At the Sea-Side

Fiction | Poem | Middle Grade | Published in 1913

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Sea

The sea has a dual connotation. On the one hand, being “down beside the sea” (Line 1) and on “the sandy shore” (Line 3) evokes pleasant, nostalgic childhood memories. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore in rhythmic pushes and pulls creates a calming effect, lulling the listener into a sense of serenity and safety.

On the other hand, the sea can be a great, destructive force. The sea is vast and mysterious; no one knows for certain all that exists beneath its surface. This dichotomy between the pleasant and the unpleasant notions evoked by the vast sea mirrors the themes Stevenson conveys in this poem. The contentment and innocence conveyed through the recollection of digging holes in the sand contrasts with the transitory nature of childhood itself.

Spade

As stated earlier, a spade is a type of shovel with a squared-off shape at the end. The spade the speaker uses “[t]o dig the sandy shore” (Line 3) is like any toy shovel that children would use to dig at the beach. The spade here is representative of childhood itself, of memory and nostalgia. Since the spade is also a tool, it could also possibly be representative of the speaker’s industriousness, of the effort and work they’ll have to put into “digging the holes” of life. Just as they need to put time and energy into digging holes in the sand, the speaker will need to put that same time and effort into their future life events—even if such efforts may result in destruction or disarray.

Holes

Using the spade given to them, the speaker digs holes into the sandy beach, holes that are “empty like a cup” (Line 4). Holes denote vacancy, emptiness, and expectation, as they can typically be filled with other substances. Since it is a child digging the holes, the holes could represent the events of their life to come. Each hole is a significant moment or portion of the speaker’s existence. The speaker, looking back at this seaside memory, could be retrospectively considering these events which have comprised their life. When the “sea came up” (Line 5) in the holes “[t]ill it could come no more” (Line 6), the filling of the holes could represent two possible interpretations. On the one hand, the filling of the holes could represent the completion and satisfaction of those life events, the “fullness” of life. On the other hand, the filling of the holes and the subsequent washing away of them could represent the transitory nature of life. The poem is intentionally left open for various interpretations of meaning.