The Cliff

Because there are no human characters in this story, the elements of nature become the main characters. The first of these is "The Cliff" which is hard and silent. It sits before the sea in a calm arrogance, having stoically weathered "thousands of years of battle." But there is a weakness in the cliff: crashing waves have carved out a cavern at its base.

Smaller Waves

These waves are important, because they contrast with the wave of the title. They come "towering into the cove . . . confusedly, meeting midway in the cove, chasing one another, climbing over one another's backs." Because they are not unified, they do little damage to the cliff, and they retreat—"disheveled masses of green and white, hurrying backward." They do not have the force of the sea behind them, because it is not yet high tide.

The Wave

Unlike the cliff, the...