This poem is either about a wrecked ship (defiant edifice?) and the water crashes into and out of it. It is abandoned and its purpose or its use and how it use to function is no longer. Although this abused structure remains in the sea, life continues, and the sea grows old in it. She describes all of the sea life and their role in the ocean. I liked the imagery of the muscle shells opening and closing as the silt rises from the ocean bottom. I also could picture the waves crashing onto the barnacles which cling to the surface. I think that she means by saying, “Evidence has proved that it can live on what can not revive its youth,” that this ship will no longer be what it used to be but it can move on, and survive by making meaning for itself, like providing shelter and a home for the life that continues. As humans we all must face death at some point in our lives. The only thing that matters is that we make the time we do have meaningful as well as our purpose in life. We cannot escape age, time and live for our youth, but we can accept it and find ways to make our lives meaningful and worthwhile.
