The poem “Sir Patrick Spens” was written by an unknown author in the 13th century who knew what he was doing. While reading this poem your mind wanders to the place where you first read “Beowulf” or “The Epic of Gilgamesh” because this poem isn’t an ode, or a lymric, but it’s an entire story, in just a page and a half. This poem gives you a feeling that you are getting the whole story, not just bits and pieces like other poems can tend to do.
At the beginning of the poem the king is speaking to one of his knights asking him, “O whar will I get guid sailor, to sail this ship of mine?” (Sir Patrick Spens, 1035, ll. 3-4). This knight tells the king that Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor he can think of. The king then writes a letter to Spens telling him that he has been chosen to sail the king’s ship. Sir Patrick Spens is upset with this, “the next line that Sir Patrick read, The tear blinded his ee”, and asked himself, “O wha is this has done this deed, This il deed done to me”, for the seas were tormented with horrible weather (1035, ll. 15-18).
Nevertheless, Sir Patrick makes the journey despite his own judgement, and takes with him the best crew he can manage. One of the crewmen is brave enough to tell Sir Patrick that he wishes not to take the journey because he fears a vengeful storm will bring them harm. The rest of the crew rebels, saying that they do not wish to get their expensive shoes wet.
The last few stanzas tell the story of the sailors deaths, how they drowned and “their hats they swam aboon (above them)” and the families they left behind to mourn for them (1036, l. 32). The last stanza tells us where Sir Patrick lies, “It’s fifty fadom deep, And there lies guid Sir Patrick Spens/ Wi’ the Scots lords at his feet” (1036, ll. 42-44).
“Sir Patrick Spens”. The Norton Introduction To Literature. 10th ed. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1035-1036. Print
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