I sometimes think we must be mad that we do not flee from this house; but we are men, and must do our duty though it be a dreadful one. We are all drifting in strange seas, and the lights we trust are faint and far; yet, if we hold together and keep our heads clear, the dawn will find us.
Seward names fear and still chooses duty. The sea metaphor stretches dread into landscape and makes courage feel earned. ‘Hold together’ links survival to trust and records. Dawn becomes a result of teamwork—horror turned into work.