John Masefield

Born in Ledbury, Herefordshire, on June 1, 1878, John Masefield lost both parents while still a child and was sent to school in Warwick. As a teenager he trained for life at sea, and those years as a merchant seaman left a lasting mark on his imagination. The rhythms of ships, weather, hard work, and distant ports would become some of the most memorable parts of his writing.

Masefield first became widely known for poems about the sea, especially in Salt-Water Ballads, which includes "Sea Fever" and "Cargoes." He also wrote long narrative poems such as The Everlasting Mercy, as well as novels and children's books, including The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights. His writing could be musical and dreamlike, but it was also grounded in physical detail and everyday speech.

In 1930 he was appointed Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, a role he held until his death on May 12, 1967. That long public career made him one of the best-known literary figures of his time, yet many readers still come to him first through the sense of freedom and longing in his sea poems.