Summary of the poem, "The North Ship" by Philip Larkin.

The poem describes the journey of three ships of which two have returned and one has gone for a long journey by avoiding all the obstacles. This third ship is a symbol of aspiration for us. The poem is written in first person narrative. The poet wrote the poem as his own experience. He said that, "I saw three ships go sailing by......" The three ships began their journey from one place over the sea. And in the very 1st quatrain, the poet mentions that one of them goes for a long journey: "And one was rigged for a long journey."

Because of the obstacles, the first ship turned towards the west and it was completely destroyed by the storm and finally it reaches to a "rich country". Because of the storm, the second ship turned towards the east and it was also destroyed by the wind which hunted that ship like a beast. The poet here uses the imagery of beast to suggest the power , the strength of the wind which has captivated the 2nd ship.

The journey of the third ship is completely different. It turned towards the north. But it was not ruined or captivated by the wind. The decks of the ship was shining brightly as it was covered with frost. And finally when all the storms stopped and the circumstances became calm, the first two ships came back either happily or unhappily. But only the third ship did not return back and it went to a long unstoppable journey. The repitition of the line "And it was rigged for a long journey" shows the importance. It actually emphasizes the concept that if we have that inner will to do something, nothing can stop us. We must reach to our goal, to our destination.