Readers are again turning to the work of John Masefield (1878-1967) for its verbal skill, thematic range and a human generosity and warmth rare in the poetry of our time. Masefield looked to Browning rather than Tennyson as a model, hence the rich texture of his verse and the centrality of the speaking voice. He can be an exquisite lyricist and elegist; he is also a balladeer, a master of light verse and, as Gavin Ewart has said, 'a first-class narrative poet, the last full-blown one we have had.'

Donald E. Stanford, the American poet, critic and editor, made this representative selection from Masefield's prolific output, and provides a biographical introduction.