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Draw out the table below and fill it in.
| Second stanza | Third stanza | |
|---|---|---|---|
Type of ship | |||
Nationality of the ship | |||
Where has it been to/where is it going? | |||
What kind of movement does it make? | |||
What is its cargo? |
| Second stanza | Third stanza | |
|---|---|---|---|
Type of ship | Quinquereme | Spanish galleon | British coaster |
Nationality of the ship | Assyrian (presumably) | Spanish | British |
Where has it been to/where is it going? | Coming from Ophir, going to Palestine | Coming from the Isthmus, sailing through the Tropics | Coming through the Channel in mad March days |
What kind of movement does it make? | Rowing | Dipping | Butting |
What is its cargo? | Ivory, apes, peacocks, Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine | Diamonds, emeralds, amethysts, topazes, cinnamon, and gold moidores (coins) | Tyne coal, road-rails, pig-lead, firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays |
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The poet creates a positive impression of the ancient ships that are described in the first and second stanzas. How?
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Unlock now 🔓Which words in the third stanza create a negative or dull impression?
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Unlock now 🔓Who would be able to use or buy the cargo from the three different ships? Think about whether the items are everyday goods or luxuries.
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Unlock now 🔓What powers each of the three ships? Discuss this question and try to find the evidence in the poem.
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Unlock now 🔓What is the rhyming pattern?
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Unlock now 🔓How many syllables are there in each line?
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Unlock now 🔓The poet uses alliteration. Pick out three lines that show the use of alliteration and write them down. Underline the alliteration.
Example: Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine
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Unlock now 🔓Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack.
i. Why would the ship’s smoke stack be covered in salt?
ii. Write this line of poetry out as a sentence. Use these words to start.
The British coaster was …………………………. And ……………………… .
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Unlock now 🔓Dipping through the Tropics by the palm – green shores,
i. What does the poet mean by the Tropics?
ii. The second line of each stanza begins with a verb ending with -ing. What do we do when we dip something? Explain how this describes the movement of the ship.
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Unlock now 🔓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.
What is a quinquireme?
What is the significance of the “distant Ophir” in the poem?
What might the apes and peacocks symbolize in this stanza of the poem?
What message or themes does the author want to convey by using elements like sweet white wine, sandalwood, and cedarwood in the stanza?
A quinquireme is a large ship used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to carry cargo and to wage war.
The “distant Ophir” in the poem signifies a fabled, possibly mythical, land of gold. Its mention signifies the far-reaching extent of those voyages.
The apes and peacocks in the stanza symbolize exoticism and rarity. They were seen as luxury items, and their presence in the cargo indicates the status and grandeur of the commerce during the time.
The author, by using items like sweet white wine, sandalwood, and cedarwood, wants to convey the theme of luxury and prosperity, celebrating the richness of the past and the sophisticated trade relationships that existed during ancient times. These goods represent the wealth, culture, and opulence of the ancient civilizations.
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Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by
the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amethysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.
What types of cargo are being transported on the stately Spanish galleon?
Where is the Spanish galleon coming from, and what is an Isthmus?
Why do you think the specific cargoes like diamonds, Emeralds, amethysts, Topazes, cinnamon, and gold moidores were chosen for this particular stanza?
What does the term ‘gold moidores’ refer to, and what does it symbolize in the context of the poem?
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Unlock now 🔓Try to join the pairs of sentences below; use the word and, but, so or because.
1. He could not swim. He had a bad cold.
2. She was not at home. We were not able to meet her.
3. Mr Patel went to the market. He bought some eggs.
4. She is very tail. Her sister is quite short.
5. Ashoke did not have a pen. He could not sign the cheque.
6. Aloke could not read the book. He had lost his glasses.
7. Rivka wrote the letter. She did not post it.
8. Ravi got a headache. He had done too much work.
1. He could not swim because he had a bad cold.
2. She was not at home, so we were not able to meet her.
3. Mr Patel went to the market and bought some eggs.
4. She is very tall, but her sister is quite short.
5. Ashoke did not have a pen, so he could not sign the cheque.
6. Aloke could not read the book because he had lost his glasses.
7. Rivka wrote the letter but did not post it.
8. Ravi got a headache because he had done too much work.
Look again at one of the stanzas in the poem. If you can, look up the type of vessel (quinquereme, galleon or coaster) and find a picture of it. Write a description of the vessel and its cargo.
In your first paragraph describe the outside of the vessel. In your second paragraph describe the cargo. If you can, write a third paragraph to describe the journey the vessel makes.
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John Masefield (1878-1967) was an English poet and writer, most famous for his poems "Sea-Fever" and "Cargoes". He was known for his use of vivid imagery and realistic depictions of sea life, drawing on his own experiences as a young man working on merchant ships. Masefield was appointed the British Poet Laureate in 1930, a position he held until his death in 1967, making him one of the longest-serving Poet Laureates in British history. His works, despite their often gritty and realistic portrayals, are characterized by their underlying optimism and romanticism. Masefield was also a prolific writer of novels and plays, with a keen interest in both historical and contemporary subjects. Despite changing literary trends, his work has remained popular for its accessibility and strong storytelling.
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Unlock now 🔓1. Contrast and Change: "Cargoes" explores the contrast between different periods of history through the example of various forms of maritime transport. From the ancient imperial majesty of the Nineveh's Quinquereme and the......
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Unlock now 🔓1. Quinquereme, Galleon, and Coaster: These three types of ships serve as symbols of different periods. The Quinquereme embodies ancient civilizations, the Galleon represents the time of exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, and the Coaster.......
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Unlock now 🔓1. Imagery: Masefield uses detailed and vivid descriptions to create strong mental images. Every stanza is rich in texture and context, from the exotic cargoes of the ancient Quinquereme and the Spanish Galleon, to the more mundane, industrial .....
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Unlock now 🔓Channel: the channel of water between Britain and France is called the English Channel by the British and La Manche (the sleeve) by the French
The English Channel is a narrow body of water that separates Britain from France.
Coaster: a shallow-hulled ship that usually goes from port to port on the same island or continent carrying cargo
The coaster transported goods from one port to another along the coast of the continent.
Galleon: a large sailing vessel with three or four masts used from around 1400 to around 1600 to carry cargo and to wage war
The galleon was an.............................
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