Question

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 a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

—"Sea Fever,”
John Masefield

Based on the mood and sound in each stanza, draw a conclusion about the theme of “Sea Fever.”

Sailing is dangerous and leads to trouble.
A life of sailing is romantic and exciting.
Nature is unpredictable, and the sea is scary.
A life of sailing is solitary and lonely.

Answer 1

A life of sailing is romantic and exciting.

Each stanza uses lively, sensory language and sounds (the wheel’s kick, the wind’s song, flying clouds, sea-gulls crying) and expresses an irresistible, eager longing (“I must go down…,” “the call…may not be denied”). The final stanza’s “vagrant gypsy life” and desire for a “merry yarn” confirm the poem’s celebration of adventurous, free-spirited seafaring rather than danger or solitude.