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Cargoes by John Masefield (Imagery workshop poem)
Here is John Masefield himself reading. It's in the second half of the Sea Fever track at 1.08 mins in
http://www.deezer.com/track/33600551
To hear it you will need a deezer account, but it's easy to sign up for one.
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 diamonds,
Emeralds, amythysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.
Dirty British coaster with 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.
Comments
scribbler
Wed, 2017-07-05 12:03
Hi
I enjoyed this. Maybe it's the contrast between the different cargoes. (If I'd written this I'd have been compelled to write about a cargo of souls lol). This will do well in the shop
weirdelf
Fri, 2017-07-07 13:22
Maybe I'm weird
but I like looking things up. Rich imagery indeed.
I found a reading on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSbQ0qwQwuk
Masefield's "Jane" was one of my earliest favouritest poems.
https://www.neopoet.com/weirdelf/blog/mon-2013-04-08-1331
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
jane210660
Sat, 2017-07-08 08:46
I love the Tom O 'Bedlam reading
And I absolutely love Masefield's 'Jane' poem.
Thanks Jess.
Jx
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Don't forget to offer critique on poems you read.
Rula
Fri, 2017-07-07 17:02
Especially loved
the first stanza. You probably know why (grins)
Rich imagery as Jess pointed out. As rich as all the gem stones mentioned.
Thank you for sharing Jane.
❤❤❤❤❤❤
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jane210660
Sat, 2017-07-08 08:48
Rula
Now I've met you, so as to speak, I think of you every time I read this poem.
And I read it a lot, I just love it.
Masefield wrote many haunting poems, often about the sea.
Jxx
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Remember we are a workshop site.
Don't forget to offer critique on poems you read.