I soon got used to this singing, for the sailors never touched a rope without it . . . Some sea captains, before shipping a man, always ask him whether he can sing out at a rope.
–Herman Melville, Redburn
During the age of sailing, sea shanties were used to keep rhythm while hoisting sails and accomplishing tasks requiring teamwork. It also seemed to make the hard work a little more pleasant. Most of the themes revolved around a sailor’s life: long hours of backbreaking labor; abuses by captain and crew; girls and lost love; alcohol; and of course, a longing for dry land.
Typically, the format of a shanty was call-and-response. The Shantyman would sing out a verse followed by a response from the rest of the sailors— the work balanced in a rhythmic pattern.
Shanties were broken into categories, depending on the type of work being performed. Windlass shanties were used when the leaky wooden ship needed to be pumped out. Long haul and short haul shanties were used in rope pulling and capstan shanties were sung whenever sailors raised and lowered the anchor.
A classic short haul shanty is Haul Away Joe. It includes one of the wittiest lines of any sea shanty: “When I was a little lad my mother always told me…that if I did not kiss the girls, my lips would grow all moldy.” You can read the rest of the lyrics to Haul Away Joe, here.
Blood Red Roses is a long haul shanty about whalers rounding Cape Horn, a perilous task for sailors because of strong winds and unpredictable weather. You can read the lyrics of Blood Red Roses, here.
If you’ve encountered the Spongebob Squarepants theme song, then Blow the Man Down will be familiar to you, as it is a variation of this melody. In the original (and lively) shanty, the song title and chorus call attention to the abuse sailors endured on the Black Ball Line. You can read the lyrics to Blow the Man Down, here.
Try It
You are the Shantyman (or woman)! Use the melody from one of the sea shanties above (or your old favorite) and write your own shanty, depicting daily life… as you know it. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can imagine yourself a sailor during the age of sailing ships. What are your complaints? Who do you miss? You can also retell a story about a ship. Remember to keep your lyrics simple and rhythmic.
Featured Poem
Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here’s a poem from Laura we enjoyed:
The Writing Process
Materials enough to craft an ark!
Embellishments to spruce up fore and aft!
Grand notions, keen descriptions will embark!
Yet once more I shove off with just a raft.
Photo by Andrew Stawarz, Creative Commons via Flickr.
Browse more Ship, Sail, Boat Poems
Browse more writing prompts
Browse poetry teaching resources
- Poetry Prompt: Misunderstood Lion - March 19, 2018
- Animate: Lions & Lambs Poetry Prompt - March 12, 2018
- Poetry Prompt: Behind the Velvet Rope - February 26, 2018
Donna Z Falcone says
Laura, I love that!
What a fun prompt – my shanty gears are turnin’!
I can’t wait to see what people come up with, here!
Heather Eure says
Me too, Donna!
L. L. Barkat says
What a totally fun post. This is not a form I was really aware of. Seems that work asks for poetry even on the sea 🙂
Laura Brown says
Are you familiar with waulking songs?
http://www.houseofscotland.org/waulking.html
http://www.amidonmusic.com/online-choral-store/146-waulking-song
Laura Brown says
I don’t know how that moderation thing got in there.
L. L. Barkat says
More than one link 🙂
Donna Z Falcone says
Laura, that’s really neat. I didn’t know about waulking songs… 🙂 Thanks!
Donna Z Falcone says
I keep thinking of my silverware drawer – how the forks especially have a tendancy to “disappear” into a black hole in the middle of our house. There must be a shanty in that… HA! I might let that one stew for a bit. LOL!
Donna Z Falcone says
To the tune of Yo Ho Blow the Man Down:
YO, MOM, IT WASN’T ME!
Yo, somebody took
all the forks from the drawer!
Yo, Mom, it wasn’t me!
The last set I bought made
the count 24!
Yo, Mom, it wasn’t me!
Don’t make me come up there!
Just bring them down, mate!
Yo, Mom, It wasn’t me!
And bring me the coffee cups,
bowls, every plate!
Yo, Mom it wasn’t me!
I’m hearing the sounds of
clank clinkety clack
Yo, Mom, it wasn’t me!
He’s carrying most of
my kitchen in fact.
Yo, Mom, it wasn’t me!
His brother, he claims,
by the light of the moon.
Yo, Mom, it wasn’t me!
Scattered the bounty
All over his room!
Yo Mom, it wasn’t me!
Donna Z Falcone says
BA ha ha ha ha… okay, I embellished, but it was just too much fun not to! 😉
Sandra Heska King says
LOL! “It Wasn’t Me” lives in our house, too.
Rick Maxson says
Donna, this was very imaginative and funny !
Donna Z Falcone says
Thanks, Richard! Sadly, it’s not as much from my imagination as one would hope. 😉
Heather Eure says
Clever! I have a similar problem with silverware. Twelve knives, forks, and 6 spoons… Why? WHY?!
Rick Maxson says
I love this prompt and the shanties, but I had a hard time with it. Nevertheless here goes:
A Poet’s Ship of Tools
Ah ! the green hillside, it gets me inspired—
I think while I’m workin’ and I’m not even tired.
Write the words down, what you write the words in !
The minds like an ocean, the world’s full of din !
I talk with my lady and she gives me ideas
she purrs in couplets with onomatopoeia.
Follow the syllable sound to the source !
Don’t take it for granted; never make it feel forced !
I’ve been the world over and mostly it’s grand,
but here in the mountains I’ll make my last stand.
Aye ! the poems they will follow from the sea to the land !
Write ‘em with keys or write ‘em by hand !
The lines break like waves, though, they’re never the same;
times they tell me to stop, times they’re a beast to be tamed.
Write the words down, from the hills from the sea !
It’s a tough row to hoe, being both bound and free !
Rick Maxson says
Every second couplet should be indented, but I wasn’t sure would work here for a space.
Rick Maxson says
Does even show up?
Donna Z Falcone says
Richard…. I like it! I was going to say that this was my favorite line:
“Aye ! the poems they will follow from the sea to the land !
Write ‘em with keys or write ‘em by hand !”
but that was before I got to the end!
It’s a tough row to hoe being both bound and free! Oh wow…that’s really good!
Heather Eure says
I think you’ve captured the sea shanty quite well! “…being both bound and free!” resonates with writers and sailors alike.
Donna Z Falcone says
Of course, I can’t think of sea shanties without thinking of Penny Blossoms – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDDdZ1VzoxQ
Sandra Heska King says
“It’s a tough row to hoe, being both bound and free.” –> My favorite line.
Sandra Heska King says
Well, I’ve been inside ice shanties, and my great-grandfather was a shanty boy, but I’d never heard of this kind of shanty…