Question

Finding a central idea / what the message of this poem conveys

When the freighters inch past in the distance
The men load their small boats. They motor out,
Buzzing like mosquitoes, aimed at the iron
Side of the blind ship as it creeps closer.

They have guns. They know the sea like it
Is their mother, and she is not well. Her fish
Are gone. She heaves barrels leaking disease
Onto the shores. When she goes into a fit,

She throws a curse upon the land, dragging
Houses, people to their deaths. She glows
In a way she should not. She tastes of industry.
No one is fighting for her, and so they fight.

By night, they load their boats and motor out,
And by day, they aim their guns at the ships,
Climbing aboard. It is clear what they want.
The white men scramble. Some fight back.

When one is taken, the whole world sits up
To watch. When the pirates fall, the world
Smiles to itself, thanking goodness. They
Show the black faces and the dead black bodies

On TV. When the pirates win, after the great
White ships return to their own shores,
There is a party that lasts for days.”

Answer 1

The central idea of this poem is the theme of piracy, and the exploitation of the sea by the dominant powers. The poem describes how the men who know the sea like their mother, and are intimately connected with it, fight against the large ships that pollute and exploit it. The poem portrays the sea as a powerful, almost sentient entity that is suffering from the actions of humans. It also highlights the power dynamics at play, with the pirates being seen as the underdogs who are fighting against the powerful and wealthy. Ultimately, the poem suggests that the pirates are fighting for a cause, even if it is not a legal one, and that they are willing to risk their lives to protect the sea and their way of life.