Analyzing Robinson Jeffers 'Morro Bay'

Morro Bay Poem Explication
“Morro Bay” is a poem by Robinson Jeffers with many examples of imagery and diction. The poet also has some examples of personification in a couple of lines. Jeffers uses these literary devices to change the audiences tone and to establish his connection between him and the bay. These literary devices make the poem less comprehensible for the audience and harder for them to find the true meaning of the poem.
The poem begins with many examples of imagery and reveals an important role of the meaning of the poem. In the first four lines of the poem, Jeffers uses imagery to establish his connection between him and the bay.
Beautiful years when she was by me and we visited
Every

rock and creek of the coast─
She gave life from her eyes. Now the bay is brownc
Stagnant
Robinson says “Beautiful years when she was by me and we visited”. The “she” represent Morro bay in the poem which is also an example of personification. He is saying that Morro Bay was beautiful when he visited. The imagery in lines three and four indicate that the “she” is Morro bay. The first stanza signifies that Robinson thinks the bay was beautiful until one day, the bay turned brown and “stagnant”. The diction Robinson used in the first stanza set a impartial tone. These three literary devices used in the first stanza help support the meaning of the poem.
Robinson then introduces another stanza drenched in imagery. He starts the stanza with
With rotting weed, and the stranded fish-boats
The imagery in this first line gives a gross image in mind. The look of the brown bay with these disgusting rotting weeds and stranded fish boats leaves the audience with a apathetic tone. The poet then adds on to the depressing mood in the sixth and seventh line. Robinson says,
Reek in the sun; but still the great rock hangs like a
Thundercloud
Robinsons imagery in the second stanza isn't setting a good image in mind. Its very unpleasing and dark. The diction he uses such as “Reek” and “thundercloud” helps supports the dark negative mood Robinson is trying to convey. Suddenly, Robinson then introduces another stanza with even more imagery than the last stanza. The first couple lines begin with,
Over the stale mist and still sea,
They say it swarms with rattlesnakes─right─the
Stored lightnings
The imagery in this stanza creates a big picture in mind. In line one, the “stale mist” is protecting Morro bay from the “rattlesnakes” which is the thundercloud that is shooting its lighting at the bay. So despite the bay’s ugliness, its calmness is protecting it from the thundercloud.
The poet then concludes the poem with,
In the stone cloud. Guard it well, vipers.
That Norman rockhead Mont St. Michel may have been
as beautiful as this one
Once, long ago, before it was built on.
The “vipers” resemble the stale mist that is protecting the island from the rattlesnakes or the thundercloud. Then, the poet does compare another pretty island to Morro bay but regardless of the hideousness of Morro bay, he still finds it beautiful.
The usage of imagery, diction and personification made the poem more understandable for the reader. The connection between the writer and Morro bay was more obvious thanks to the literary devices he used.