John Masefield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Masefield
John Masefield in 1916
Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom
In office 9 May 1930 – 12 May 1967
Monarch	George V Edward VIII George VI Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Robert Bridges
Succeeded by	Cecil Day-Lewis
Personal details
Born	(1878-06-01)1 June 1878 Ledbury, Herefordshire, England
Died	12 May 1967(1967-05-12) (aged 88) Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England
Occupation	Poet, writer
Awards	Shakespeare Prize (1938)

John Edward Masefield (born June 1, 1878 – died May 12, 1967) was a famous English poet and writer. He held the special title of Poet Laureate from 1930 until his death in 1967. This means he was the official poet for the King or Queen of the United Kingdom. Some of his most loved works include the children's books The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights. He also wrote well-known poems like The Everlasting Mercy and "Sea-Fever".

John Masefield's Early Life and Adventures

Growing Up and School Days

John Masefield was born in Ledbury, England. His father, George Masefield, was a lawyer. Sadly, John's mother passed away when he was only six years old. He then went to live with his aunt. Not long after, his father also died.

John had a tough time at King's School in Warwick. He was a boarder there from 1888 to 1891. To help him, he left school to join the training ship HMS Conway. His aunt hoped this would help him stop reading so much! But John found he could read and write a lot on the ship. This time helped his love for storytelling grow. He listened to sea stories and decided he wanted to be a writer. John wrote about his time on the Conway in his book New Chum.

Adventures at Sea

In 1894, John sailed on a ship called the Gilcruix to Chile. He got seasick, but he loved seeing flying fish and porpoises. He was amazed by nature's beauty, even seeing a rare night rainbow. In Chile, he got sunstroke and had to go to the hospital. He eventually sailed back to England.

In 1895, John went to sea again on a ship headed for New York City. But he really wanted to be a writer, not a sailor. So, he left the ship in New York. He spent several months traveling around and doing odd jobs. He even worked as a helper in a bar.

Around Christmas 1895, he read a poem called "The Piper of Arll" in a magazine. This poem changed his life. Ten years later, he wrote to the poet, Duncan Campbell Scott, saying:

I had never (till that time) cared very much for poetry, but your poem impressed me deeply, and set me on fire. Since then poetry has been the one deep influence in my life, and to my love of poetry I owe all my friends, and the position I now hold.

For the next two years, John worked long hours in a carpet factory in New York. Even though it was hard work, he bought many books each week. He read all kinds of literature, from old classics to new stories. Writers like Chaucer, Keats, and Shelley became very important to him. In 1897, he returned to England.

Family Life and First Successes

When John was 23, he met Constance de la Cherois Crommelin. She was 35 and a smart mathematics teacher. They married on June 23, 1903. Constance was a great partner for him. They had two children, Judith (born 1904) and Lewis (born 1910).

In 1902, John was in charge of the art section at an exhibition in Wolverhampton. By this time, his poems were appearing in magazines. His first collection of poems, Salt-Water Ballads, was published that year. It included his famous poem "Sea-Fever".

John then wrote two novels, Captain Margaret (1908) and Multitude and Solitude (1909). In 1911, he wrote The Everlasting Mercy, a long poem that made him very famous. He wrote two more long poems soon after. People loved his work, and critics praised him. In 1912, he won the Edmond de Polignac Prize.

John Masefield During Wartime

When World War I started in 1914, John was old enough to not have to join the army. But he still wanted to help. In 1915, he worked briefly as an orderly in a British hospital for French soldiers. He later wrote about his experiences.

After returning home, John went to the United States for a lecture tour. He talked about English literature. But he also wanted to learn how Americans felt about the war in Europe. When he came back to England, he wrote a report for the government. He suggested writing a book about the Gallipoli battle to help counter German propaganda in the US. His book, Gallipoli, was a big success.

He was then asked to write about the Battle of the Somme. He wanted to write a big book, but he couldn't get all the official records. So, he published a smaller book called The Old Front Line, which described the area of the battle.

In 1918, John went on another lecture tour in America. He spoke to many American soldiers who were waiting to go to Europe. He became a great public speaker, able to connect with his audience. By the end of his visit, both Yale and Harvard Universities gave him honorary doctorates.

Life as a Respected Writer

By the 1920s, John Masefield was a well-known and respected writer. He and his family moved to Boars Hill, near Oxford. There, he enjoyed keeping bees, goats, and chickens. His book Collected Poems (1923) sold about 80,000 copies!

He wrote a long poem called Reynard The Fox (1920). This was followed by Right Royal and King Cole, which explored the connection between people and nature.

After King Cole, John started writing novels again. Between 1924 and 1939, he published 12 novels. These included sea stories like The Bird of Dawning, and fantasy books for children like The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights. He also wrote many plays, often with Christian themes. In 1928, his play "The Coming of Christ" was the first play performed in an English cathedral since the Middle Ages!

Encouraging Poetry Speaking

In 1921, John received another honorary degree from the University of Oxford. In 1923, he started Oxford Recitations. This was an annual competition to find good speakers of poetry and encourage "the beautiful speaking of poetry." Many people joined, and it helped more people learn to listen to poetry. John also helped start the Scottish Association for the Speaking of Verse in 1924.

Poet Laureate and Later Years

In 1930, the previous Poet Laureate, Robert Bridges, died. King George V chose John Masefield to be the new Poet Laureate. John held this important job until he died in 1967. Only one other person, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, held the job for longer.

The Times newspaper wrote that his poetry "could touch to beauty the plain speech of everyday life." John took his role very seriously. He wrote many poems for royal events and sent them to The Times for publication. He was so modest that he even included a stamped, self-addressed envelope with each poem, in case it wasn't accepted!

He was also asked to write a poem to be set to music by Sir Edward Elgar, the Master of the King's Musick. This poem, "So many true Princesses who have gone," was performed in 1932.

After becoming Poet Laureate, John Masefield received the Order of Merit from King George V. He also got many honorary degrees from British universities. In 1937, he became President of the Society of Authors. He worked to support English literature and poetry. He even started an award called the Royal Medals for Poetry for young poets.

He continued to travel and give speeches, but he still wrote a lot. He added autobiographies to his works, including New Chum, In the Mill, and So Long to Learn.

John started to slow down around age 70 due to illness. In 1960, his wife Constance died at 93 after a long illness. This was very sad for him. He continued his duties as Poet Laureate. His last book, In Glad Thanksgiving, was published when he was 88 years old.

John Masefield passed away on May 12, 1967. His ashes were placed in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. This is a special place where many famous writers are honored.

The Masefield Centre at Warwick School, where he studied, and John Masefield High School in Ledbury are named after him. In 1977, an album of his poems was released, with some read by John Masefield himself.

Song Settings of Masefield's Poems

Many of John Masefield's short poems were turned into songs by British composers. The most famous is "Sea-Fever" by John Ireland. Frederick Keel also composed several songs from Masefield's Salt-Water Ballads. His song "Trade Winds" was very popular. Another important wartime song was Ivor Gurney's "By a bierside," written in 1916.

Selected Works by John Masefield

Collections of Poems

• Ballads and Poems (1910)
• The Everlasting Mercy (1911)
• Salt-Water Poems and Ballads (1916)
• Sonnets (1916)
• Right Royal (1920)
• Selected Poems (1922)
• The Dream (1922)
• King Cole and Other Poems (1923)
• The Collected Poems of John Masefield (1923)
• Poems (1925)
• Midsummer Night and Other Tales in Verse (1928)
• A Letter from Pontus and Other Verse (1936)
• The Country Scene (1937)
• Some Verses to Some Germans (1939)
• The Bluebells and Other Verses (1961)
• Old Raiger and Other Verses (1964)
• In Glad Thanksgiving (1966)

Prose Fiction (Novels)

• Captain Margaret (1908)
• Multitude and Solitude (1909)
• Martin Hyde: The Duke's Messenger (1909)
• Lost Endeavour (1910)
• The Street of Today (1911)
• Jim Davis (1911)
• Sard Harker (1924)
• ODTAA (1926)
• The Midnight Folk (children's novel) (1927)
• The Hawbucks (1929)
• The Bird of Dawning (1933)
• The Taking of the Gry (1934)
• The Box of Delights: or When the Wolves Were Running (children's novel) (1935)
• Victorious Troy: or The Harrying Angel (1935)
• Eggs and Baker (1936)

The Square Peg: or The Gun Fella (1937)

• Dead Ned (1938)
• Live and Kicking Ned (1939)
• Basilissa: A Tale of the Empress Theodora (1940)
• Conquer: A Tale of the Nika Rebellion in Byzantium (1941)
• Badon Parchments (1947)

Plays

• The Campden Wonder (1907)
• The Tragedy of Pompey the Great (1910)
• Philip the King (1914)
• Good Friday: A Play in Verse (1916)
• The Tragedy of Nan (1910)
• The Witch (1926) (translated from the Norwegian play Anne Pedersdotter)
• Tristan and Isolt: A Play in Verse (1927)
• The Coming of Christ (1928)

Non-fiction and Autobiography

• The Old Front Line (1917)
• The Wanderer of Liverpool (1930)
• The Conway: From Her Foundation to the Present Day (1933)
• In the Mill (1941)
• The Nine Days Wonder (The Operation Dynamo) (1941)
• New Chum (1944)
• So Long to Learn (autobiography) (1952)
• Grace Before Ploughing (autobiography) (1966)

Images for kids

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  John Masefield in 1912

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  John Masefield photographed by E. O. Hoppé in 1915

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  The Masefield Centre (library and IT)

See also

In Spanish: John Masefield para niños