John Masefield (1878-1967) was born on June 1, in land-locked Ledbury, a Herefordshire market town, the son of Caroline and George Masefield, a solicitor. His mother died giving birth to his sister when Masefield was only six, and he went to live with an aunt. His father died soon after. After four unhappy years as a boarder at the King’s School in Warwick, another land-locked place, he left to train for a life at sea, aboard HMS Conway. His disapproving aunt hoped this would break his addiction to reading. She must have been disappointed that during his years on board the Conway, he spent much of his time reading, writing, and listening to yarns told by his shipmates. In 1894, Masefield boarded the Gilcruix, destined for Chile – a voyage so rough that for the first time he experienced prolonged sea sickness. He still recorded his experiences in journal entries: his delight in seeing flying fish, porpoises, and birds; awe at nature’s beauty; a rare sighting of a nocturnal rainbow. He left the sea near the end of 1895, and worked a series of jobs – in a carpet factory, as a journalist, and overseeing a fine arts exhibition. In 1902, his first volume of poetry, Salt-Water Ballads, was published, which included his most famous poem, “Sea-Fever.”

To read John Masefield’s poem “Sea Fever” click:

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