The Convergence of the Twain by Thomas Hardy

The poem The Convergence of the Twain by Thomas Hardy is a poem about the fatal event of the Titanic sinking. The speaker covers a variety of topics ranging from the ship before sinking, after it has sunk, and society's view on the Titanic. According to the speaker, society believes the ship to be unsinkable, "And the Pride of Life that planned her, stilly couches she... Of her salamandrine fires" (lines 3-5). Having a negative view on society, the speaker has a tone in which he blames society for the tragic event. Society viewed the ship as unsinkable and able to survive any situation the ship faced. Furthermore, rather than worrying about the safety of the passengers, the lavishness and luxury of the ship was taken into consideration. As a result of this mindset, the ship endures an accident contrary to the accepted beliefs of society. This tone complements the meaning of the work because it shows the speaker lacks pity for the passengers of the ship. The speaker the population was foolishly focused on less important aspects of the ship. Establishing the views of society in a negative tone, the speaker was able to explain that the sinking of the Titanic was destined to occur.