Epigraph: “O, the navies old and oaken, O, the Temeraire no more!”- This is a quote from the last two lines of Herman Melville’s short poem Temeraire. The “Temeraire” is an old wooden war ship of the old English fleet.
"HMS Temeraire 1876" Harper's Monthly Magazine, February 1886 Courtesy of Wiki Commons
Line 2: “A nervous shark tooth swung on his chain” – Often associated as a symbol for male strength. One may also wear a shark tooth to represent their sea-related occupations.
Lines 5-8: “So – shine – GREEN – eyes” – A reference here to American author Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick.
"Moby-Dick" (2007) Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Line 11: ”Nickel-in-the-slot piano”- One of the early models of the modern jukebox, these were often situated in bars and restaurants of the 1920’s.
Line 12: “Stamboul Nights” – Although this is quoted as part of the nickel-slot song, it was actually a book written by H.G. Dwight around the same time period. Stamboul is also another name for Istanbul (Turkey).
Line 14: “Murmurs of Leviathon he spoke” – In classical literature, such as Moby-Dick, “Leviathon” refers to a great whale.
Line 15: “Rum was Plato in our heads” – The term rum has an alternate meaning in British slang for “odd” or “difficult.”
Line 16: “S.S. Ala – Antwerp” – Most likely a reference here to the sailors ship “S.S. Ala” that’s stationed or delivers to Antwerp, Belgium.
Line 20: “Whaler” – Yet another reference to Melville’s Moby-Dick.
Line 26: “Donkey engine” – Nickname for a steam powered winch used in past logging operations.
Malcolm Knapp Research Forest. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Line 28- “Yucatan“- One of the 31 states within Mexico. Located on the Northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula around Southeastern Mexico.
Line 27: “Canal in Panama“- A historical reference to the 48 mile long international waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through Panama.
Line 29: “Popocatepetl” – A volcano in South Central Mexico.
Line 37: “Spiracle” – The blowhole of a whale (OED).
Line 44: “Dance the Axletree” – An axletree is a bar fixed crosswise under an animal drawn vehicle with a rounded spindle on each end upon which each wheel rotates (OED).
Line 46: “Atlantis Rose”- A reference here to the last section of The Bridge titled “Atlantis”.
Line 55: “Bowery Way“- A street and a small neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It’s located just across Wallabout Bay and perpendicular to the Brooklyn Bridge exit.
Line 56: “Statute of Liberty”- Located in the New York Harbor, the statue of liberty was a gift of international friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States.
"The Statue of Liberty." (2004). Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.