Sea Fever by John Masefield

[Imladris]

<DD><FONT size=5>"Sea-Fever"</FONT><BR><BR>I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,<BR>And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,<BR>And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,<BR>And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.<BR><BR>I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide<BR>Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;<BR>And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,<BR>And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.<BR><BR>I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,<BR>To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;<BR>And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover<BR>And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.<BR><BR>By <FONT size=4>John Masefield</FONT> (1878-1967).<BR>(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.) </DD>

 

[rm.w/aview]

The oldest thread in this sub-forum at 89 months, and the first response is now.

 

[abnorm]

Go.....go.....go

I must GO down to the seas again...…………...

 

[Turtlelady]

I chose Sea Fever to memorize and recite in a High school English class. I still like it and feel the pull.

 

[jacqueg]

I learned both Sea Fever and this one at the same time. They mesh exactly -

Sand Dunes by Robert Frost

Sea waves are green and wet,
But up from where they die,
Rise others vaster yet,
And those are brown and dry.

They are the sea made land
To come at the fisher town,
And bury in solid sand
The men she could not drown.

She may know cove and cape,
But she does not know mankind
If by any change of shape,
She hopes to cut off mind.

Men left her a ship to sink:
They can leave her a hut as well;
And be but more free to think
For the one more cast-off shell.