“Masefield’s early life was almost as exotic as today’s poem and barely believable to those of us living in the 21st century: born in 1878 and orphaned when he was only a few years old, he went to live with his aunt who subsequently dispatched him to a life at sea when he was only thirteen. Her main reason? To break his addiction to reading….! She failed, of course; however, although he didn’t take to the life of a sailor, his experiences on board ship shaped much of his early poetry in particular.

Reading ‘Cargoes’ is an unalloyed pleasure – or at least it used to be. When I hunted it down for its moment to star as poem of the day, I was immediately struck by some of its worrying implications. Should I be concerned about the environmental impact of trade in ivory, apes and peacocks? Who on earth mined those mounds of precious stones? What were the Spaniards doing with them anyway? Is it still ok to enjoy this poem? At least there is some self-deprecating British humour in the final stanza where the “dirty British coaster” is “butting” through the channel with the most mundane of all possible cargoes. How very unglamorous it is: heavy consonance and a markedly choppy rhythm are such a come-down from the sweeping lines and sibilance of the first two stanzas, which brim over with light and brightness and colour and fragrance. I like to think of the young John Masefield’s dismay at the grey of the local seascape after his adventures in distant waters.

So must we always view poetry through a social and political lens? Or can it be relished just for the mood it creates and the way it sounds? I challenge you to read this aloud before reaching any definitive conclusion. Or, if you prefer, follow the link below to watch Joanna Lumley’s wonderful rendition, followed by a comic clip from ‘The Likely Lads’, which supports my opening assertion that once upon a time just about everyone learned this poem by heart.”

‘Cargoes’ by John Masefield
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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.

Click here for Joanna Lumley vs The Likely Lads