- The power and beauty of the sea: Reeves uses vivid imagery and sensory language to create a sense of the sea's vastness and power.
- The mystery and danger of the sea: The poem also explores the sea's more dangerous side, including its potential to destroy life and its association with death.
- The sea as a source of wonder and inspiration: The poem ends on a note of wonder and awe at the sea's beauty and mystery.
Figurative language:
- Similes: "Like a wild beast"
- Metaphors: "The green and glassy deep"
- Personification: "The sea stretches its long arms"
Sound devices:
- Alliteration: "The long, low waves"
- Assonance: "The sea, the sea, the sea"
- Onomatopoeia: "The waves crash"