Sea Fever (1902) ~ John Masefield ( Poem summary & Question Answer Class 10th ) (Online MCQ Test)

Sea Fever (1902)

~ John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

( Poem summary & Question Answer Class 10th )

Summary

The  poem speaks of the excitement the poet feels at the anticipation of a sea voyage. The passionate description of the sea escape reveals the eternal desire of a man to seek the splendour of nature .

Stanza 1

In the poem the poet expresses his strong desire to go back again to the lonely sea under the sky. And all the poet wants is a tall ship and star to guide his ship. He also likes to enjoy the jerky motion caused by the ship's wheel and the howling of the wind, the white sails fluttering in the wind , the grey fog covering the surface of the sea and grey of the early morning.

Stanza 2

The poet must go again to the sea as the call of the sea is so clear and alluring that it cannot be denied. And all that the poet ask for is a windy day with white clouds flying in the sky and spray thrown in the air, the foam scattered and the wild shrills of the gulls.

Stanza 3

The call of the sea is strong to him and he must go to sea again and lead a vagabond life as a sailor. His way is the way of sea - gull and the whale and the wind is like a sharp knife. And all that the poet asks for is to hear a merry story from a fellow sailor and after the long journey of his life he would like to have a good sleep and sweet dream when the journey is over.  

Extra Question Answer

1.During what time of the day does the poet wish to go down to the seas?

Ans: The poet, John Masefield, wishes to go down to the seas at dawn.

2.Question: What kind of day does the poet prefer for sailing?

Ans: The poet prefers a windy day for sailing.

3.Question: What does the poet prefer to hear from a fellow rover?

Ans: The poet prefers to hear a merry yarn from a fellow rover.

4.Question: What does ‘star’ symbolically suggest here?

Ans: Here the ‘star’ symbolically suggests the Pole Star which helps the mariners to fix direction in the sea.

5.Question: What does ‘sea fever’ mean here?

Ans: Here in the poem “Sea Fever”, ‘sea fever’ means deep desire for seafaring life.

6.Question: What do you mean by ‘gypsy’?

Ans: In the poem “Sea Fever’, ‘gypsy’ means a wandering tribe Who leads a restless life.

7.Question: What kind of ship does the poet want?

Ans: The poet wants a tall ship.

8.Question: What do you mean by ‘blown spume’?

Ans: In this poem ‘blown spume’ means the foams which are scattered by the surging waves of the sea.

9.Question: Whose cry is heard by the poet?

Ans: In the poem “Sea Fever”, the poet hears the cry of the seagull.

10.Question: What does the poet ask for when the long ‘trick’s over’?

Ans: When the long ‘trick’s over’, the poet asks for quite sleep and sweet dream.

11.Question: What does the wheel of the ship do?

Ans: The wheel of the ship kicks water of the sea.

12.Question: What shakes the white sail?

Ans: The sea-wind shakes the white sail.

13.Question: How is the call of the tide?

Ans: The call of the tide is wild and clear.

14.Question: What will steer the poet’s ship?

Ans: The pole star will steer the poet’s ship.

15.Question: Name a trouble of sea life.

Ans: Biting cold wind is a trouble of the sea life.

16.Question: What flung the spray?

Ans: Wind flung the spray.

17.Question: How does the sea wind please the poet?

Ans: The sea wind pleases the poet with its sweet song.

18.Question: What do you mean by ‘sea’s face’?

Ans: Here ‘sea’s face’ means the surface of the sea.

19.Question: What kind of life does the poet want?

Ans: The poet wants a vagrant gypsy life.

20.Question: “… And a star to steer her by” – What does ‘her’ refer to here?

Ans: Here ‘her’ refers to the ship which the poet travels by.

21.Question: What do you mean by ‘spray’?

Ans: ‘Spray’ means ‘little drop of water in the sea’.

22.Question: What does the wind day do to the clouds?

Ans: The ‘windy day’ makes the clouds fly across the sky.

23.Question: Why is the dawn grey?

Ans: The dawn is grey because of grey mist.

24.Question: What cannot the poet deny?

Ans: The poet cannot deny the call of the sea.

25.Question: What is the wind compared to and why in the poem ‘Sea Fever’?

Ans: In this poem the wind is compared to a whetted or sharpened knife as the bite of the wind is as painful as a sharpened knife.

26.Question: Why is the poet restless in the poem “Sea Fever”?

Ans: The poet is restless because he has a long desire to make a voice over the sea.

27.Question: What does the poet ask to have for his sea voyage?

Ans: The poet, John Masefield, asks to have a tall ship and a star. Not only that, he also asks for a windy day and grey mist on the sea’s face for his sea voyage.