Doubt, Who Kept a Lighthouse

Hi! I really enjoyed reading this poem, so I thought I'd give it a review!

I ended up loving the concept of this poem. It comes to show that at times uncertainty is a blessing that can keep you safe. I think the personification of Doubt is clever. The capitalized "d" makes the concept really come alive. The personification helps the reader to empathize with the keeper of the lighthouse.

A certainty is just a ship that learned
to sleep while sailing straight toward its own snare.

Trusting your faith blindly can become fatal.

The sailors cursed the light that made them turn.
The light said only, look. The rocks are there.

This part of the poem puts it into perspective how rejection can be protection. You may have to reroute, but if you keep steering towards the light that is there to warn you, you may steer directly into danger. The light of the lighthouse that Doubt keeps is not directly the danger but there to warn others about the danger only Doubt can see.

Doubt kept a lighthouse on a coast of yes,

the ships all steered by Doubt, and found their place.

These two parts do bring some confusion. At first it seems like Doubt is the keeper of the lighthouse, but the second quote seems to imply that Doubt was the lighthouse. It may slightly change how one perceives the poem.

All in all I really liked this poem and I hope to read more from you soon!

Hey there, hira! I was looking for a short poem for today's review for the After Watch and came across this. With all the reviews you've been doing recently, I thought it'd be nice to return the favor. Now let's get into it~

Doubt kept a lighthouse on a coast of yes,

Awesome concept, though I think it was a little clunky to roll off the tounge. It's a nice thought but maybe there's a better way to phrase it? I feel like replacing 'kept' with 'is' would make the line much simpler and better.

the ships that thought they'd reached their harbor, blessed,
and taught them, gently, what a shore can cost.

Ahhh you're so good hira!! The first line strays from the structure a bit since it's the only one. But how it sounds os fulfilling enough to compensate for it. U love the way that the ships are unknowingly cursing something that just saved them, and the helplessness it portrays. Everyone wants to get the shore but don't realise the possible dangers of it.

The sailors cursed the light that made them turn.
The light said only, look. The rocks are there.

The contrast is so striking here- mind blowing! Even when doubt receives nothing but critique, it just wants to help the sailors. You do a great job at capturing the irony..

A certainty is just a ship that learned
to sleep while sailing straight toward its own snare.

So certainty is ignorance as nothing can be 100% definitive? I very much like the sound of it, and the imagery you weaved alongwith.

So Doubt grew old, and no one gave it thanks.
It trimmed its lamp

To see someone's spirit get low because of not being recognized for their efforts- I can see this symbolism apply to a lot of people today. This poem sees them and I think that's beautiful!

only to keep you living to the other side.

Again, they just want the best for others </3

And when at last the fog rolled in like grace,
the ships all steered by Doubt, and found their place.

An epic and fitting end, hira!! I love what you've done here- depicting doubt as the ultimate saviour.

A huge fan of this idea! I wrote my fair share of misunderstood abstract concepts like color black and death in my freshman year and so I could definitely see where this is coming from. But you go about it a lot more impeccably than I did, so great work! The metaphor of shore and lighthouse was carried throughout and well executed. The rhyming were wonderfully worked too, but I fear they might've been limiting. I'm a little confused on what the fog stands for which doubt clears the way, but that's just a nitpick. Rest everything flowed wonderfully! Thank you for sharing, hope to review more from you soon~

Love, Alex