why her eyes held all / the mourning of the darkest sea
-- Speaker (Lines 2-3)

Importance: This line uses oceanic imagery to convey both physical appearance (suggesting the glossy black eyes of a seal) as well as the character’s state of being. “Mourning” here represents not just a sadness but a loss; the speaker’s mother, although physically cared for, is mourning the loss of her home and birth family. This line subtly conveys information as well as enhancing the poem’s overall mood and tone.

I wondered why father / never let me swim out against the waves, / never let her walk the shores alone.
-- Speaker (Lines 9-11)

Importance: This moment reveals the father’s knowledge of what he has done, as well as his fear of loneliness and loss. Specifically, the speaker and their mother are not allowed to return to this wild place, building on the poem’s theme of restriction and restraint — particularly for women...