I must go down to the sea again For the call of the running tide It's a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied.
John MasefieldRead
Since the printing press came into being, poetry has ceased to be the delight of the whole community of man; it has become the amusement and delight of the few.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The introduction of the printing press changed poetry from a communal art form to one that is appreciated by a select few.
John Masefield's quote highlights the transformative impact of the printing press on poetry. Originally, poetry was a shared experience that brought joy to the entire community; however, with its widespread production and accessibility, it became more of an individual pursuit, enjoyed primarily by those who actively seek it out, relegating it to a niche audience rather than a collective cultural experience.
Themes
PoetryPrinting PressCommunityArtCulture
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about how technology affects literature, this quote illustrates the historical shift in audience engagement.
More from John Masefield
All quotes βCommonplace people dislike tragedy because they dare not suffer and cannot exult.
John MasefieldRead
What am I, Life? A thing of watery salt Held in cohesion by unresting cells, Which work they know not why, which never halt, Myself unwitting where their Master dwells?
John MasefieldRead
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.
John MasefieldRead
Poetry is a mixture of common sense, which not all have, with an uncommon sense, which very few have.
John MasefieldRead
Once in a century a man may be ruined or made insufferable by praise. But surely once in a minute something generous dies for want of it.
John MasefieldRead
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