John Masefield
John Masefield was an English poet, playwright, and novelist born on June 1, 1878, in Ledbury, England. Orphaned at a young age, he left school at thirteen to join a training ship for the merchant service and gained early maritime experiences that would influence his writing. Masefield published his first collection, *Salt-Water Ballads*, in 1902, featuring the famous poem "Sea-Fever." Over the next fifteen years, he gained acclaim for his narrative verse, particularly with works like *The Everlasting Mercy*.
His experiences during World War I, especially his service with the Red Cross, shaped much of his later work, including *Gallipoli*, which reflects on the war's tragedies. In 1919, he published *Reynard the Fox*, a notable narrative poem, and he later ventured into children's literature with *The Midnight Folk*, showcasing his versatility as a writer. Appointed poet laureate of England in 1930 and a member of the Order of Merit in 1935, Masefield's legacy endures primarily through his long narrative poems, which blend robust characters and realism, despite many of his occasional verses being less well-regarded.
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Subject Terms
John Masefield
English poet, playwright, and novelist
- Born: June 1, 1878
- Birthplace: Ledbury, Herefordshire, England
- Died: May 12, 1967
- Place of death: Near Abingdon, Berkshire, England
Biography
John Masefield was born June 1, 1878, the son of George and Caroline Parker Masefield. His father, a Ledbury solicitor, died when the boy was very young, leaving him in the care of his mother and an uncle. Masefield attended King’s School in Warwick, but he left at the age of thirteen to board the Conway, a training ship in the merchant service. By the time he was sixteen, he had been apprenticed on a windjammer bound for Iquique, Chile; there he became ill and had to return home. When he recovered, he was given a station on the Adriatic; it sailed to New York, and he decided before the return voyage to stay in the United States for a time.
When he returned to London in 1897, Masefield had decided upon a literary career. In 1902 he published Salt-Water Ballads, which contains the well-known “Sea-Fever.” Over the next fifteen years he established a reputation as a poet, playwright, and novelist. In particular, he displayed an unusual ability in narrative verse, combining robust characters and realism in such poems as The Everlasting Mercy. During World War I, Masefield took part in the Red Cross Service in France and on a hospital ship at Gallipoli. In 1916 and 1918 he gave lectures in the United States in support of the Allied cause.
During the war, Masefield published Gallipoli, a vivid account of the horrors he witnessed while serving with the Red Cross. In 1919, he published Reynard the Fox, his most famous long narrative poem. He returned to the novel with Sard Harker, an engaging portrayal of a rugged adventurer.
During the 1920’s his fiction extended into the genre of children’s literature, at first an easy step in adventure stories. With the publication of The Midnight Folk in 1927, however, Masefield demonstrated his ability to handle fantasy brilliantly, at a time when children’s fantasy writing was at a low ebb. Its sequel, The Box of Delights, was not as successful, but the two fantasies have ensured a place for Masefield in the canon of British children’s literature. By contrast, his plays are now largely forgotten.
In 1930 Masefield was appointed poet laureate of England, and in 1935 he was admitted to the Order of Merit. Like other poets laureate, Masefield willingly wrote occasional verse which was less durable than his more private work; many of the poems he published during World War II are little better than propaganda. Nevertheless, he remains a figure of interest, chiefly for the energy and realism of his long narrative poems.
Bibliography
Babington-Smith, Constance. John Masefield: A Life. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1978. This full biography was prepared with the active cooperation of Masefield’s family and friends. The circumstances of individual plays are discussed but little critical evaluation is attempted. Includes a select list of books by Masefield and an index.
Binding, Paul. An Endless Quiet Valley: A Reappraisal of John Masefield. Woonton, Almeley, Herefordshire, England: Logaston, 1998. Binding provides a critical analysis of Masefield’s works, examining them within their historical framework. Includes index.
Drew, Fraser. John Masefield’s England: A Study of the National Themes in His Work. Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1973. As the title suggests, this work looks at the specific qualities of Masefield’s “Englishness” through the corpus of his work. Includes bibliography and index.
Dwyer, June. John Masefield. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1987. This volume covers the whole corpus of Masefield’s work. Includes a bibliography and an index.
McDonald, Jan. The New Drama, 1900-1914. Basingstoke, Hampshire, England: Macmillan, 1986. A chapter on Masefield’s The Campden Wonder and The Tragedy of Nan sets Masefield within the context of the Court Theatre and Harley Granville-Barker but sees him as somewhat atypical of the other “new dramatists.” The chapter argues that these two early plays show evidence of a power and originality of style that could have befitted English drama had Masefield developed them. Includes bibliography and index.
Spark, Muriel. John Masefield. Rev. ed. London: Hutchinson, 1992. A biography and critical study of selected works. Includes bibliographic references.
Sternlicht, Sanford. John Masefield. Boston: Twayne, 1977. This volume covers both life and works in a clear, well-focused way. Contains bibliography and index.