How does the rhyme scheme of the poem "Sea Fever" by John Masefield contribute to the overall sound and music of the poem?

The rhyme scheme of the poem "Sea Fever", by English poet
John Masefield, contributes to the overall sound and music of the poem in the following
ways:

1. A rhyme scheme within
formal stanzas

The rhyme scheme
is also part of a formal stanza framework in this poem. This poem consists of three
stanzas. Each stanza consists of four lines. Therefore, examining each stanza one can
see that the first two lines of each stanza rhyme, and the last two lines of each stanza
rhyme. Hence, the rhyme scheme of “Sea Fever” within these stanzas is AABB – stanza 1;
CCDD – stanza two; and EEFF – stanza
three.

These stanzas and their rhymes contribute
to the overall sound and music of this poem in that the rhyming sounds move elegantly
from one line to the next and from one stanza to the next – just as a song often moves
elegantly from one lyric line to the next and from one verse to the next, with a song’s
typical rhyme scheme and verse/chorus arrangement. The stanzas of “Sea Fever” give order
to the poem and the rhyme is musical within this
order.

2. Proper word choice and
rhymes that reflect the poems
meaning

 

John
Masefield incorporates words into this poem, rhyming and un-rhyming, that evoke the sea.
In stanza one he uses the words “sky”, and also “shaking” and “breaking”. These
certainly convey the mood of time spent out on the open water…white sail’s
shaking, and also, grey dawn
breaking.

In stanza number two it’s
the use of the single word “tide”,and also the rhyming ofclouds flying,
andsea-gulls crying. Again, the word choices relevant to
waters, oceans, seas, marine-life, and the environment, along with the rhyming words
give the poem its musical forward
movement.

 

In
stanza number three it’s the words “gypsy life” and “whetted knife” that convey the aura
and image of life on ships on the sea. Again, the rhyming of these words impress upon
the reader the atmosphere of the sea. The rhyme helps the reader remember the images and
thoughts conveyed by John Masefield.

These
contribute to theoverall sound and music of this poem because the right choice of words
about the sea, while including end rhyme causes this poem to flow with regularity – like
waves in the sea course along their paths with a natural
regularity.

3. The repetition of
phrases

Each stanza begins with
these eight words:

I must go down to the seas
again,

As a result, this is rhyme. The first
part of line one in stanza one repeats in the first part of line one in stanza two and
the first part of line one in stanza three. Therefore, we have exact words exactly
rhyming to begin each stanza. This is a formal poetry construction and it gives the poem
structure and rhyme and makes the poem more a constructed “literary song’ as opposed to
an unregimented and un-rhyming free verse piece. Consequently, the emphasis on formal
construction by the poet contributes greatly to the overall sound and music of “Sea
Fever.”