Question

Assignment in progress for 1070 9813 Language Arts 8 B
Due March 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Sea Fever
John Masefield
1916
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John Edward Masefield (1878-1967) was an English poet and writer. He was appointed Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom in 1930. Much of Masefield's writing is inspired by his early experiences as a merchant seaman. In this poem, the speaker describes his life at sea.
As you read, take note of how Masefield uses imagery to develop the meaning of the poem.

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.

"Sea Fever" by John Masefield (1916) is in the public domain.


Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under theCC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

Notes
AllDefinitionsFootnotes
a sudden and forceful jolt

the foam or froth of waves

Vagrant (adjective) : relating to the life of a person who wanders around without a settled home
free-spirited

sharpened

a long or rambling story, especially one that is hard to believe

A “rover” is someone who spends their time roaming around.

a sailor’s turn at the helm

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PART B: Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

A. "I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky," (Line 1)
B. "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;" (Lines 5-6)
C. "To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;" (Line 10)
D. "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." (Lines 11-12)

Answer 1

B.

Lines 5–6 ("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;") directly states the speaker's irresistible urge to return to sea. The other choices describe setting (A), danger (C), or companionship/rest (D) but do not explicitly show the compulsion the speaker feels.