"The Sea and the Hills" was written by Rudyard Kipling and first published (in part) in his popular 1901 novel, Kim. The poem depicts the sea as a wild, vibrant, unpredictable place that calls out to those with an adventurous spirit and a taste for danger. The poem contrasts those who long for the sea with "Hillmen"—those who prefer a presumably calmer, steadier life back on land. With its vivid imagery and rollicking rhythms, the poem captures the sea's thrilling power on the page.
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The Full Text of “The Sea and the Hills”
1Who hath desired the Sea?—the sight of salt water unbounded—
2The heave and the halt and the hurl and the crash of the comber wind-hounded?
3The sleek-barrelled swell before storm, grey, foamless, enormous, and growing—
4Stark calm on the lap of the Line or the crazy-eyed hurricane blowing—
5His Sea in no showing the same his Sea and the same 'neath each showing:
6His Sea as she slackens or thrills?
7So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills!
8Who hath desired the Sea?—the immense and contemptuous surges?
9The shudder, the stumble, the swerve, as the star-stabbing bow-sprit emerges?
10The orderly clouds of the Trades, the ridged, roaring sapphire thereunder—
11Unheralded cliff-haunting flaws and the headsail's low-volleying thunder—
12His Sea in no wonder the same—his Sea and the same through each wonder:
13His Sea as she rages or stills?
14So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills.
15Who hath desired the Sea? Her menaces swift as her mercies?
16The in-rolling walls of the fog and the silver-winged breeze that disperses?
17The unstable mined berg going South and the calvings and groans that declare it—
18White water half-guessed overside and the moon breaking timely to bare it—
19His Sea as his fathers have dared—his Sea as his children shall dare it:
20His Sea as she serves him or kills?
21So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills.
22Who hath desired the Sea? Her excellent loneliness rather
23Than forecourts of kings, and her outermost pits than the streets where men gather
24Inland, among dust, under trees—inland where the slayer may slay him—
25Inland, out of reach of her arms, and the bosom whereon he must lay him—
26His Sea from the first that betrayed—at the last that shall never betray him:
27His Sea that his being fulfils?
28So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills.
The Full Text of “The Sea and the Hills”
1Who hath desired the Sea?—the sight of salt water unbounded—
2The heave and the halt and the hurl and the crash of the comber wind-hounded?
3The sleek-barrelled swell before storm, grey, foamless, enormous, and growing—
4Stark calm on the lap of the Line or the crazy-eyed hurricane blowing—
5His Sea in no showing the same his Sea and the same 'neath each showing:
6His Sea as she slackens or thrills?
7So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills!
8Who hath desired the Sea?—the immense and contemptuous surges?
9The shudder, the stumble, the swerve, as the star-stabbing bow-sprit emerges?
10The orderly clouds of the Trades, the ridged, roaring sapphire thereunder—
11Unheralded cliff-haunting flaws and the headsail's low-volleying thunder—
12His Sea in no wonder the same—his Sea and the same through each wonder:
13His Sea as she rages or stills?
14So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills.
15Who hath desired the Sea? Her menaces swift as her mercies?
16The in-rolling walls of the fog and the silver-winged breeze that disperses?
17The unstable mined berg going South and the calvings and groans that declare it—
18White water half-guessed overside and the moon breaking timely to bare it—
19His Sea as his fathers have dared—his Sea as his children shall dare it:
20His Sea as she serves him or kills?
21So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills.
22Who hath desired the Sea? Her excellent loneliness rather
23Than forecourts of kings, and her outermost pits than the streets where men gather
24Inland, among dust, under trees—inland where the slayer may slay him—
25Inland, out of reach of her arms, and the bosom whereon he must lay him—
26His Sea from the first that betrayed—at the last that shall never betray him:
27His Sea that his being fulfils?
28So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills.
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“The Sea and the Hills” Summary
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“The Sea and the Hills” Themes
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The Power, Beauty, and Chaos of the Sea
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The Longing for Danger and Adventure
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Sea and the Hills”
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Lines 1-2
Who hath desired the Sea?—the sight of salt water unbounded—
The heave and the halt and the hurl and the crash of the comber wind-hounded? -
Lines 3-4
The sleek-barrelled swell before storm, grey, foamless, enormous, and growing—
Stark calm on the lap of the Line or the crazy-eyed hurricane blowing— -
Lines 5-7
His Sea in no showing the same his Sea and the same 'neath each showing:
His Sea as she slackens or thrills?
So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills! -
Lines 8-14
Who hath desired the Sea?—the immense and contemptuous surges?
The shudder, the stumble, the swerve, as the star-stabbing bow-sprit emerges?
The orderly clouds of the Trades, the ridged, roaring sapphire thereunder—
Unheralded cliff-haunting flaws and the headsail's low-volleying thunder—
His Sea in no wonder the same—his Sea and the same through each wonder:
His Sea as she rages or stills?
So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills. -
Lines 15-18
Who hath desired the Sea? Her menaces swift as her mercies?
The in-rolling walls of the fog and the silver-winged breeze that disperses?
The unstable mined berg going South and the calvings and groans that declare it—
White water half-guessed overside and the moon breaking timely to bare it— -
Lines 19-21
His Sea as his fathers have dared—his Sea as his children shall dare it:
His Sea as she serves him or kills?
So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills. -
Lines 22-25
Who hath desired the Sea? Her excellent loneliness rather
Than forecourts of kings, and her outermost pits than the streets where men gather
Inland, among dust, under trees—inland where the slayer may slay him—
Inland, out of reach of her arms, and the bosom whereon he must lay him— -
Lines 26-28
His Sea from the first that betrayed—at the last that shall never betray him:
His Sea that his being fulfils?
So and no otherwise—so and no otherwise—hillmen desire their Hills.
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“The Sea and the Hills” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Alliteration
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Imagery
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Personification
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Refrain
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Sibilance
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Anaphora
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“The Sea and the Hills” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Hath
- Unbounded
- The heave and the halt and the hurl and the crash of the comber
- Wind-hounded
- Sleek-barrelled swell
- Showing
- 'Neath
- Slackens or thrills
- No otherwise
- Contemptuous
- Shudder
- Star-stabbing bow-sprit
- Orderly
- The Trades
- Ridged
- Sapphire
- Thereunder
- Unheralded cliff-haunting flaws
- Headsail's low-volleying thunder
- Stills
- Menaces
- Mercies
- Berg
- Calvings
- Overside
- The moon breaking timely to bare it
- Forecourts
- Outermost pits
- Slayer / slay
- Bosom
- Whereon
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- See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “The Sea and the Hills”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“The Sea and the Hills” Speaker
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“The Sea and the Hills” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “The Sea and the Hills”
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More “The Sea and the Hills” Resources
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External Resources
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The Poem Out Loud — Listen to a recording of "The Sea and the Hills" by LibriVox (the poem begins at 1:30).
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The Author's Life — Read more about Rudyard Kipling in this brief overview of his life and work from the Poetry Foundation.
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Kipling and the Sea — Read more about Kipling's various adventures on the sea.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Rudyard Kipling
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