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1878-1967
Poet, critic and novelist. Born 1 June 1878, in Ledbury, Herefordshire. His mother was a clergyman's daughter while his father was a local solicitor who died when John was very young. An uncle brought him up and he became a boarder at Warwick School (then sometimes referred to to as King's School), Warwick, from January 1888 to July 1891, before starting a career as a merchant seaman. He became seriously ill on his first trip around the world, but recuperated back in England before accepting a new job on an American ship, moored at New York. He changed his mind at the last moment and stayed on in America for several years, taking on a range of humble jobs. He began to write poetry and essays before returning to London in 1897 determined to carve out a career with his pen, at first through journalism.
It was a further five years before his first book was published, Salt-water ballads (1902). He quickly learnt the skills required to churn out large quantities of reviews, essays and articles to a deadline and regularly contributed, in particular, to both The Listener and the Manchester Guardian. The everlasting mercy (1911) brought him his first real fame and is typical of his early fierce rough style. At the outbreak of war, Masefield joined the Red Cross in France and later on a hospital ship at Gallipoli. His book Gallipoli (1916) is a vivid account of the campaign.
He continued to be prolific, publishing poetry and novels as well as taking on editorial tasks. In 1930, on the death of Robert Bridges, he became Poet Laureate, a post he retained until his death 37 years later. A further honour was bestowed in 1935 in the award of the Order of Merit.
The sheer volume of Masefield's output is remarkable. Much of his writing is fired with infectious enthusiasm that bowls the reader along and his ability as a storyteller has been compared with Chaucer. He has a love of action and adventure, no doubt inspired by his early experiences. Typical qualities can be found in his finest narrative poem, Reynard the fox (1919) which gives a breathless account of a hunt from the viewpoint of both the hunters and the hunted. One of his best known short poems is the early Sea fever from Salt-water ballads. In later life, Masefield recalled in his poetry his childhood haunts in and around Ledbury, including Bredon church with its magnificent spire.
The following works are available in the West Midlands Creative Literature Collection:-
Berenice: a tragedy Dead Ned; the autobiography of a
corpse (1938)
The dream (1922)
Esther
Everlasting mercy (1911)
Grace before ploughing
In glad thanksgiving
Live and kicking Ned (1939)
Lollingdon Downs and other poems (1917)
Melloney Holtspur
Odtaa (1926)
Old raiger and other verse
Right royal (1920)
Tragedy of Pompey the Great (1910)
Trial of Jesus (1925)
The following works are available in the West Midlands Creative Literature Collection:-
John Masefield by Margery Fisher
Remembering John Masefield by Corliss Lamort
John Masefield by Muriel Spark
The Literary Encyclopedia has a profile of John Masefield by James Bridges, University of Gloucester.
The John Masefield Society website contains a wealth of material about the poet.
Ledbury Library has a John Masefield Collection.
Page created 9 February 2001 and last
updated 7 April 2005
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