Imagery in "Elegy for My Father, Who is Not Dead"

This poem, along with many others in this chapter, discusses the topic of death. In this poem, imagery of the sea is used to describe the father and son's differing viewpoints of the outcome of death. Lines 18-21 state, "I see myself on deck, convinced his ship's gone down, while he's convinced I'll see him standing on the dock and waving, shouting, welcome back." The imagery of the dock and ship sailing out to sea gives the reader a better image of the distance being created between the father and son at the ship's departure, or the inevitable death. The ship sinking indicates the end of a travel, or the end of the relationship between father and son. The father sees death as a new opportunity to "travel" to another world while awaiting his son's arrival. He does not see his ship sinking, but rather arriving at a new destination.