Sea Fever by John Masefield

Sea Fever by John Masefield

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 grey 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 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.

INTRODUCTION -

"Sea Fever" is a poem written by the celebrated English poet, John Masefield. The poem was published in 1902 in his first book of collected works, Salt-Water Ballads. It consists of twelve lines which are divided into three quatrains. Each quatrain follows the rhyme scheme of AABB. It is one of the most popular poems known for wanderlust and love for nature and describes the poet’s longing to go to sea. The poet himself had been a sailor aboard different ships and therefore can effortlessly demonstrate his love for and affinity with this lifestyle. Each stanza begins with the words “I must go down to the seas again”, which gives an immediate sense to the title.

POET -

John Masefield (1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English novelist, playwright, and poet. He was also the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until 1967. He was awarded the Shakespeare Prize in 1938. His most famous works include The Midnight Folk, The Everlasting Mercy, Sea-Fever, and The Box of Delights.

SUMMARY -

LINES 1 TO 4 -

The poem begins with the poet's urge to return to the vast sea. He wants to relive his life as a sailor sailing down the sea under the peaceful sky. To fulfill this wish, he desires for a tall ship to sail and a bright star that would lead him in the correct directions. This would bring the poet completely in his element. He would admire the ship's wheel and sail along with nature beside him - the winds, the mist, and the greyish light. Though he describes the sea as grey and lonely, these words only increase the sense of mystery and attraction in the poem.

LINES 5 TO 8 -

The next stanza again starts with the poet's desire to unite with the sea. He describes how his time spent in the sea affects his five senses. He watches the “white clouds flying”, listens to the “sea-gulls crying” and "call of the running tide", feels the coldness of the “windy day” and smells and tastes the saltiness of the “flung spray and the blown spume”. The poet describes how his senses come alive in the mid of the vast sea making him feel at home. His description in this stanza allows the readers to imagine themselves standing on the shore beside the sea.

LINES 9 TO 12 -

In the last stanza, the poet admits that he considers this life as a life of wanderlust similar to those of the gypsies. However, he wishes to have a jolly fellow sailor with him to make this journey more enjoyable. He clears that this life won't be easy as the wind will hurt like a sharp knife and he would be wandering around with no knowledge of the directions. His journey would look similar to that of a gull or a whale. However, he would enjoy this challenging life because after a chat with his friend he would have a peaceful sleep and happy dreams.

THEMES -

• Wanderlust - The speaker hears the calls of nature as a tempting invitation to travel, adventure, and exultant life. He desires to break out of his present situation and return to the adventurous life of the sea. On his adventure, he intends to enjoy the early mist that rises from the sea along with grey dawn breaking. He wishes to capture the sight when strong winds carrying the clouds and listen to the cries of sea creatures. He wants to be carefree as a gypsy to adore the adventurous life of the sea.

END -

The poem has been considered as the best in the category of wanderlust poems. The poem speaks about a person who talks about his never-ending love for the sea. Life at sea is full of contrasts – cruel winds and wild waves in perfect harmony together with the sweet and endless freedom it allows. This harmony enchants the poet who wants to get lost in its depths and mysteries.