My one Star Trek pet peeve

It's times like this that being an English major and a Star Trek fan don't mix.

Since Star Trek V, there's been a recurring line in the Star Trek franchise that just bothers me: "And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by." It's frequently used because the words fit very well with various Star Trek motifs—stars (to steer by) and starships (tall ships). But as someone who holds an English degree, its use in Star Trek bothers me, because this line of poetry is being used out of context from its source material.

The line "And all I ask is a tall ship . . ." comes from the poem Sea Fever by John Masefield, and when you read the full poem, you get a much different feeling than starships and deep space. Sea Fever, you see, is a poem of longing—longing for another time, another place. Sentimental, heartfelt yearnings by a 19th-century sailor for sea life.

I first read Sea Fever in high school English class, and of course I recognized it right away because of that one line used in Star Trek. But being a sentimental man myself, I quickly put that recognition aside and was instead struck by the sadness of the poem, the sentimentality of happy memories from years gone by. Which is why every time I hear, "And all I ask is a tall ship" on Star Trek, I have a hard time swallowing it.

For those interested, you can read the entire John Masefield poem right here.