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John Masefield
About John Masefield
John Masefield (1878-1967) was an English poet and writer. He was made Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom in 1930.
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.
Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by
the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of díamonds,
Emeralds, amethysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.
Dirty British coaster wíth a salt-caked smoke stack,
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rails, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.
Available Answers
- 1.
The poet creates a positive impression of the ancient ships that are described in the first and second stanzas. How?
- 2.
Which words in the third stanza create a negative or dull impression?
- 3.
Who would be able to use or buy the cargo from the three different ships? Think about whether the items are everyday goods, or luxuries.
- 4.
What powers each of the three ships? Discuss this question and try to find the evidence in the poem.
- 5.
What is the rhyming pattern?
- 6.
How many syllables are there in each line?
3 more answer(s) available.