Background: Ave Maria is a traditional Catholic hymn Click here to listen: Ave Maria
Before Poem: From Medea by Seneca. Translates: “In distant years a time will come when Ocean will release the chains of things and the mighty earth will be revealed and Tiphys will disclose new worlds, and there will be no ultimate Thule to be a limit to the lands” (Ellmann and O’Clair).
Line 1: “Luis de San Angel”- Keeper of Accounts of Aragon. Columbus wrote his first letter stating the discovery of the New World to him in February of 1493. Read Entire Letter
Line 2: “wrest”- forcibly pull (something) from a person’s grasp (OED).
Line 4: “Into the Queen’s great heart”- Referring to Queen Isabel, wife of Ferdinand. Read more
Line 5: “perjured”-or perjure:willfully tell an untruth or make a misrepresentation under oath (OED).
Line 6: “sage”- (especially in ancient history or legend) a profoundly wise man; (OED).
Line 7: “Juan Perez”-Some believe he accompanied Columbus on the first voyage on the Santa Maria, but it is only confirmed by Columbus that he was on the second journey. Read more
Line 8: “Cathay”-the name by which China was known to medieval Europe (OED).
Line 9-12: “Here waves…another plunge”- ocean wave imagery: Waves
Line 13: “Sun’s red…drops light”-Red sunset traditionally means good weather in the morning; When in evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: For the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and lowering.” The Bible Matthew 16: 2-3
Red Sunset means good weather tomorrow for sailors
Line 13: “Caravel”- historical a small, fast Spanish or Portuguese ship of the 15th-17th Centuries (OED).
Line 17: “Genoa”- Italian Port city and home of Christopher Columbus. Read More
Genoa, Scan from the Nuremberg Chronicles in 1493
Line 20: “frontier”- a line or border separating two countries (OED).
Line 21: “The Chan’s great continent” – Columbus thought he had reached Asia
Line 24: “chevron”-V-shaped line or stripe (OED).