John Masefield

(1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967 / Herefordshire / England)

poet John Masefield
#97 on top 500 poets
John Masefield
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John Masefield Poems

  • Sea Fever I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea...
  • Cargoes QUINQUIREME of Nineveh from distant Ophir, Rowing ...
  • On Growing Old Be with me, Beauty, for the fire is dying; ...
  • A Creed I HOLD that when a person dies His soul returns ...
  • A Ballad Of John Silver We were schooner-rigged and rakish, ...
  • A Wanderer's Song A WIND'S in the heart of me, a fire's in my...
  • Beauty I HAVE seen dawn and sunset on moors and windy hills ...
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If you see a poem only with title, it is listed that way because of copyright reasons.


John Edward Masefield, OM, was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967. He is remembered as the author of the classic children's novels The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights, and poems, including "The Everlasting Mercy" and "Sea-Fever".

Life

Early Life

Masefield was born in Ledbury in Herefordshire, to Caroline and George Masefield, a solicitor. His mother died giving birth to his sister when Masefield was only six, and he went to live with his aunt. His father died soon after following a mental breakdown. After an unhappy education at the King's School in Warwick (now known... more »

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  • ''I must 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.''
    John Masefield (1874-1967), British poet, playwright. "Sea Fever," st. 2, Salt-Water Ballads (1902). The line appears as "I must go down to the se...
    393 person liked.
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  • ''Commonplace people dislike tragedy because they dare not suffer and cannot exult.''
    John Masefield (1874-1967), British poet, playwright. The Tragedy of Nan, preface (1908).
    36 person liked.
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Comments about John Masefield

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  • hannelore(4/7/2019 2:31:00 AM)

    what is the name of the poem/sonnet(?) of which the opening line is 'Oh to be in England now that April's here'?

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  • Jonny(3/10/2019 7:31:00 AM)

    Very evocative poet

    1 person liked.
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  • aurthar(12/23/2018 11:00:00 AM)

    what Scott replied I didn't even know that a stay at home mom can get paid $5864 in 1 month on the computer. did you look at this site link....www.GeoSalary.com

    3 person liked.
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  • Les Mac(10/13/2018 5:15:00 AM)

    All the poems that interested me are copyright protected so what is the point of this web site?

    7 person liked.
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  • Gulzar Hussain ranjoor(3/29/2018 11:17:00 PM)

    I like these poems

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  • Jake S.(1/31/2018 8:48:00 PM)

    JOHN MASEFIELD – Sea Fever - I have a beautiful hand drawn,18 x 24, black ink sketch of a two masted, full rigged, sailing ship on a silvery/gray poster board like base. It is edged along the right hand side of the sketch in a beautiful old fashioned script of Sea Fever. Various parts of the drawing and text are highlighted with very thick gold frills. I had the painting professionally framed in a large light

    7 person liked.
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  • Jake S.(1/31/2018 8:47:00 PM)

    oak frame behind very thick non-glare glass. The text and the lower portion of the picture are liberally highlighted with what appears to be very thick decorative gold colored bars and underlines. This painting was made for me (without my knowing that) and given to me by a neighbor named John Love when I lived in Las Vegas, NV. I believe his motivation for making and giving this to me was because: (1

    6 person liked.
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  • Jake S.(1/31/2018 8:46:00 PM)

    he was an artist; (2) he was a sailor at heart; and (3) I was at that time building a sailboat in my driveway. He did this for me without my knowing it in 1971-72. (Yes. I did finish the boat. I sailed it on Lake Mead and sold it when my work at NTS was done in the mid 1970's. The painting now livens up one of the walls here in my cave room.

    7 person liked.
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  • ALICIa(12/31/2017 6:38:00 PM)

    i love it so much 12356789010

    4 person liked.
    		4 person did not like.
  • Nigel Norton Nigel Norton(2/28/2016 2:51:00 AM)

    When ever I go for a ride to the coast I always think of sea fever while there.

    12 person liked.
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Best Poem of John Masefield

Sea Fever

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 grey 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 ...

Read the full of Sea Fever

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