sidney Lanier, 1842-81) is a poem that I teach in connection with my lessons on natural history. We have a good specimen of a barnacle, and the children see them on the shells on the coast. The ethical point is invaluable.

Soul as maritime metaphor

Lanier transforms an internal emotional struggle into a sailing journey. The soul becomes a ship, the past becomes physical weight.

My soul is sailing through the sea,
But the Past is heavy and hindereth me.
The Past hath crusted cumbrous shells
That hold the flesh of cold sea-mells
About my soul.
The huge waves wash, the high waves roll,
Each barnacle clingeth and worketh dole

Barnacle as psychological burden

Barnacles are not just marine creatures here, but symbolic attachments preventing forward movement. Each 'clingeth and worketh dole'—causing suffering.

And hindereth me from sailing!
Old Past, let go, and drop i' the sea
Till fathomless waters cover thee!
For I am living, but thou art dead;

Temporal conflict metaphor

The poem frames time as an active antagonist: the Past literally tries to hold back the speaker's forward motion.

Thou drawest back, I strive ahead
The Day to find.
Thy shells unbind! Night comes behind;
I needs must hurry with the wind
And trim me best for sailing.
Sidney Lanier.
Source Wikipedia Poetry Foundation

Reading Notes

Psychological Allegory of Personal Liberation

Metaphorical navigation defines this poem's core strategy. Lanier transforms an internal psychological struggle into a maritime journey, where personal growth requires actively shedding historical/emotional attachments.

The barnacle metaphor brilliantly represents psychological residue—past experiences that calcify and impede movement. By personifying these attachments as marine organisms, Lanier makes emotional weight physically tangible.

Biographical Context of Transformation

CIVIL WAR VETERAN As a Confederate veteran, Lanier experienced profound personal disruption. This poem reflects a broader generational challenge: how to move forward after traumatic historical experiences.

The urgent rhythm and imperative language ('let go', 'unbind') suggest more than personal psychology—it's a statement about collective healing and forward momentum after national conflict.