The Guardian: Poem of the week: Sea-Fever by John Masefield
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John Masefield
John Edward Masefield, OM was an English poet and writer. He was Poet Laureate from 1930 until his death in 1967, during which time he lived at Burcot, Oxfordshire, near Abingdon-on-Thames. Among his best known works are the children's novels The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights, and the poems "The Everlasting Mercy" and "Sea-Fever". Shortly after his death his house burned down and was later…
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culture · English poet and writer (1878–1967) · poet · writer · children's writer · journalist · novelist · librettist · also John Masefield, John Edward Masefield, Masefield
Born 1 June 1878 · Died 12 May 1967 · Q471413
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Then watchers of the life of man will knowHow spirits quickened in this ended reign,Till what was centuries stagnant 'gan to flowAnd what was centuries fettered moved again;How with this Ruler entered into restThe country's very self from slumber stirred,To charity as guide and hope as guestAnd ventured to a nobler marching word.
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Where does the uttered Music go?
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2025· 1 entry
2023· 1 entry
The Guardian: Poem of the week: CLM by John Masefield
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2022· 1 entry
Westminster Abbey: John Masefield
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2017· 1 entry
The Guardian: Books blog + John Masefield
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2015· 1 entry
Huffington Post UK: Good Advice From John Masefield
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2014· 3 entries
The Guardian: Poet laureate John Masefield's unseen tributes to George VI revealed
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The Guardian: Poems for George VI by John Masefield
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The Scotsman: John Masefield poems set for Edinburgh showcase
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2010· 1 entry
The Guardian: Season's readings: The Box of Delights by John Masefield
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2008· 1 entry
The Guardian: From the archive: John Masefield's celebration of Irish drama in 1905
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2005· 1 entry
The Guardian: Review: Sea-Fever - Selected Poems of John Masefield
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2003· 1 entry
The Guardian: Short stories by John Masefield
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1977· 1 entry
Folkways Records released an album of readings of some of his poems, including some read by Masefield himself
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1967· 3 entries
Died 1967-05-12.
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During which time he lived at Burcot, Oxfordshire, near Abingdon-on-Thames
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“Then watchers of the life of man will knowHow spirits quickened in this ended reign,Till what was centuries stagnant 'gan to flowAnd what was centuries fettered moved again;How with this Ruler entered into restThe country's very self from slumber stirred,To charity as guide and hope as guestAnd ventured to a nobler marching word.”
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1960· 1 entry
Constance died aged 93, after a long illness
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1946· 1 entry
“Where does the uttered Music go?”
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1938· 1 entry
Was awarded the Shakespeare Prize, one of the only two such awards made by the Hamburg-based Alfred Toepfer Foundation before the Second World War
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1937· 1 entry
Was elected President of the Society of Authors
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1930· 2 entries
On the death of Robert Bridges, a new poet laureate was needed
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Career landmark: Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom (1930–1967).
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1929· 1 entry
After he broke with the competitive element, Oxford Recitations came to an end
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1928· 1 entry
His The Coming of Christ was the first play to be performed in an English cathedral since the Middle Ages
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1923· 1 entry
Organised Oxford Recitations, an annual contest whose purpose was "to discover good speakers of verse and to encourage 'the beautiful speaking of poetry'"
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1921· 1 entry
Masefield gave the British Academy's Shakespeare Lecture and received an honorary doctorate of literature from the University of Oxford
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1918· 1 entry
Masefield returned to America on his second lecture tour, spending much of his time speaking and lecturing to American soldiers waiting to be sent to Europe
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1914· 1 entry
Masefield was old enough to be exempted from military service, but he joined the staff of a British hospital for French soldiers, the Hôpital Temporaire d'Arc-en-Barrois in Haute-Marne, serving a six-week term during the
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1912· 1 entry
Was awarded the annual Edmond de Polignac Prize
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1911· 1 entry
After a long period of writing no poems, he composed The Everlasting Mercy, the first of his narrative poems, and within the next year had produced two more, "The Widow in the Bye Street" and "Dauber"
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1910· 1 entry
In London, killed in action in Africa, 29 May 1942
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1902· 1 entry
Masefield was put in charge of the fine arts section of the Arts and Industrial Exhibition in Wolverhampton
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1901· 1 entry
When Masefield was 23, he met his future wife, Constance de la Cherois Crommelin (6 February 1867 – 18 February 1960, from Cushendun in County Antrim, Northern Ireland; she was a sister to Andrew Claude de la Cherois Cro
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1897· 1 entry
Masefield returned home to England as a passenger aboard a steamship
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1895· 1 entry
Masefield returned to sea on a windjammer destined for New York City
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1894· 1 entry
Masefield boarded the Gilcruix, destined for Chile
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1878· 1 entry
Born 1878-06-01.
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