Twas when the seas were roaring with hollow blasts of wind, a damsel lay deploring, all on a rock reclined

Twas when the seas were roaring with hollow blasts of wind, a damsel lay deploring, all on a rock reclined

John Gay was an English poet and playwright who was known for his satirical works and his use of ballad opera as a form of social commentary. One of his most famous works is "The Beggar's Opera," which was first performed in 1728. However, before he achieved fame with this work, Gay wrote a number of other poems and plays, including the ballad "Sweet William's Farewell to Black-Eyed Susan."

The line "Twas when the seas were roaring with hollow blasts of wind, a damsel lay deploring, all on a rock reclined" is from this ballad, which tells the story of a sailor named Sweet William who is forced to leave his true love, Black-Eyed Susan, to go to sea. The poem is filled with vivid imagery and emotion, as seen in this particular line which describes the tumultuous sea and the sorrow of the damsel left behind.