Leaving Cardiff

This poem by Abse is about the journey from Cardiff, his hometown in Wales, to London, where he makes the move away from home for the first time. The tone of the poem is one of sadness and loss, and it becomes very clear that Abse's feelings about leaving Cardiff are not ones of positivity or happiness. The first stanza ends with a line which portrays a sense of neglect; the docks are described as having 'derelictions' from which Abse 'prepare[s] to sail from'. The word 'derelictions' makes it sound as if the docks of Cardiff no longer care for Abse, and are neglecting him, instead of him neglecting them.
      The second stanza obtains strong imagery which is consolidated through descriptions that bring the setting of Abse's poem to life for the reader. The waves below him are described as 'slack hammocks', making them sound calm, peaceful and comforting, possibly suggesting that the seas of his hometown held him safely and he is about to be exposed to rougher waves (London) which are unfamiliar. He goes on to describe how the 'black shapes upon the pier / make the furthest star seem near.' This could be seen as portraying the way in which the elements of Cardiff which Abse has grown familiar with, and loves dearly, suddenly aren't clear anymore; they are just black shapes as they become more absent, yet they still hold comfort and a sense of belonging ('make the furthest star seem near').
     The third stanza describes how 'the funnels negations blow'. This suggests an absence of positivity and creates a sad tone, strengthening my opinion that Abse does not want to leave. This becomes concretely clear throughout the rest of the stanza; he tells of his 'eyes, like spaces, fill[ing]'. It appears that he is almost mourning the loss of his hometown - as it will seem lost to him, or him lost from it - and the word 'spaces' suggests a feeling of emptiness.
      In the fourth stanza, Abse uses a phrase which is slightly unclear/confusing, and could be interpreted in many different ways: 'For what who would choose to go / when who sailing made no choice?' My interpretation of these two lines is that Abse is telling the reader of his lack of choice in leaving Cardiff; it appears that he is being moved from his hometown by something other than will and want of a different future, and that he does not want to go. His emphasis on the word 'who' suggests a lack of identity, as if by leaving Cardiff he is losing his identity/a part of himself. He then goes on to explain how he knows he cannot 'be the same man twice.' Again, many different interpretations could be made about this phrase, but in my opinion he is suggesting that he cannot be the same man in London as he previously was in Cardiff. It could be argued that Abse is portraying how he will have a different cultural identity, and will therefore be a different person.
     The final two lines of this poem create a tone of new beginnings mixed with the sadness of moving on from the past: 'the boats under the hill / of Penarth unload and move on.' These boats could possibly be symbolic of people (maybe even Abse in particular), and how humankind often uproots and moves on to someplace new.