The Tennyson poem, that is - I'm not talking about becoming a mixologist. My question is about the 'one clear call'. While the metaphorical meaning is, um, clear, I've been pondering the 'surface' meaning. Since every other image in the poem can be readily identified with the harbour-at-dusk scene, with its business of the vessel setting out to sea, it is my suspicion that a Victorian reader would identify the 'call' as having a certain customary function in that context, e.g., the call of a shipboard official for a lollygagging passenger or seaman, which would not require any explanation. While there are no doubt many possibilities, I wonder if anyone has any reason to distinguish this 'call' as of a specific type ... ?
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