Line 59: “Turreted Sprites”- A turret has the shape of a long spiral. Sprites were known as a small or elusive supernatural being (OED).
Line 64: “Opium and Tea”- Opium is produced from the dried latex taken from the poppy plant. Both were high-valued commodities traded by ship during the 18th and 19th centuries. Poppy seed capsules can also be boiled in water to produce a bitter tea that induces a long lasting intoxication, also known as poppy tea.
Dried poppy seeds and stems (Papaver somniferum) Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Line 67: “Sky Sails”- In square-rigged vessels, a sky sail is a light sail set above the royal (OED).
Line 68: “Melbourne”- Captial of Victoria, the most populous state in Australia. The port of Melbourne supports Australia’s largest ship transport system.
Line 69: “Parabolas”- A symmetrical open plane curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to its side. The shape of a parabola is similar to the appearance of a bridge (OED).
Line 69: “Clipper dreams “- Fantasizing on the subject of clipper ships.
Line 71: “Baronial white on lucky blue”- Could be a flags colors from a certain clipper ship.
Line 72: “Cutty-trophied-Sark”- An obvious reference to the title of the poem, Cutty Sark is a Scots Whiskey that was created on March 20th, 1923 when the partners of wine & spirit merchants Berry Bros. discussed the launch of a new whiskey. The name also originates from the River Clyde-built clipper ship of the late 19th century. It’s one of the only preserved clipper ships still on display.
"A bottle of Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky" (2007). Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
"The Cutty-Sark" By Atelier Joly 24th January (2005) Courtesy of Wiki Commons
Line 73: “Thermopyle, Black Prince, Flying Cloud“- All four of these are prominent clipper ships dating back to the late 19th century.
Clipper Thermopylae, chromolithograph by M. Reilly (19th century). Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Clipper ship Black Prince, Brisbane, 1877. 750 tons. Copyright John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Flying Cloud Clipper Ship State Street Trust Company, Boston MA 1913. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Line 73: “Sunda“- The Sunda Islands are a group of islands located in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Line 76: “Java Head” – One of the world’s most populous islands located in Indonesia.
Line 79: “Buntlines Tusseling”- A buntline is a rope that keeps a square sail from bellying when it is being hauled up for furling (OED).
"Slipped Buntline Hitch." (2005). Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Line 80: “Rainbow, Leander, Numbus, Taeping, Ariel“- Numerous other clipper ships mentioned at the end of the poem. The name “Rainbow” in particular represents an oval shape similar to that of a bridge.