The keelson or kelson is a reinforcing structural member on top of the keel in the hull of a vessel.[1] Originally used on wooden ships, in modern usage a kellson is any structural member used to strengthen the hull or support any heavy weight.[2]
In part V of βSong of Myselfβ, American poet Walt Whitman uses the phrase: βAnd that a kelson of the creation is love;β to imply that love is akin to a keelson, or backbone, that supports humanity.