Sea Fever Summary

The poem "Sea Fever" by John Edward Masefield explores the author's love of the ocean and the marine life that makes it home. He is determined to travel on a strong ship over the dark sea because he is eager to view the lonely sea. He hopes that the stars will travel with him. The poet aspires to a carefree life of wandering love with the thrilling existence of the sea.

John Edward Masefield wrote an intriguing poem titled "Sea Fever." The poem's speaker loves the ocean. He desires a solitary journey over the water with no companionship. He wants to go on a sturdy ship with a star at his side. The sailor takes the direction indicated by the star. He likes the early mist as the day begins.

When powerful winds sweep the clouds out of his line of sight, he is delighted. The "vagrant gypsy life" is what he aspires to. He likes to see how whales and birds live. The key themes of this poetry are travel, memories, and adventures. According to the speaker, a call is unavoidably coming from the sea.

He desires to escape his current situation and pick up his adventurous ways once more to recapture his carefree days at sea. He wants to spend time with a rover who enjoys making up stories. He enjoys falling asleep peacefully and dreaming pleasant dreams after the excursion.

Regarding the Poet

John Edward Masefield OM held the position of Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until 1967. The poems "Sea-Fever," The Everlasting Mercy," and the young adult books The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights are among his best-known compositions.

The Poem's Theme

The three main themes of this poetry are nostalgia, exploration, and wanderlust. Nature's noises and an alluring call to exploration, adventure, and happiness are audible to the speaker. He wants to leave his present circumstance and return to the thrilling sea life. On a deeper level, the voyage might be linked to a life full of difficulties and challenges.

Summary Explanation by Stanza

Stanza 1

I must go down …… and a grey dawn breaking.

'I must go down' is the opening line of the first verse and is repeated at the beginning of each stanza, giving the title an obvious meaning. The poem's central theme is a desire to go to the sea, but it also touches on the human need to interact with one of the universe's most potent natural forces. Masefield refers to the wild and beautiful sea as "her" and praises her "face," expressing genuine admiration.

One can see the desire to be connected to the sea in pursuing a sailor's life as he begs for a ship to set sail. He uses terms not often associated with beauty to describe the sea, instead using the adjectives "grey" and "lonely," which connote mystery and sorrow while yet enthralling.

Stanza 2

I must go down …… and the sea gulls crying.

Each of the body's five senses turns on in the second stanza. With the help of Masefield's descriptions, we are transported to a beachside setting where we can hear "sea-gulls crying," see "white clouds flying," feel the coolness of a "windy day," and smell the saltiness of "flung spray and blown spume" on our tongue and nostrils. The poet emphasizes the sea's powerful allure by using the word "call" more than once.

He seems to be stressing the simplicity of the sea, maybe in contrast to the complexity of daily life, with the second repetition of the line "And all I ask," as if the water's untamed character is consolingly constant and familiar.

Stanza 3

I must go down …… sweet dream when the long trick's over.

The theme of wanderlust is emphasized in the third verse of "Sea Fever." Masefield identifies as a "vagrant gypsy" and longs for a "laughing fellow-rover." Masefield refers to the wind in the poem's three stanzas, presumably highlighting the interaction between man and the sea and the wind-two of nature's most potent elements.