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User Rating: |
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8.3
/10
(92
votes)
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I MUST go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
John Masefield
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Read poems about / on: running, sea, lonely, wind, star, song, sleep, dream, sky, life
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Comments about this poem (Sea Fever
by
John Masefield
) |
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Click here to write your
comments about this poem (Sea Fever by
John Masefield
)
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Maria Dennett
(6/12/2009 3:24:00 PM) |
This poem reminds me of my beloved Primary School Headmaster Mr Gaffney, of St Anthony of Padua, in Kirkby, Liverpool. He introduced me to John Masefield, together with Keats, Wordsworth and a huge many more, lesser known poets.
He is to thank for my total love of poetry. He was a huge inspiration in my life, and a wonderful mentor. Pity there isn't more people in teaching, like him now.
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Ronald Addyman
(5/22/2009 3:32:00 AM) |
Regarding Peter Kropholler`s comment. At school in Leeds, England, in the 1930s and 1940s we were taught the `I must down` version of the poem and told that verbs of motion, in this case `go` can be omitted after an auxiliary of mood, in this case `must`. I further recall the teacher telling us that the word `trick` in the last line of the poem relates to a seaman`s turn at the wheel in the same way that a (British) soldiers`s turn at sentry duty is/was called a `stag`.
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Roger White
(3/3/2009 6:42:00 PM) |
Being an englishman; in exile these 30 odd years; with a yen to go home, this is one of 'those' that brings a tear to my eye when I read it & makes me realise that I'll be a Brit for ever. & thankfully so,
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Peter J White
(3/2/2009 9:13:00 AM) |
As I read this poem I can smell the salt air, hear the gulls and feel the wind cold 'like a whetted knife'. Whenever I want to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up, this is one of the poems I read. It is a masterpiece of poetry of the sea, never suppassed, as far as I know.
Ten from me.
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Fleurette E Harris
(1/19/2009 7:02:00 PM) |
Your flow is skillful and seductive and sweet and clean...excellent poem
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Genesis Learny
(1/19/2009 12:52:00 AM) |
oh how i love this beautiful and flowy poem.its mesmarising with his imaginable thoughts and makes my heart sing.i love it!
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Lu Wenchao
(11/6/2008 9:14:00 AM) |
I like the poem as a result of the sea.In this poem, the sea means a different kind of life, compared with the common life the poet lead.I think the sea represents adventure and the dream.In order to realise our dream, we must have the spirit of adventure, we must strive for it.The sea means all this.And after a lifetime of striving for our dream, I think we can rest peacefully then.Because we have done what we have to do, and we have not any regrets then.So we can have a long long sleep——the death.
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Edward David Noel Walker
(6/19/2008 9:50:00 AM) |
Sea Fever; Having sailed the seas I know where John Masefield is coming from.
A wonderful piece of poetry.
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Jenny F. Diamond
(6/7/2008 3:52:00 AM) |
I loved this poem from the first line. It's almost magical, the first thing that hit me was the rhythm: it reminds me of waves, going up and down until they reach the shore...
Very nice.
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John Masefield
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