'The Telegraph Operator' by Robert Service
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Ballads of a CheechakoI will not wash my face;
I will not brush my hair;
I "pig" around the place--
There's nobody to care.
Nothing but rock and tree;
Nothing but wood and stone,
Oh, God, it's hell to be
Alone, alone, alone!Snow-peaks and deep-gashed draws
Corral me in a ring.
I feel as if I was
The only living thing
On all this blighted earth;
And so I frowst and shrink,
And crouching by my hearth
I hear the thoughts I think.I think of all I miss--
The boys I used to know;
The girls I used to kiss;
The coin I used to blow:
The bars I used to haunt;
The racket and the row;
The beers I didn't want
(I wish I had 'em now).Day after day the same,
Only a little worse;
No one to grouch or blame--
Oh, for a loving curse!
Oh, in the night I fear,
Haunted by nameless things,
Just for a voice to cheer,
Just for a hand that clings!Faintly as from a star
Voices come o'er the line;
Voices of ghosts afar,
Not in this world of mine;
Lives in whose loom I grope;
Words in whose weft I hear
Eager the thrill of hope,
Awful the chill of fear.I'm thinking out aloud;
I reckon that is bad;
(The snow is like a shroud)--
Maybe I'm going mad.
Say! wouldn't that be tough?
This awful hush that hugs
And chokes one is enough
To make a man go "bugs".There's not a thing to do;
I cannot sleep at night;
No wonder I'm so blue;
Oh, for a friendly fight!
The din and rush of strife;
A music-hall aglow;
A crowd, a city, life--
Dear God, I miss it so!Here, you have moped enough!
Brace up and play the game!
But say, it's awful tough--
Day after day the same
(I've said that twice, I bet).
Well, there's not much to say.
I wish I had a pet,
Or something I could play.Cheer up! don't get so glum
And sick of everything;
The worst is yet to come;
God help you till the Spring.
God shield you from the Fear;
Teach you to laugh, not moan.
Ha! ha! it sounds so queer--
Alone, alone, alone!
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Telegraph Operator: An Ode to the Unsung Heroes
Have you ever thought about the person who sends your text messages or emails to the other end of the world? Have you ever considered the significance of that act of communication, of being able to connect with someone who is miles away with just a few words? Robert Service did. In his poem, "The Telegraph Operator," he pays tribute to the unsung heroes of communication, the people who made it possible for us to bridge the distance and break down the barriers of time and space.
The Poem
The poem opens with a description of a telegraph office, a cramped and dusty room with a cluttered desk and a humming machine. The telegraph operator, a man with a stooped back and tired eyes, sits at the desk, his fingers tapping out the messages that will travel across the wires.
In a little office out of Broadway, near by the United States Hotel, A modest-looking man keeps at bay the Apache and the Grizzly Bear. In fact, that is his avocation, and I envied him his work, For I was always for sensation, and I wanted to be a clerk.
He was the telegraph operator, and he sat at a simple desk, And when a message came, his dictaphone would click and his hand would frisk, And the words would go like a streak of light, a flash and a puff of smoke, And the world would be a little more bright for a heart that was bowed and broke.
The poem then shifts to a series of vignettes, each one a brief snapshot of a person sending or receiving a message. The first is a young man who anxiously sends a telegram to his sweetheart, asking her to marry him. The second is a mother who receives a message from her soldier son, telling her he is safe and well. The third is a businessman who receives an urgent message about a deal, and rushes off to seal the agreement.
A youth stepped up to the operator and said, "I want to send a wire. In fact, I want to send a letter, for I want to propose to my heart's desire. I'm going to ask her to marry me, and I want it to go tonight, For I know if I wait till morning my courage will be out of sight."
A mother came to the operator with a telegram in her hand, And the tears in her eyes were the index of the sorrow she could not command. "I got a wire from my boy today," she said, "and he's safe and well, thank God! And I know it's foolish of me to worry, but it seems as if my heart was sod.
A business man rushed up to the operator, and he said, "I've got to know, For a deal of mine is in the balance, and it's touch and go. I wired to the other party, and I'm waiting for his reply, And if he doesn't wire me quickly, why, I'll lose a thousand, and that's no lie."
These vignettes are told in Service's trademark storytelling style, with vivid imagery and a folksy tone that draws the reader in. They are simple stories, but they are also powerful ones, conveying the importance of communication to our lives and our relationships.
The Interpretation
At its heart, "The Telegraph Operator" is a poem about connection. It is about the human need to reach out and touch someone, to bridge the gaps that separate us and to find common ground. The telegraph operator is the facilitator of this connection, the person who makes it possible for messages to travel from one place to another. He is the unsung hero of communication, the person who stands at the threshold between isolation and connection, between loneliness and love.
Service's poem is also a tribute to the power of words. The telegraph messages in the poem are not just strings of code and dots and dashes; they are messages of hope, love, and urgency. They are the words that connect us to the people we care about, the words that help us make sense of the world around us. Through the telegraph operator's hands, these words become tangible, transmitted across the wires like a "streak of light" that illuminates even the darkest corners of our lives.
Finally, "The Telegraph Operator" is a reflection on the passing of time. The telegraph was once a cutting-edge technology, a way to send messages across great distances in a matter of seconds. Today, it seems almost quaint, replaced by faster, more efficient modes of communication. But the need for connection that the telegraph fulfilled is as strong today as it ever was. The telegraph operator may be gone, but his legacy lives on in the people who continue to connect us across the miles, whether through text messages, emails, or video calls.
The Conclusion
In "The Telegraph Operator," Robert Service has given voice to the unsung heroes of communication, the people who make it possible for us to bridge the gaps that separate us. Through his vivid storytelling and his celebration of the power of words, he reminds us of the importance of connection, and of the people who make it possible. As we navigate a world that is increasingly connected yet ever more complex, "The Telegraph Operator" serves as a powerful reminder of the essential role that communication plays in our lives, and of the human need to reach out and touch someone, no matter how far away they may be.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Telegraph Operator: A Classic Poem by Robert Service
If you are a fan of classic poetry, then you must have come across the famous poem, The Telegraph Operator, written by Robert Service. This poem is a masterpiece that captures the essence of the telegraph operator's life and the important role they played in the development of communication technology.
Robert Service was a renowned poet who lived from 1874 to 1958. He was known for his ability to capture the human experience in his poems, and The Telegraph Operator is no exception. In this poem, Service tells the story of a telegraph operator who works tirelessly to send and receive messages, connecting people from all over the world.
The poem begins with the telegraph operator sitting in his office, waiting for a message to come through. Service describes the operator's surroundings, painting a vivid picture of the telegraph office. He writes, "The office clock tick-tocks away, / And the telegraph tape ticks all day, / And the operator sits in his chair, / With his fingers flying here and there."
The telegraph operator's job was not an easy one. They had to be alert and focused at all times, ready to send and receive messages at a moment's notice. Service captures this perfectly when he writes, "For the wires are humming night and day, / And the messages come from far away, / And the operator's fingers fly, / As he sends them on to the by and by."
The telegraph operator was a vital part of the communication network, connecting people from all over the world. They were responsible for sending and receiving messages that could change the course of history. Service highlights this when he writes, "For the messages that come and go, / Are the life-blood of the world, you know, / And the operator's faithful hand, / Is the pulse of a mighty land."
The poem also touches on the personal sacrifices that the telegraph operator had to make. They often worked long hours, sometimes even through the night, to ensure that messages were sent and received in a timely manner. Service captures this when he writes, "And he works and works with never a stop, / Till his eyes are red and his nerves near pop, / And he dreams of dots and he dreams of dashes, / And his nights are full of clicks and crashes."
Despite the challenges that the telegraph operator faced, they were proud of their work and the important role they played in society. Service captures this when he writes, "For the operator's heart is light, / As he sends his messages through the night, / And he knows that the world is better far, / For the faithful work of the telegraph star."
In conclusion, The Telegraph Operator is a classic poem that captures the essence of the telegraph operator's life and the important role they played in the development of communication technology. Robert Service's ability to capture the human experience in his poems is evident in this masterpiece. The telegraph operator's job was not an easy one, but they were proud of their work and the important role they played in society. The poem is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the telegraph operator, and it is a reminder of the importance of communication in our lives.
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