The poem basically tells the story of the death of the captain of a ship's crew. The speaker of the poem is a sailor from the ship's crew. He grieves sadly over the death of his respectful captain. Dark and gloomy atmospheres are vividly felt throughout the poem as the speaker laments the death of the captain. The poem begins with the speaker shouting to his captain that they have finally returned home after their "dreadful voyage." The boat is in sight of land and the people on the shore watch as it approaches, cheering and ringing church bells. However, as it approaches the shore, the boat is described as “dark and bold,” as if the speaker senses that something terrible is about to happen. And as terrible as it is, the captain on the bridge is dead. The speaker kneels on the captain's side and begs him to get up. He can't seem to accept the fact that his captain is dead and feels like he's dreaming. Eventually the ship arrives safely in port and its dangerous and difficult journey is over. Despite the captain's death, the speaker still wants the shore to continue celebrating ...