The apparent discourse in “Cargoes” is about ships and their shipments, but is there a deeper meaning? Do ships symbolize the riches of the modern, medieval and contemporary world? These questions can be answered throughout the poem and digested with deeper meaning. The Quinquéreme, the Spanish galleon, and the British coaster deteriorate rapidly throughout the poem. Comparing the Quinquérème and the British coaster, the difference is obvious. Each critic makes a point of highlighting the ships in the poem. Jhan Hochman and Bruce Meyer agree that British roller coasters are dirty and carry daily goods necessary for life. Wealth shifts over the centuries, but Jhan Hochman and Bruce Meyer believe there is more to this poem than just the wealth at work. The poem vaguely resembles the story of the three wise men. Each of the mages brought different goods to their king. Masefield uses the Quinquéreme, the Spanish galleon, and the British roller coaster to symbolize wealth throughout each century. The poem also refers to the biblical story of the three wise men. The first sages brought incense, which was a resin. The Quinqueremes of Nineveh traveled to Ophir to collect goods such as ivory, sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine (line 5). It is not specified where Ophir was located, but it was thought to be in present-day Saudi Arabia (Hochman). These goods were collected from Ophir every three years and used in the throne and kingdom of King Solomon. Sandalwood was used to build and support the sumptuous Temple of Solomon (Hochman). In building Solomon's throne, slavery was important, but slaves later began to resent him, which greatly affected the king's son. Masefield points out in the poem that...... middle of paper......t is considered the richest. The third stanza is where the rubber meets the road and shows the contrast of the poem. Finally, the actions taken in the first two stanzas were compared to those in the third. The third stanza compares most to our times, justifying why people work for a better quality of life. Works Cited Masefield, John. “Cargoes”. Allpoetry.com NpNd Web. April 6, 2014. Soule, George. “The “Cargoages” of John Masefield.” George Soule's home page. Carleton College. Carolyn Soule, April 26, 2006. Web. April 6, 2014. Hochman, Jhan. “Critical essay on “freighters”.” Poetry for students. Ed. Marie Rubis. Flight. 5. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Information Resource Center. Internet. April 6, 2014. Meyer, Bruce. “Critical essay on “freighters”.” Poetry for students. Ed. Marie Rubis. Flight. 5. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Information Resource Center. Internet. April 6. 2014.