“In Romney Marsh” Summary

“In Romney Marsh” Themes

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  Nature and Humanity

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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “In Romney Marsh”

• Lines 1-4

  As I went down to Dymchurch Wall,
  I heard the South sing o'er the land;
  I saw the yellow sunlight fall
  On knolls where Norman churches stand.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 5-8

  And ringing shrilly, taut and lithe,
  Within the wind a core of sound,
  The wire from Romney town to Hythe
  Along its airy journey wound.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 9-12

  A veil of purple vapour flowed
  And trailed its fringe along the Straits;
  The upper air like sapphire glowed:
  And roses filled Heaven's central gates.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 13-16

  Masts in the offing wagged their tops;
  The swinging waves pealed on the shore;
  The saffron beach, all diamond drops
  And beads of surge, prolonged the roar.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 17-20

  As I came up from Dymchurch Wall,
  I saw above the Downs' low crest
  The crimson brands of sunset fall,
  Flicker and fade from out the west.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 21-24

  Night sank: like flakes of silver fire
  The stars in one great shower came down;
  Shrill blew the wind; and shrill the wire
  Rang out from Hythe to Romney town.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 25-28

  The darkly shining salt sea drops
  Streamed as the waves clashed on the shore;
  The beach, with all its organ stops
  Pealing again, prolonged the roar.

  

  

  

  

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“In Romney Marsh” Symbols

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  Human Infrastructure

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“In Romney Marsh” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Alliteration

  

  

  

  

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• Sibilance

  

  

  

  

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• Metaphor

  

  

  

  

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• Repetition

  

  

  

  

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• Imagery

  

  

  

  

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“In Romney Marsh” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Dymchurch Wall
• The South
• O'er
• Knolls
• Norman Churches
• Shrilly/Shrill
• Taut and lithe
• Romney town to Hythe
• Vapour
• Fringe
• The Straits
• In the offing
• Pealed
• Saffron
• Beads of surge
• The Downs
• Crest
• Crimson
• Brands
• Organ stops

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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “In Romney Marsh”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“In Romney Marsh” Speaker

“In Romney Marsh” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “In Romney Marsh”

More “In Romney Marsh” Resources

• External Resources

  • Ballads and Songs — Check out the full collection in which "In Romney Marsh" first appeared. 

  • Davidson's Literary Context — Dip into a great collection of Victorian-era poetry, selected by the Poetry Foundation.

  • Romney Marsh — Check out the dramatic history of the poem's setting.