Sea Fever (Poem)

Unit 1 – Poem: Sea Fever

Warm Up

Rescue the sinking words!
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Sea Fever

by John Masefield

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.

John Masefield (1878–1967) was an English poet and writer. He was appointed Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom in 1930.

GLOSSARY

• Star to steer – the North Star (Pole Star) that helps sailors find North and steer correctly.
• flung – threw.
• spume – sea foam.
• vagrant – wandering.
• whetted – sharpened.
• yarn – a long or rambling story, especially one that seems impossible.
• flurried – worried.
• rover – wanderer.
• trick – a period of stay on the ship after the voyage.

A. Read the poem aloud in pairs.

B. Choose the best answer.

1. The title of the poem ‘Sea Fever’ means ____.
   a) flu fever
   b) the poet’s deep wish to be at sea
   c) the poet’s fear of the sea

2. The poet asks for _______.
   a) a fishing net
   b) a big boat
   c) a tall ship

3. The poet wants to lead a life at sea like ______.
   a) the gulls and whales
   b) the penguins and sharks
   c) the pelicans and dolphins

C. Read the lines and answer the questions.

1. “I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky”
   Where does the poet want to go?

2. “And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking”
   What according to the poet are the pleasures of sailing?

3. “And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying”
   Why does the poet ask for a windy day?

4. “And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover.”
   What kind of human company does the poet want?

5. “And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over”
   What does the poet want to do after his voyage is over?

D. Poem Appreciation

1. Fill in the blanks with correct rhyming words from the poem.
   sky __, knife __, rover __.

2. Quote the line that has been repeated in the poem.
   _______.

3. Write the poetic device which is used in the line below.
   “And a grey mist on the sea’s face.”

4. What poetic device is used for the comparison in the below line?
   “where the wind’s like a whetted knife.”

E. The poem has many visual and sound images. Complete the table with examples from the poem. The first one has been done for you.

Visual images	Sound images
Wheel’s kick	Wind’s song

Practice Practice Exercises

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1. The title of the poem ‘Sea Fever’ means .

a. flu fever

b. the poet’s deep wish to be at sea

c. the poet’s fear of the sea

2. The poet asks for

a. fishing net

b. a big boat

c. a tall ship

3. The poet wants to lead a life at sea like .

a. the gulls and whales

b. the penguins and sharks

c. the pelicans and dolphins

Where does the poet want to go?

What according to the poet are the pleasures of sailing?

Why does the poet ask for a windy day?

What kind of human company does the poet want?

What does the poet want to do after his voyage is over?

1. Fill in the blanks with correct rhyming words from the poem. Sky. , knife. , rover.

2. Quote the line that has been repeated in the poem.

And a grey mist on the sea’s face.

4. What poetic device is used for the comparison in the below line?

where the wind’s like a whetted knife.