Did you know the first account of surfing was given in 1778 by Captain James Cook when he saw it being practiced in Hawaii. The poem ‘The Surfer’ by Judith Wright tells us about the feelings of a surfer as he rides a wave and the way the beach shows it’s true nature at night . This poem has many poetic devices including imagery, repetition and metaphors. The poem also shows a clear meaning and a constant theme.
This poem shows a clear meaning that help us visualise the beauty of surfing. Stanza one is about the experiences that the surfer enjoys, this is shown in the lines “in air as he in water, with delight”(stanza one line 9) and “he thrust his joy”(stanza one line 1). Stanza two is about the time and environment that makes the surfer go home we can infer this from the lines “turn home, the sun goes down” (line1) and ” last leaf of gold vanishes from the sea-curve”(line2). Stanza 3 is about what happens to the beach at night. We hear this in the lines “cold twilight wind splits the waves”(line 2) and “O, wind blows and sea crouches on sand”( lines3 and4). This poem has clear meaning and subject it tell us about the joy of surfing and the night life of the beach this is connected to the them that tell us that the joy can’t last forever.
