Symbolism Although Stephen Crane's "The Essay

"The drowned face always staring," and "the drowned face sleeps with open eyes" are lines in Rich's poem that correspond with the symbol of drowning as death in Crane's "The Open Boat." The symbol of drowning is that of respect for nature and especially for the power of the ocean over human life.

Darkness is another symbol shared in common by these two works of literature. Although Rich's poem has a more optimistic tone than Crane's short story, both works show how the sea is not just about the power to take a person's breath away; the sea also takes away all light from human life. However, this is where "The Open Boat" and "Diving into the Wreck" start to differ. In "The Open Boat," the darkness of the sea consumes the characters. Some of the men die due to their rough encounter with the sea. In "Diving into the Wreck," the narrator finds the death that the wrecked ship represents; but remains blissfully alive. The narrator of "Diving into the Wreck" can contemplate the wonders of nature because she or he is in tune with it; whereas the captain and crew in "The Open Boat" spend their time at sea struggling endlessly against its darkness and potential to drown and kill.

Symbolism is one of the literary tools that Stephen Crane and Adrienne Rich use to convey their respective themes.Boats, drowning, and darkness are all symbols shared in common by these two works, which explore the theme of the human being's relationship with nature. Crane's short story "The Open Boat" is about the power that nature has over the human being, and Rich's poem "Diving into the Wreck" also suggests that nature overpowers a human being. However, the diver in Rich's poem achieves harmony with nature; whereas the captain in Crane's short story struggles against nature.

Works Cited

Crane, Stephen. "The Open Boat." Retrieved online: http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/crane/open.htm

Rich, Adrienne. "Diving into the Wreck." Retrieved online: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15228.....