This is a short lyric poem consisting of three five line stanzas that follow an unusual abcdb rhyme scheme. The first, second, and fifth lines of every stanza are best read with three feet to a line (trimeter). Third and fourth lines of all of the stanzas have two feet ( dimeter). The poem's rhythm at the beginning of the first, third, and fifth lines of each stanza mostly follows a form called the paeon. Paeon is a foot with one accented syllable followed by three unaccented syllables. The rhythm of each stanza is very similar.

The ship in the first stanza is a quinquireme, ( an ancient ship with five banks of oars). Masefield's ship is being rowed from " distant Ophir ". Ophir is an ancient country of uncertain location mentioned in the Old Testament. The gold was brought from Ophir to Solomon, this particular quinquire

Masefield comments on the passing of time through the description of three cargo-laden ships from three different periods of history. The beauty and romance of the past founder against the grimy industrial present in the last stanza. The poems quoted and referred to show verse more restrained and a very skillful discipleship of other older cunning artists.

me is bringing its cargo to Solomon. The author didn't really reference Nineveh clearly. Perhaps the ship was built in Nineveh, rowed to Ophir, then on to its destination in Palestine. The traditional cargo of Ophirian gold is replaced by an exotic catalog of luxury items from Nineveh or from other places along the route. It is uncertain whether Masefield is referring here to a particular historical voyage or even a particular period of ancient biblical history. It seems just as likely that these words laden with history have been collected for their ability to create the desired sound and meter as well as the desired image. This ship's goal is a happy one, for Palestine is a safe "haven" with sunny skies. This boat carries a cargo of animals, birds, exotic woods, and wine.

"Cargoes" was published in 1903 during what has come to be known as the Edwardian Age or Edwardian Decade. Spanning the period from 1901-1910, The Edwardian Age began with the death of Queen Victoria, who had reigned from 1837 over the most successful imperialist country in history-one that, at its height, controlled more than one quarter of the earth's surface. Perhaps the most important domestic result of Victorian expansionism was the forced and almost complete transition from a rural economy of people attached to land to an urban economy of people toiling in trade and manufacturing.

The second stanza is a Spanish ship, a large sailing vessel, is likely sailing from the Isthmus of Panama back to Spain through the North Atlantic approximately 2,500 years later. This is the period of the Spanish Empire- beginning in the 1500s- when Spain controlled the commer

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1351
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)