In “Sea Fever,” poet John Masefield expresses his love and longing for life at sea. At the beginning of each of the three stanzas, he repeats, “I must down to the sea again.” Through imagery appealing to different senses, he demonstrates the ocean’s inescapable allure.

In the second stanza, he asks for

a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

Throughout the poem, Masefield emphasizes the freedom and wildness of nature, a world that he wishes to revisit. Although not smooth and calm, the weather is not harmful or destructive. The resulting conditions appeal to someone with a sense of adventure who wants to be on a vessel rolling on the ocean waves. Imagery like “a windy day,” “flying” clouds, spraying water, frothy waves, and “crying” sea gulls creates a tumultuous scene, but one that the poet desires. He is not in danger, but relishing what others might consider to be rough conditions.

Instead of wishing for perfectly clear skies, he asks for “white clouds”; they represent hope to him. A perfectly calm blue sky would be almost be too good and perhaps boring. This visual imagery also signifies his optimism for the ship’s voyage; no matter what challenges lie ahead, he is confident that he and his shipmates will enjoy the journey.

Unlike dark clouds, the white clouds represent positivity and happiness. They do not portend an impending storm and shipwreck as dark clouds would.

Finally, the clouds symbolize lightness, suggesting the freedom that the poet seeks. Not weighed down by moisture, they float high in the sky; dark clouds, on the other hand, form a gloomy, solid ceiling that presses down on the earth. Blown by the wind, the white clouds are free and shape-shifting. Similarly, Masefield yearns for freedom and a change from his implied landlocked life in order to satisfy a wanderlust for journeying at sea.