Since the printing press came into being, poetry has ceased to be the delight of the whole community of man; it has become the amusement and delight of the few.
John MasefieldRead
I must go down to the sea again For the call of the running tide It's a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a deep yearning to reconnect with the sea and its inherent beauty and power.
John Masefield's quote reflects the irresistible urge to return to the ocean, portraying the sea as a force that cannot be ignored or denied. The imagery of the 'running tide' and the 'wild call' signifies the allure and vitality of nature, suggesting that human beings are drawn to the natural world in ways that resonate with their inner selves.
Themes
SeaTideNatureCallYearning
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used during a speech about conservation and the importance of preserving our oceans.
More from John Masefield
All quotes βCommonplace people dislike tragedy because they dare not suffer and cannot exult.
John MasefieldRead
What am I, Life? A thing of watery salt Held in cohesion by unresting cells, Which work they know not why, which never halt, Myself unwitting where their Master dwells?
John MasefieldRead
I must 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.
John MasefieldRead
Poetry is a mixture of common sense, which not all have, with an uncommon sense, which very few have.
John MasefieldRead
Once in a century a man may be ruined or made insufferable by praise. But surely once in a minute something generous dies for want of it.
John MasefieldRead
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