English Literature

The poem starts off with a powerful verse which is repeated before every stanza, "I must go down to the seas again," the use of the word "must" shows an obligation. The poet feels like it is a necessity to go back, this shows his longing to be at sea. The fact that he uses the word "again" indicates that the poet has been sailing before and feels attached to the lifestyle of seamen. This is further proved in the following verse in which Masefield makes a list of all the things he wishes to have while out at sea. The fact that he only needs natural elements ("star" "mist" "wind" "dawn") shows that he is an experienced sailor. Moreover, the poet personifies the ship, calling it "her", almost as if it is an actual friend to him.

In the second stanza, the theme of longing for the sea is further shown, "Is a wild call, and a clear call that may not be denied," once again, this shows the poet's obligation to be at sea because he can hear the sea calling out to him and he cannot refuse. John Masefield makes use of visual and aural imagery to help the reader imagine what it's like to be at sea "windy day" "white clouds" "sea gulls crying."

In the final stanza, the poet compares the life of a sailor to that of a gypsy, "vagrant gypsy life," this is referring to the fact that sailors do not stay in a fixed place but travel around the world, not knowing what to expect and not having an exact plan, similarly, a gypsy roams the streets without having a home or staying in a particular location.  The poet wishes to live this kind of life, which is regarded as free. The fact that he wishes for a "laughing fellow rover," shows that the poet does not wish to be alone, in fact he wishes to have another sailor with him. The fact that he is laughing shows the positive atmosphere that Masefield imagines if he had a life at sea.

The final verse, "And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over," gives the poem a different meaning rather than just the longing to be at sea. Through this verse, one can also see the longing for freedom. To the poet, the sea is freedom and it is regarded as his escape from his problems and stress. The "quiet sleep," is a metaphor for death, giving the idea that after he has lived a happy life, with minimal problems, he will have a peaceful death. Furthermore, the "sweet dream," refers to the afterlife, hinting that once his current life comes to an end, there might be hope for another life, even better than this one. Finally, the "long trick," refers to life itself which will one day come to an end, this is why Masefield emphasizes the importance of living the life he wishes.