John Masefield (1878–1967)
Author of The Box of Delights
About the Author
Once one of the most popular English poets of the century, Masefield has fallen into undeserved neglect since his death. He was born in a Victorian house with rural vistas, which he later recalled as "living in Paradise." In childhood, he had a series of intense, visionary experiences inspired by show more both nature and literature, which gave him a habitual sense of participation in a greater life. These had weakened by 1891, when he entered training for the merchant naval service. An officer on the White Star Line's Adriatic, he jumped ship in New York in 1895 and roamed across America. He returned to England two years later when a recovery of his intense childhood visions convinced him he could succeed as a writer. Masefield excelled more at narrative than at symbolism. His first book, "Salt Water Poems and Ballads" (1902), displayed the allegiance to outcasts and wanderers that marks his subject matter. The musicality of that volume derives partly from the strong early influence of W. B. Yeats. Increasingly, Masefield experimented with colloquial diction, particularly from the lower classes. His "The Everlasting Mercy" (1911) recounted the conversion of a rural scoundrel in language that astonished many readers. Highly prolific, he produced more than 20 volumes of fiction, 17 plays, and other prose work besides his major volumes of poetry. Masefield still appeals particularly to the common reader. He was appointed poet laureate in 1930. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress)
Series
Works by John Masefield
On the Spanish main; or, some English forays on the Isthmus of Darien. With a description of the buccaneers and a short… (1906) 22 copies
Multitude and Solitude 12 copies
I want! I want! 6 copies
Poetry: A lecture given at the Queen's Hall in London, on Thursday, October 15th, 1931 (1931) 5 copies
The Country Scene 5 copies
Collected Plays 3 copies
A Macbeth Production 3 copies
Tribute to Ballet 3 copies
An English prose miscellany 2 copies
The street of today 2 copies
Ballads 2 copies
St. George and the dragon 2 copies
Some verses to some Germans 2 copies
Coronation Of Their Majesties King George VI And Queens Elizabeth: Official Souvenir Programme (1st) 1 copy
The Captive of the Smugglers 1 copy
The Trial of Jesus a Play 1 copy
Being Alone (short story) 1 copy
Dampier's Voyages: Consisting of a New Voyage Round the World, a Supplement to the Voyage Round the World, Two… (2018) 1 copy
End and beginning 1 copy
The Box of Delights 1 copy
A Masque of Liverpool 1 copy
The War and the Future 1 copy
The Works of John Masefield 1 copy
Rosas 1 copy
sonnets 1 copy
The Ballad of Sir Bors, 1 copy
Shakespeare & Spiritual Life. The Romanes Lecture Delivered at the Sheldonian Theatre 4 June 1924. 1 copy
Recent Prose 1 copy
The Western Islands 1 copy
Gautama the Enlightened 1 copy
The Way Of The Buccaneers 1 copy
The starry night 1 copy
Easter 1 copy
Associated Works
Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (1995) — Contributor, some editions — 915 copies
A voyage round the world in the years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IV (1500) — Introduction, some editions — 91 copies
The Greatest Sailing Stories Ever Told: Twenty-Seven Unforgettable Stories (2002) — Contributor — 77 copies
Gentlemen, Scholars and Scoundrels: A Treasury of the Best of Harper's Magazine from 1850 to the Present (1959) — Contributor — 55 copies
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Vol. 4: The World Around Us (1968) — Contributor — 29 copies
Marco Polo's Silk Road: The Art of the Journey - An Italian at the Court of Kublai Khan (The Art of Wisdom) (2011) — Foreword, some editions — 29 copies
Oogst der tijden : keur uit de werken van schrijvers en dichters aller volken en eeuwen (1940) — Contributor — 10 copies
Het Beste Boek 105: Draagstoel der tranen / De laatste hand / De Engelse gouvernante / De prijs van Londen — Author — 2 copies
Stories for girls — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Masefield, John
- Legal name
- Masefield, John Edward
- Birthdate
- 1878-06-01
- Date of death
- 1967-05-12
- Burial location
- Westminster Abbey, London, England, UK
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Ledbury, Herefordshire, England, UK
- Place of death
- Abingdon, Berkshire, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Ledbury, Herefordshire, England, UK
- Education
- King's School, Warwick, England, UK
- Occupations
- poet
poet laureate (UK)
novelist
ambulance driver (WWI)
seaman - Organizations
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (Foreign Honorary|Literature|1930)
National Book League (first president)
Society of Authors (president|1937) - Awards and honors
- Royal Society of Literature Companion of Literature
Order of Merit (1935)
Poet Laureate
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 178
- Also by
- 52
- Members
- 3,568
- Popularity
- #7,107
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 56
- ISBNs
- 337
- Languages
- 9
- Favorited
- 7