Sea Fever

UNIT 1

Poem

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 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 fl ying,

And the fl ung 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

John Masefi eld (1878–1967) was an English Poet and writer. He was appointed poet laureate of the United Kingdom in 1930.

GLOSSARY

Star to steer-  the  north  star  is  the  pole  star  which  tells  the  sailor  where  North  is  and  thus  they  can  steer  the ship correctly

Flung - threw

spume - sea foam

vagrant -wandering

whetted -sharpened

yarn  -A long or rambling story especially one that is impossible

flurried  -worried

rover  -wanderer

trick  -a period of stay on the ship after the voyage