Read the poem.
The Inchcape Rock
by Robert Southey
The ballad of "The Inchcape Rock" retells the legend of a
treacherous reef in the North Sea, of the kind Abbot who sought
to protect sailors from the rocks, and of the Rover who sought to
sabotage the Abbot's efforts for his own gain.
No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The ship was as still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion;
Her keel was steady in the ocean.
Without either sign or sound of their shock
The waves flowed over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.
Why is the word perilous used in this excerpt instead of risky,
dangerous, or vulnerable?
When the rock was hid by the surges' swell,
The mariners heard the warning bell;
And then they knew the perilous rock
And blessed the Abbot of Aberbrothok.
The word perilous has a negative connotation that
indicates that it would be foolish.
The word perilous has a positive connotation that
implies that it is only somewhat unsafe.
The word perilous has a weak connotation to suggest
that there is a degree of uncertainty.
The word perilous has a stronger connotation to
emphasize that there is a risk of death.