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THE SEA NARRATIVES OF 
JOHN MASEFIELD. 
By T. E. RHODES. November 23rd, 1915. 
With a few exceptions the sea narratives of John Masefield 
comprise the early work of a writer from whom great things 
are expected, and justly so, for he has now reached the age 
which ripens and steadies a man’s outlook on life. 
From his works we know that his early life was full of the 
adventures of a sailor in those glorious sailing ships which 
once crowded our ports and traded to all the corners of the 
earth. We can imagine his love for literature being developed 
in the watch below, which we have reason to believe was 
passed in the company of the Elizabethan poets ; the virility 
of his literary style may be fairly traced to their influence 
coupled with the energy of sea-life. We know also from 
his poem “ Biography ” that he spent many studious days 
on shore and formed some literary friendships — one with 
J. M. Synge — which left a very strong impress on him espec- 
ially noticeable in his plays and narrative dramas. 
The sea narratives were developed in several ways. They 
comprise 
(a) Studies of the old buccaneers and pirates told in clear 
outline and with insight into the characters of the differ- 
ent men ; amongst those the finest is his study of Sir William 
Morgan and his doings in the West Indies. ( b ) Studies of the 
very varied folk-lore of the sea out of which Masefield has 
created many good stories, (c) Word pictures of the sea and 
ships in their more romantic aspects. Of the varying colour 
of the sea Masefield gives many good pictures and his des- 
cription of a “ White Night ” is almost Whistlerian in its 
subdued and delicate handling ; his description of a ship 
seen at dawn if translated to canvas would need the brush 
of a Turner to do it justice. 
