sea poems

I've been away for the weekend, visiting my youngest daughter and collecting some work from a gallery.

I'm still considering sea poetry. The fragment I used was from this one

Sea-Fever

I must 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 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 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.

By John Masefield (1878-1967).(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)


and Tina Mammoser sent me some great links amongst them was this one - which on checking her blog was the one she too selected as a favourite


Once by the Pacific

The shattered water made a misty din.
Great waves looked over others coming in,
And thought of doing something to the shore
That water never did to land before.
The clouds were low and hairy in the skies,
Like locks blown forward in the gleam of eyes.
You could not tell, and yet it looked as if
The shore was lucky in being backed by cliff,
The cliff in being backed by continent;
It looked as if a night of dark intent
Was coming, and not only a night, an age.
Someone had better be prepared for rage.
There would be more than ocean-water broken
Before God's last 'Put out the Light' was spoken.

Robert Frost

this seems to sum up the wild Atlantic waves on the north Cornish coast.

http://tina-m.blogspot.com/2008/04/active-intake-sea-poems.html link to Tina's post on poetry

I've also got to make decisions about which paintings to show where - I've decided that this one http://vivienb.blogspot.com/2007/06/finished-i-think.html is going into an annual show by The Leicester Society of Artists - I didn't really want to break up the series of paintings I've been working on lately and this one stands alone. There's a size restriction made up from a complicated way of adding up edges and this one is 40ins square and will take up most of my allowance.

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Comments

Katiejane said…
Suki, I can't believe you posted 'Sea Fever'. This is just about my all time favorite poem. When I was in grade shcool we had a class project to create a collage out of magazine cut-outs that reflected our favorite story or poem. My Dad had a copy of "Best Loved Poems of the American People", (which is now in my posession), and I chose this poem. I cut out a picture of a sailboat and painted an ocean and sky for it. The rest of the kids thought I was from Mars. They didn't get it.
What can I say?
Katiejane said…
Well, duh! I see your book you mentioned! And I've been seeing it here on your blog for a week. I don't know why I didn't realize what you were referring to. I will look for it in the bookstores. How thrilled you must be to have a published book.
vivien said…
Yes, it's a great poem :>)

the book is only a self published one so won't be in the bookstores - IF the colours etc are ok I will sell it but I'm waiting for the proof copy to check first.
Katiejane said…
Vivien, I SOOOO apologize for calling you Suki. Sometimes I get my people confused. Well, I'M the one that's confused. Sorry.
vivien said…
that's ok :>D

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