John Masefield
Poet
English poet and thirty-year U.K. Poet Laureate whose best-known works include Rosas and Salt-Water Poems and Ballads. He also wrote several children's books, including The Box of Delights and The Midnight Folk.
He left school to take an extended voyage on the HMS Conway, an experience that greatly influenced his literary career.
He worked in a British military hospital in France during World War I.
He was born to Caroline and George Masefield. Following his parents' early deaths, he was raised by his aunt.
He and Rudyard Kipling were both considered for the position of Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. Though Kipling was the favorite choice of many, Masefield ultimately won the title.