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This poem is part of the workshop:

IMAGERY IN POETRY( ready to start?)

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Cargoes by John Masefield (Imagery workshop poem)

Here is John Masefield himself reading. It's in the second half of the Sea Fever track at 1.08 mins in
http://www.deezer.com/track/33600551
To hear it you will need a deezer account, but it's easy to sign up for one.

Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,.
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.

Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amythysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.

Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack,
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rails, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.

About This Poem

Editing Stage: Not actively editing

About the Author

Region, Country: Yorkshire England, GBR

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Comments

S

scribbler

7 years 11 months ago

Hi

I enjoyed this. Maybe it's the contrast between the different cargoes. (If I'd written this I'd have been compelled to write about a cargo of souls lol). This will do well in the shop

Rula

Rula

7 years 11 months ago

Especially loved

the first stanza. You probably know why (grins)
Rich imagery as Jess pointed out. As rich as all the gem stones mentioned.
Thank you for sharing Jane.

jane210660

jane210660

7 years 11 months ago

Rula

Now I've met you, so as to speak, I think of you every time I read this poem.
And I read it a lot, I just love it.
Masefield wrote many haunting poems, often about the sea.
Jxx