Anna Wickham’s “The Hermit” tells the story of a man tormented by fools and forced aboard a ship. He feels like a prisoner at sea, dreading his captivity. The storm that wrecks the ship feels like both a disaster and a rescue: it frees him, and he swims to an uninhabited island. There, alone, he discovers that solitude is not a punishment but a source of real pleasure. The final image—carving a splendid monument to fools—is quietly ironic: the very people who tried to ruin him are commemorated, almost gratefully, because their cruelty accidentally gave him freedom. The poem’s mood moves from harshness and dread through violent release into calm, wry satisfaction. The speaker’s tone is admiring and slightly amused at the hermit’s unexpected victory.
The Hermit — Summary
Fools drove him with goads and whips Down to the sea where there were ships. And he was forced at the risk of his neck To find a refuge on a stranger's deck. Then that ship sailed away Far from the land that day, He watched the sky, and mourned to be In such a dread captivity. But from a rift of flying cloud Burst a tempest quick and loud; A burning bolt struck the strange deck Bringing the ship to sudden wreck. So the poor slave swam free Over a quick calmed sea: On a new coast-line he was thrown, And claimed a virgin island for his own. In the quiet island was such pleasure, In solitude he found such treasure. He took rude tools And carved a splendid monument to fools.