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.
1.Pair work: Discuss the following questions with your partner.
1)What is the theme of the poem?
2)How did seamen use the stars to navigate a ship (Line 2)?
3)What is meant by vagrant gypsy life(Line 9)?
4)What are the figures of speech employed by the poet?
5)What is the meaning of “the long trick” in the last line?
2.Solo work: Write a paragraph in which you sum up what you see to be the poem’s main idea.
John Masefield’s poem Sea Fever is a work of art that brings beauty to the English language through its use of rhythm, imagery and many complex figures of speech...
Proper Names
Lilliput 利立浦特(小人国)
Blefuscu 伯莱福斯居岛(Lilliput小人国对岸的岛国)
Notes
1. Daniel Defoe (1659-1731):He was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe.Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson, who were among the founders of the English novel.As a prolific and versatile writer, he wrote more than 500 books, pamphlets and journals on various topics, such as politics, crime, and religion.