TITANIC

The Convergence of the Twain
BY THOMAS HARDY

(Lines on the loss of the "Titanic")


I

In a solitude of the sea
Deep from human vanity,
And the Pride of Life that planned her, stilly couches she.

II

Steel chambers, late the pyres
Of her salamandrine fires,
Cold currents thrid, and turn to rhythmic tidal lyres.

III

Over the mirrors meant
To glass the opulent
The sea-worm crawls — grotesque, slimed, dumb, indifferent.

IV

Jewels in joy designed
To ravish the sensuous mind
Lie lightless, all their sparkles bleared and black and blind.

V

Dim moon-eyed fishes near
Gaze at the gilded gear
And query: "What does this vaingloriousness down here?" ...

VI

Well: while was fashioning
This creature of cleaving wing,
The Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything

VII

Prepared a sinister mate
For her — so gaily great —
A Shape of Ice, for the time far and dissociate.

VIII

And as the smart ship grew
In stature, grace, and hue,
In shadowy silent distance grew the Iceberg too.

IX

Alien they seemed to be;
No mortal eye could see
The intimate welding of their later history,

X

Or sign that they were bent
By paths coincident
On being anon twin halves of one august event,

XI

Till the Spinner of the Years
Said "Now!" And each one hears,
And consummation comes, and jars two hemispheres.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47266/the-convergence-of-the-twain


The poem and the photo of the Titan Triggerfish are because of the missing Titan submarine, with 5 people aboard. They lost communication with it, while it was diving to view the wreck of The Titanic.

It has a good supply of air, and we are all hoping it can and will be found in time.

Thomas Hardy saw, praised and loved the beauty of the creation, but he could not understand the cruelty, the injustice, the terrible things that happened. And, as you can see from the poem, he saw deliberate malice behind the horrors.  So he perceived the work of Satan, who the Bible tells us, is the ruler of the current wicked system of things on the earth.  But he did not manage to find or sustain a faith in a loving Creator, who is coming to our rescue.  Well, not as far as I know.

But I hope he will, when the time comes for the resurrection.  It will be such a wonderful awakening.

I had yet another blood test on Monday, followed by a Shingles jab, followed by a quick shop at Waitrose. Well, it was intended to be quick, but the till was malfunctioning. However, this new thing Col has done in putting my Storecard on the phone did work.

Woke up Tuesday morning to find we had some real rain overnight - water was pooled on The Green, the balcony was soaking wet. We needed it so much. And my Shingles-jab arm is really sore, as are all the joints on that side of my body - so I am limping more painfully around than usual.

My poor old battered immune system probably did not need any more vax to cope with - but, on the other hand, I do not want to get Shingles. What to do?

Oh and re the poem, which is sad and wonderful, I would only want to add this. Sea-worms are beautiful, not grotesque. And I am sure they have feelings and emotions too.  In fact, the more we understand about the creatures of the sea, the more complex and wonderful we are finding them.  And the more we should see the work of our Grand Creator, Jehovah, and be comforted by his promises of a restoration of the peace of Eden worldwide.

And the more awful the whole business of imprisoning the complex creatures of the sea in aquariums and sea-worlds seems.

The fish above is a Titan Triggerfish, living free in the Indian Ocean, and was photographed by Captain B in his diving years.  I don't know how its life turned out, but I hope well.  As we hope SO much for a positive outcome for those trapped on this small submarine.