Columbus by Alfred Tennyson (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

Columbus

by Alfred Tennyson

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

Columbus

I

The gates were open, safety seemed secure;

The sacred flag of Spain unfurl’d aloft;

I heard the trumpet peal, and all was well.

Then was I smitten with a sudden fear:

Ah me! for I had heard of iron hearts

That are not melted by the love of Christ,

And I had seen men slain by savage men,

And I had seen the dead unburied lie,

And I had heard the cry of the dying sent

To Heaven, which answered not; and I had thought

Of those that were far-off, nor yet had heard

The name of Christ, nor yet had seen the cross.

 

And I had said within myself, “O God,

When wilt Thou make an end?” But then I thought

Of that great word which saith, “He that endureth

Unto the end, shall be saved;” and so

I laboured onward through the storm and sun,

And knew not fear, nor falter’d from my goal.

 

II

Westward I steer’d my course, until I saw

The light upon the rim of heaven arise;

And I rejoiced, and cried, “The land! the land!”

Then all my people shouted, and I saw

Their faces flush’d with joy, and their glad eyes

Gleam with the light of hope long lost and found.

And when we came unto the land, we knelt,

And kiss’d the ground, and bless’d the name of God,

And named the isle San Salvador.

 

Then as we wander’d through the woods, we found

A race of men, naked, and poor, and free,

And gentle as the lambs that know no sin.

And I rejoiced, and cried, “Behold the men

Whom God hath given into our hands, to lead

Unto His holy faith!” But others said,

“Nay, these are slaves; we’ll take them for our toil.”

 

Then was I sorely troubled in my soul,

And cried unto the Lord, “How long, O Lord,

How long shall men be cruel in Thy name?”

 

III

Then we return’d to Spain, and all the land

Rejoiced because of us; and I was held

For hero, and the king and queen did smile.

And there was feasting, and much pomp of praise,

And men did cry, “Behold, the mighty man

That found the world beyond the Western seas!”

 

But I was sick at heart; for I had seen

The darker side of all, and I had known

The sorrow and the shame that follow sin.

And though I spake of Christ, and of the cross,

And of the mercy of the Lord, men turn’d

To gold, and lust, and power, and cruel gain.

 

Then was I cast aside, and all my toil

Was made a mockery; and I was left

To brood in silence on my lonely wrongs.

 

IV

Yet still I thank Thee, Lord, that Thou hast given

To me the power to do Thy work, and bear

Thy burden; and that I have seen the land

Which Thou didst hide from ages, till the time

Was ripe for Thy revealing.

 

Though my name

Be now a byword and a scorn, I know

Thou wilt not leave me comfortless, nor yet

Forget Thy servant in his age and pain.

 

And when I die, I pray Thee, Lord, receive

My soul, and grant that I may see at last

The land where there is neither sea nor storm,

Nor night, nor death, but everlasting peace.

 

(Written in 1880, first published in 1880 in Ballads and Other Poems.)

 

Summary

In his old age, Christopher Columbus sits alone, weak and forgotten, recalling the great voyage that changed the world. Once, his heart burned with faith and vision. He had believed that God Himself had called him to cross the western ocean and find new lands where Christ’s name had never been spoken. Though others mocked him, he trusted the divine voice within and set sail westward, through storms and mutiny, guided only by faith and the stars.

He remembers the endless days of the voyage—his men growing restless, the winds dying, the sea stretching without end. Doubt and despair crept into the hearts of all but him. Still, he pressed onward until, one night, he saw a faint light trembling on the horizon. The next day, land appeared like a miracle. His heart overflowed with joy; he knelt upon the sand, kissed the ground, and named the island San Salvador, giving thanks to God who had guided him through the unknown.

The people they found there were gentle and innocent, living in peace and simplicity. To Columbus, they seemed pure as children of Eden. He hoped to lead them toward the light of Christianity. But soon he saw his own countrymen’s greed awaken. The Spanish sailors saw not souls to save, but bodies to enslave and treasures to seize. His dream of bringing faith and civilization to a new world began to darken.

Returning to Spain, he was received with great honor and celebration. The king and queen smiled upon him; crowds cheered him as a hero; and songs were sung in his name. But within him, there was sorrow. He had seen cruelty where he had hoped for holiness. He had spoken of Christ, but men only listened when he spoke of gold. His vision of a holy mission had become corrupted by human greed.

In time, favor turned to scorn. False friends whispered against him, jealous rivals plotted his downfall, and his name—once praised—was dragged through dishonor. He was imprisoned, humiliated, and left to grow old in neglect. Yet, through it all, his faith endured.

In his loneliness, Columbus looks back over his life and speaks to God. He thanks Him for granting him strength to follow his calling, even through pain and betrayal. He believes his voyage was part of a divine purpose, even if the world misunderstood it. And as his life nears its end, he no longer dreams of earthly lands or fame, but of a higher shore—a heavenly country beyond storm and sea, where there will be peace forever.

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

I

The gates were open, safety seemed secure;

→ Everything looked safe and welcoming; the harbor gates were open, and all felt at peace.

 

The sacred flag of Spain unfurl’d aloft;

→ The Spanish banner proudly waved high above.

 

I heard the trumpet peal, and all was well.

→ I heard the triumphant sound of the trumpet—it signaled success and safety.

 

Then was I smitten with a sudden fear:

→ But suddenly, fear struck me deeply.

 

Ah me! for I had heard of iron hearts

→ Alas! I had heard of people with hard, merciless hearts—

 

That are not melted by the love of Christ,

→ Hearts untouched by the compassion and love of Christ.

 

And I had seen men slain by savage men,

→ I had seen men killed brutally by others—

 

And I had seen the dead unburied lie,

→ And I had seen corpses left unburied.

 

And I had heard the cry of the dying sent

To Heaven, which answered not; and I had thought

→ I had heard the dying cry to Heaven for help, but Heaven gave no answer.

 

Of those that were far-off, nor yet had heard

The name of Christ, nor yet had seen the cross.

→ I thought of distant nations who had never heard Christ’s name nor seen the sign of His cross.

 

And I had said within myself, “O God,

When wilt Thou make an end?”

→ And I prayed, “O Lord, when will You put an end to such cruelty?”

 

But then I thought

Of that great word which saith, “He that endureth

Unto the end, shall be saved;” and so

→ But then I remembered the Scripture saying, “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” So—

 

I laboured onward through the storm and sun,

And knew not fear, nor falter’d from my goal.

→ I pressed on through storms and sunshine alike, never afraid, never wavering from my mission.

 

II

Westward I steer’d my course, until I saw

The light upon the rim of heaven arise;

→ I sailed westward until I saw a faint glimmer of light along the horizon—

 

And I rejoiced, and cried, “The land! the land!”

→ And I shouted in joy, “Land! There is land!”

 

Then all my people shouted, and I saw

Their faces flush’d with joy, and their glad eyes

Gleam with the light of hope long lost and found.

→ My sailors rejoiced with me; their faces lit with relief and hope revived after despair.

 

And when we came unto the land, we knelt,

And kiss’d the ground, and bless’d the name of God,

→ When we reached the shore, we fell to our knees, kissed the earth, and thanked God.

 

And named the isle San Salvador.

→ We named the island San Salvador—Holy Saviour.

 

Then as we wander’d through the woods, we found

A race of men, naked, and poor, and free,

→ As we explored, we met the native people—simple, unclothed, poor, and innocent.

 

And gentle as the lambs that know no sin.

→ They were gentle and harmless, pure as lambs.

 

And I rejoiced, and cried, “Behold the men

Whom God hath given into our hands, to lead

Unto His holy faith!”

→ I was overjoyed and said, “These are the souls God has entrusted to us to bring to His faith.”

 

But others said,

“Nay, these are slaves; we’ll take them for our toil.”

→ But my companions replied, “No, these people will make good slaves.”

 

Then was I sorely troubled in my soul,

And cried unto the Lord, “How long, O Lord,

How long shall men be cruel in Thy name?”

→ My heart was heavy, and I prayed, “Lord, how long will men commit cruelty under Your holy name?”

 

III

Then we return’d to Spain, and all the land

Rejoiced because of us; and I was held

For hero, and the king and queen did smile.

→ When we returned to Spain, there was great rejoicing. I was hailed as a hero; the king and queen welcomed me with smiles.

 

And there was feasting, and much pomp of praise,

→ There were banquets and ceremonies full of praise and honor.

 

And men did cry, “Behold, the mighty man

That found the world beyond the Western seas!”

→ People shouted, “Look! The great man who discovered a new world across the western ocean!”

 

But I was sick at heart; for I had seen

The darker side of all, and I had known

The sorrow and the shame that follow sin.

→ But inside, I was sad and heartsick, for I had witnessed greed and evil and the pain sin brings.

 

And though I spake of Christ, and of the cross,

And of the mercy of the Lord, men turn’d

To gold, and lust, and power, and cruel gain.

→ I preached about Christ and His mercy, but men cared only for gold, pleasure, power, and violent profit.

 

Then was I cast aside, and all my toil

Was made a mockery; and I was left

To brood in silence on my lonely wrongs.

→ Later, I was discarded and ridiculed. My life’s work was mocked, and I was left alone, grieving in silence.

 

IV

 

Yet still I thank Thee, Lord, that Thou hast given

To me the power to do Thy work, and bear

Thy burden; and that I have seen the land

Which Thou didst hide from ages, till the time

Was ripe for Thy revealing.

→ Still, I thank You, Lord, for granting me strength to serve Your purpose—to bear Your burden—and to discover the land You kept hidden until the appointed time.

 

Though my name

Be now a byword and a scorn, I know

Thou wilt not leave me comfortless, nor yet

Forget Thy servant in his age and pain.

→ Even if my name is now despised and mocked, I believe You will not abandon me in my old age and suffering.

 

And when I die, I pray Thee, Lord, receive

My soul, and grant that I may see at last

The land where there is neither sea nor storm,

Nor night, nor death, but everlasting peace.

→ And when I die, Lord, take my soul and lead me to that eternal land—where there are no oceans, no storms, no darkness, no death—only eternal peace.

 

Analysis in Detail

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Columbus”, published in 1880 in Ballads and Other Poems, is one of the poet’s mature dramatic monologues that blends history, faith, and human tragedy. It presents not just the legendary explorer’s outer voyage of discovery, but his inner voyage of faith, conscience, and suffering. Tennyson portrays Columbus as a deeply spiritual and tragic figure—visionary yet misunderstood, heroic yet broken—whose story reflects both the glory and the moral cost of human ambition.

 

1. The Voice of Columbus: A Man Between Faith and Failure

The poem is written in the first person, allowing Columbus to narrate his own life, not as a conqueror boasting of triumph, but as an aging man reflecting on the meaning of his actions. He speaks as one who has achieved greatness but found little peace in it. The tone from the very beginning is pensive and confessional. “The gates were open, safety seemed secure” suggests the end of his journey, perhaps his return to Spain, when worldly honors were his. Yet immediately after, he confesses that he was struck by “a sudden fear.” This fear is not of physical danger, but of moral and spiritual unease.

Columbus recalls the cruelty he has witnessed—the “iron hearts” unmoved by Christ’s love, the violence of men killing men, the indifference of Heaven to human cries. These memories weigh heavily upon him. The man who once set out to bring Christianity to unknown lands now confronts the darker reality of conquest. Tennyson uses this inner conflict to humanize Columbus: he is not a distant historical icon but a man burdened by the gap between divine purpose and human corruption.

 

2. The Voyage Westward: Faith Against Despair

In the second section, Columbus remembers his voyage across the uncharted ocean. Tennyson transforms this historical journey into a spiritual metaphor. Sailing “westward” becomes symbolic of pressing forward through doubt and adversity, guided only by belief. The tone here is one of triumph tempered by humility. When Columbus sees the faint light on the horizon and cries, “The land! the land!” it is both a moment of discovery and divine revelation.

Yet, even in the midst of this joy, Tennyson plants the seed of tragedy. The discovery of the New World brings not only hope but also temptation. Columbus and his men find the native islanders “gentle as the lambs that know no sin.” In this brief description, the poet evokes the innocence of Eden. Columbus’s vision of a Christian mission—“to lead them unto His holy faith”—shows his original idealism. But his followers’ reaction—“Nay, these are slaves”—reveals how quickly innocence becomes corrupted. The poem thus dramatizes the moral fall that follows discovery, echoing the Fall of Man in the Bible.

For Columbus, this becomes the first sign that his great mission will end not in redemption but in regret.

 

3. Glory and Isolation: The Cost of Discovery

The third section captures the cruel irony of fame. Columbus returns to Spain to find himself celebrated as a national hero. Kings, queens, and crowds honor him as “the mighty man that found the world beyond the Western seas.” Yet, in his heart, he feels only emptiness. The outer glory contrasts sharply with the inner desolation he feels from what he has witnessed.

Tennyson uses this irony to expose the vanity of worldly success. The explorer who dreamed of bringing Christ to new lands sees only greed, lust, and violence. His words about faith fall on deaf ears; men listen only when he speaks of “gold, and lust, and power.” In this section, Tennyson’s moral vision becomes clear: great human achievements often turn to dust when driven by selfish ends.

Eventually, Columbus is betrayed, imprisoned, and forgotten. The repetition of isolation—“I was left / To brood in silence on my lonely wrongs”—reveals his descent from fame to abandonment. Here Tennyson draws a parallel between Columbus and the archetype of the misunderstood prophet: one who bears a divine vision but is rejected by the world.

 

4. Redemption Through Faith: The Inner Voyage Completed

In the final section, Columbus speaks no longer as a man broken by worldly failure but as a soul reconciled to God. His tone shifts from sorrow to serenity. He thanks God for allowing him to play a part in the divine plan—“to do Thy work, and bear Thy burden.” This acceptance transforms his suffering into spiritual victory.

He recognizes that though his name has become “a byword and a scorn,” God will not forsake him. The poem closes with an image of ultimate peace: a vision of “the land where there is neither sea nor storm, nor night, nor death.” This heavenly “land” mirrors the earthly one he once discovered, but it is pure and eternal, untainted by greed or cruelty. Columbus’s final vision completes the circle of his life—his first voyage sought an earthly paradise, but his last hope is for a spiritual one.

 

5. Themes and Vision

Through “Columbus,” Tennyson explores several intertwined themes: faith versus doubt, discovery versus destruction, human ambition versus divine will, and the loneliness of moral vision. The poem shows how even the noblest dreams can be corrupted by human weakness, yet also how spiritual endurance can redeem failure.

Columbus’s journey becomes a metaphor for the Victorian struggle between science and faith—between exploration of the physical world and preservation of spiritual belief. Tennyson, writing in an age of discovery and empire, subtly questions whether progress always leads to moral advancement. His Columbus is not the imperial hero of history books, but a man who sees that every “new world” discovered may conceal another moral fall.

 

6. Style and Tone

Tennyson’s style in this poem is meditative and solemn. The diction is biblical in cadence, giving Columbus’s voice a tone of prayer and confession. The poem moves between vivid narrative (storms, voyages, discovery) and deep introspection (faith, guilt, repentance). Its rhythm and imagery evoke both the grandeur of exploration and the quiet agony of conscience.

By blending historical realism with spiritual symbolism, Tennyson turns Columbus’s life into an allegory of the human soul’s voyage—from aspiration, through sin and suffering, toward redemption.

 

Conclusion

In “Columbus,” Tennyson reimagines the great explorer not as a man of conquest but as a spiritual pilgrim. His life becomes a journey through belief, betrayal, and grace. The poem’s true discovery is not the New World but the inner world of conscience. By the end, Columbus achieves a kind of peace that no earthly land could give—faith that endures beyond fame, and hope for “everlasting peace” after the storms of life.