The Poems and Plays of John Masefield: PoemsMacmillan & Company, 1918 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Anna beat beauty bells blind blood blow blue bones Bosun brain breath bright broken brook burning called Cape Horn cold cried daffodils dark Dauber Davy Jones dead dear death deck door drink earth eyes face felt fire flowers fo'c'sle furled futtock-shrouds Gaucho give glittering glow gone grass green grey hand head heard heart hell Henry Morgan hill horse Jimmy JOHN MASEFIELD knew light Lion living Loch Achray lonely look man's Mary masts Mate merry Michael mind moon mother never night Occleve oilskins paint passed Pauntley port Port Mahon road rose round running rigging sail ship Shropshire singing skysail song soul stars stay-sails stood sweet talk tell there's things thought took topsail town trembling tugboat turned wait wandering watch wild wind woman yard yarn
Popular passages
Page 94 - ROADWAYS ONE road leads to London, One road runs to Wales, My road leads me seawards To the white dipping sails. One road leads to the river, As it goes singing slow; My road leads to shipping, Where the bronzed sailors go. Leads me, lures me, calls me To salt green tossing sea; A road without earth's road-dust Is the right road for me. A wet road heaving, shining, And wild with seagulls' cries, A mad salt sea-wind blowing The salt spray in my eyes.
Page 108 - Where the shy-eyed delicate deer troop down to the brook to drink When the stars are mellow and large at the coming on of the night. O, to feel the beat of the rain, and the homely smell of the earth, Is a tune for the blood to jig to, a joy past power of words; And the blessed green comely meadows are all a-ripple with mirth At the noise of the lambs at play and the dear wild cry of the birds.
Page 101 - The old soul takes the roads again. Such is my own belief and trust; This hand, this hand that holds the pen, Has many a hundred times been dust And turned, as dust, to dust again; These eyes of mine have blinked and shone In Thebes, in Troy, in Babylon.
Page 31 - 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...
Page 83 - For it's that that makes the bonny drink to warm my copper nose, Says the old bold mate of Henry Morgan. Oh some are fond of fiddles, and a song well sung, And some are all for music for to lilt upon the tongue; But mouths were made for tankards, and for sucking at the bung, Says the old bold mate of Henry Morgan. I2S Oh some are fond of dancing, and some are fond of dice, And some are all for red lips, and pretty lasses' eyes; But a right Jamaica puncheon is a finer prize To the old bold mate of...
Page 169 - ... of Paradise, The waters rushing from the rain Were singing Christ has risen again. I thought all earthly creatures knelt From rapture of the joy I felt. The narrow station-wall's brick ledge, The wild hop withering in the hedge, The lights in huntsman's upper storey Were parts of an eternal glory, Were God's eternal garden flowers. I stood in bliss at this for hours. O glory of the lighted soul. The dawn came up on Bradlow Knoll, The dawn with glittering on the grasses, The dawn which pass and...
Page 173 - O Christ who holds the open gate, O Christ who drives the furrow straight, O Christ, the plough, O Christ, the laughter Of holy white birds flying after, Lo, all my heart's field red and torn, And Thou wilt bring the young green corn, The young green corn divinely springing, The young green corn forever singing ; And when the field is fresh and fair Thy blessed feet shall glitter there, And we will walk the weeded field, And tell the golden harvest's yield, The corn that makes the holy bread By which...
Page 82 - Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir, Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine, With a cargo of ivory, And apes and peacocks, Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.
Page 253 - It's not been done, the sea, not yet been done, From the inside, by one who really knows; I'd give up all if I could be the one, But art comes dear the way the money goes.
Page 45 - The Roman line, the Roman order, Swayed forwards to the blind assault. Spearman and charioteer and bowman Charged and were scattered into spray, Savage and taciturn the Roman Hewed upwards in the Roman way.