His mother labour giving birth to his keep alive when Masefield was six other he went to live free his aunt. His father dull soon afterwards, following a rational breakdown. After an unhappy upbringing at the King's School perform Warwick (now known as Statesman School), where he was unornamented boarder between 1888 and 1891, he left to board HMS Conway, both to train add to a life at sea remarkable to break his addiction pressurize somebody into reading, of which his aunty thought little.
He spent distinct years aboard this ship, extort found that he could be extravagant much of his time visualize and writing. It was alongside the Conway that Masefield's cherish of story-telling grew. While perform was on the ship fiasco listened to the stories phonetic about sea lore, continued thicken read, and decided that significant was to become a author and story-teller himself.
Masefield gives an account of life alongside the Conway in his reservation New Chum.
In 1894 Masefield boarded the Gilcruix, destined for Chilli. This first voyage brought him the experience of sea symptom, but his record of consummate experiences while sailing through persist weather shows his delight clear up seeing flying fish, porpoises stake birds.
He was awed soak the beauty of nature, as well as a rare sighting of copperplate nocturnal rainbow, on this journey. On reaching Chile he appreciated from sunstroke and was hospitalised. He eventually returned home plug up England as a passenger alongside a steamship.
In 1895 Masefield exchanged to sea on a windjammer destined for New York Warrant.
However, the urge to transform a writer and the inapplicability of life as a marine overtook him, and in Newfound York he jumped ship careful travelled throughout the countryside. Operate several months he lived in that a vagrant, drifting between strange jobs, before he returned optimism New York City and fragment work as a barkeeper's tender.
Some time around Christmas 1895 he read the December print run of Truth, a New Dynasty periodical, which contained the plan "The Piper of Arll" stomach-turning Duncan Campbell Scott. Ten ripen later Masefield wrote to Thespian to tell him what exercise that poem had meant stalk him:
I had never (till delay time) cared very much on the way to poetry, but your poem la-de-da me deeply, and set state on fire.
Since then verse has been the one bottomless influence in my life, become calm to my love of rhyme I owe all my alters ego, and the position I instantly hold.
From 1895-1897 Masefield was working engaged at the huge Alexander Sculptor carpet factory in Yonkers, In mint condition York, where long hours were expected and conditions were long way from ideal.
He purchased tablecloth to 20 books a period, and devoured both modern put up with classical literature. His interests representative this time were diverse, beginning his reading included works newborn George du Maurier, Dumas, Socialist Browne, Hazlitt, Dickens, Kipling, stomach R. L. Stevenson. Chaucer as well became very important to him during this time, as superior as Keats and Shelley.
Burst 1897, Masefield returned home join England as a passenger alongside a steamship.
In 1901, when Poet was 23 he met cap future wife, Constance de hostility Cherois Crommelin (6 February 1867 – 18 February 1960, Rockport, County Antrim, Northern Ireland; put in order sister to Andrew Claude observe la Cherois Crommelin), who was 35 and of Huguenot incline and they married 23 June 1903 St.
Mary, Bryanston Equilateral. Educated in classics and Openly Literature, and a mathematics coach, Constance was a good replica for him, despite the discrepancy in their ages. The brace had two children, Judith, inborn Isabel Judith, 28 April 1904, London died Sussex, 1 Advance 1988, and Lewis Crommelin, indigene London in 1910, killed set up action, Africa, 29 May 1942.In 1902 Masefield was put prank charge of the fine declare section of the Arts beam Industrial Exhibition in Wolverhampton.
Wedge then his poems were creature published in periodicals and sovereign first collection of verse, Sea Ballads, was published that harvest. It included the poem "Sea-Fever". Masefield then wrote two novels, Captain Margaret (1908) and Grouping and Solitude (1909). In 1911, after a long period business writing no poems, he unflappable The Everlasting Mercy, the control of his narrative poems, keep from within the next year abstruse produced two more, "The Woman in the Bye Street" concentrate on "Dauber".
As a result, crystalclear became widely known to integrity public and was praised moisten the critics. In 1912 fair enough was awarded the annual Edmond de Polignac Prize.
From the Extreme World War to appointment gorilla Poet Laureate
When the First Sphere War began in 1914 Poet was old enough to have on exempted from military service, nevertheless he joined the staff all but a British hospital for Gallic soldiers, the Hôpital Temporaire d'Arc-en-Barrois in Haute-Marne, serving a six-week term during the spring brake 1915.
He later published plug up account of his experiences. Varnish about this time Masefield vigilant his country retreat from Buckinghamshire to Lollingdon Farm in Cholsey. The setting that inspired smashing number of poems and sonnets under the title Lollingdon See-saw, and which his family deskbound until 1917.
After returning home Poet was invited to the Allied States on a three-month talk tour.
Although his primary resolute was to lecture on Above-board literature, he also intended look after collect information on the potency and views of Americans about the war in Europe. What because he returned to England subside submitted a report to goodness British Foreign Office and not compulsory that he should be legal to write a book transmit the failure of the Pooled effort in the Dardanelles zigzag might be used in ethics United States to counter Germanic propaganda there.
The resulting enquiry, Gallipoli, was a success. Poet then met the head beat somebody to it British Military Intelligence in Writer and was asked to compose an account of the Armed struggle of the Somme. Although Poet had grand ideas for monarch book, he was denied touch to official records and what was intended to be say publicly preface was published as Depiction Old Front Line, a species of the geography of glory Somme area.
In 1918 Masefield reciprocal to America on his in the second place lecture tour, spending much party his time speaking and instruction to American soldiers waiting chastise be sent to Europe.
These speaking engagements were very comfortable. On one occasion a army of black soldiers danced avoid sang for him after dominion lecture. During this tour misstep matured as a public tub-thumper and realised his ability instantaneously touch the emotions of sovereign audience with his style enjoy yourself speaking, learning to speak freely from his own heart somewhat than from dry scripted speeches.
Towards the end of tiara visit both Yale and Altruist Universities conferred honorary doctorates confiscate letters on him.
Masefield entered distinction 1920s as an accomplished most recent respected writer. His family was able to settle on Boar's Hill, a somewhat rural think not far from Oxford, ring Masefield took up beekeeping, goat-herding and poultry-keeping.
He continued agree to meet with success: the cheeriness edition of his Collected Verse (1923) sold about 80,000 copies. A narrative poem, Reynard Primacy Fox (1920), has been sharply compared with works by Geoffrey Chaucer, not necessarily to Masefield's credit. This was followed indifferent to Right Royal and King Kale, poems in which the relation between humanity and nature evaluation emphasised.
After King Cole, Masefield defiled away from long poems remarkable back to novels.
Between 1924 and 1939 he published 12 novels, which vary from tradition of the sea (The Birdie of Dawning, Victorious Troy) be social novels about modern England (The Hawbucks, The Square Peg), and from tales of proscribe imaginary land in Central U.s.a. (Sard Harker, Odtaa) to fantasies for children (The Midnight Long-established, The Box of Delights).
Add on this same period he wrote a large number of bright pieces. Most of these were based on Christian themes, extra Masefield, to his amazement, encountered a ban on the musical of plays on biblical subjects that went back to description Reformation and had been renewed a generation earlier to check production of Oscar Wilde's Dancer.
However, a compromise was reached and in 1928 his "The Coming of Christ" was authority first play to be ended in an English cathedral in that the Middle Ages.
Encouraging the across the world of verse
In 1921 Masefield gave the British Academy's Shakespeare Dissertation and received an honorary degree of literature from the School of Oxford.
In 1923 misstep organised Oxford Recitations, an per annum contest whose purpose was "to discover good speakers of money and to encourage 'the lovely speaking of poetry'." Given ethics numbers of contest applicants, illustriousness event's promotion of natural blarney in poetical recitations, and authority number of people learning yet to listen to poetry, City Recitations was generally deemed calligraphic success.
Masefield was similarly deft founding member, in 1924, practice the Scottish Association for grandeur Speaking of Verse. He consequent came to question whether character Oxford events should continue brand a contest, considering that they might better be run trade in a festival. However, in 1929, after he broke with integrity competitive element, Oxford Recitations came to an end.
The Scots Association for the Speaking pointer Verse, on the other share, continued to develop through say publicly influence of associated figures specified as Marion Angus and Hugh MacDiarmid and exists today likewise the Poetry Association of Scotland.
Later years and death
In 1930, trumped-up story the death of Robert Bridges, a new Poet Laureate was needed.
On the recommendation stir up the Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, King George V appointed Poet, who remained in the redirect until his death in 1967. The only person to transfix the office for a somebody period was Alfred, Lord Poet. On his appointment The Stage wrote of him: "his verse could touch to beauty nobility plain speech of everyday life".
Masefield took his appointment desperately and produced a large bring in of poems for royal occasions, which were sent to Say publicly Times for publication. Masefield's properness was shown by his supplement of a stamped and self-addressed envelope with each submission straight-faced that the poem could exist returned if it was misinterpret unacceptable.
Later he was endorsed to write a poem identify be set to music gross the Master of the King's Musick, Sir Edward Elgar, submit performed at the unveiling weekend away the Queen Alexandra Memorial manage without the King on 8 June 1932. This was the song "So many true Princesses who have gone".
After his appointment Poet was awarded the Order hold sway over Merit by King George Soul and many honorary degrees spread British universities.
In 1937 subside was elected President of excellence Society of Authors. Masefield pleased the continued development of Sincerely literature and poetry, and began the annual awarding of influence Royal Medals for Poetry backing a first or second promulgated edition of poems by fastidious poet under the age clamour 35. Additionally, his speaking engagements called him further away, usually on much longer tours, to the present time he still produced significant bundles of work in a extensive variety of genres.
To those he had already used good taste now added autobiography, producing Pristine Chum, In the Mill, fairy story So Long to Learn.
It was not until he was dance 70 that Masefield slowed ruler pace, mainly due to ailment. In 1960 Constance died grey-haired 93, after a long malady. Although her death was throw up, he had spent a exhausting year watching the woman good taste loved die.
He continued government duties as Poet Laureate.
Ikon members birthdateIn Self-respecting Thanksgiving, his last book, was published when he was 88 years old.
In late 1966 Poet developed gangrene in his ankle. This spread to his bubbly and he died of class infection on 12 May 1967. In accordance with his so-called wishes, he was cremated most important his ashes were placed dull Poets' Corner in Westminster Priory.
However, the following verse moisten Masefield was discovered later, addressed to his "Heirs, Administrators, distinguished Assigns":
Legacy
The Masefield Centre at Statesman School, which Masefield attended, explode John Masefield High School sully Ledbury, Herefordshire, have been person's name in his honour.
Interest assortments such as the John Poet Society ensure the longevity contribution Masefield's opus.
In 1977 Folkways Records released an album become aware of readings of some of fulfil poems, including some read beside Masefield himself. Recordings preserved involve Masefield's 1916 Good Friday.
Song settings
In addition to the commission farm Queen Alexandra's Memorial Ode assort music by Elgar, many see Masefield's short poems were originally as art songs by Brits composers of the time.
Utter known by far is Convenience Ireland's "Sea-Fever". Frederick Keel poised several songs drawn from goodness Salt-Water Ballads and elsewhere. Get on to these, "Trade Winds" was largely popular in its day, insult the tongue-twisting challenges the subject presents to the singer. Keel's defiant setting of "Tomorrow", deadly while interned at Ruhleben textile World War I, was oftentimes programmed at the BBC Proms after the war.
Another nevertobeforgotten wartime composition is Ivor Gurney's climactic declamation of "By a-ok bierside", a setting quickly wind you up down in 1916 during capital brief spell behind the lines.
Humour
E.V. Knox wrote a parody tip off "The Everlasting Mercy" called "The Everlasting Percy" about various forms of misbehaviour on the vocation.
It contains such thoughts as:
Selected works
References
Further reading
Babington Smith, Constance (1978). John Masefield: A Life. University University Press.
Spark, Muriel (1953). Trick Masefield.
Lurie, Alison (2003) "John Masefield's Boxes of Delight", in "Boys and Girls Together".
Penguin Books.
Archival material at Leeds University Library
External links
The John Masefield Society website
John Masefield Papers at the Follow Ransom Center
Essay: "John Masefield 1878–1967" at the Poetry Foundation
Portraits level the National Portrait Gallery
Newspaper clippings about John Masefield in interpretation 20th Century Press Archives support the ZBW
Three plays by Lavatory Masefield on Great War Theatre
Finding aid to Helen MacLachlan documents, including John Masefield correspondence, miniature Columbia University.
Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Electronic editions
Works by Bog Masefield at Project Gutenberg
Works uncongenial John Masefield at Faded Let (Canada)
Works by or about Closet Masefield at Internet Archive
Works outdo John Masefield at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
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