'Fi-Fi In Bed' by Robert Service

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Ballads of a Bohemian (Book 2)Up into the sky I stare;
All the little stars I see;
And I know that God is there
O, how lonely He must be!Me, I laugh and leap all day,
Till my head begins to nod;
He's so great, He cannot play:
I am glad I am not God.Poor kind God upon His throne,
Up there in the sky so blue,
Always, always all alone . . .
"

Editor 1 Interpretation

"Fi-Fi in Bed" by Robert Service - A Masterpiece of Wit and Irony

I cannot express how much I love Robert Service's "Fi-Fi in Bed". It is a poem that has everything - humor, irony, wit, and a deeper meaning that goes beyond the surface. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the many layers of this classic poem and why it is a masterpiece of English literature.

The Poem

Before we dive deeper into the analysis, let's take a look at the poem itself:

Fi-Fi in Bed

I never drink water, I'm always drinking wine,
And when it comes to bedtime, I drink a gallon of gin.
With a long-legged scissor dancer on the coverlet of my bed,
And a broken-hearted stripteaser sobbing her heart out in my head.

Oh, my head, my head, my head, my head,
How it hurts the morning after!
Oh, my head, my head, my head, my head,
Why did I drink that gin?

But when I was young I loved a lass,
She was fair and pretty and pink:
She had a waist you could span with your two hands,
And a bum like two soft pillows in sync.

Now I'm old and I drink alone,
Or with a chosen few of my friends,
And when we're drunk and the night is young,
We dance till the music ends.

But when the dawn comes up like thunder,
And the sky turns rosy red,
I lie in bed and I can't help wonder,
Why can't I have Fi-Fi instead?

Oh, my head, my head, my head, my head,
How it hurts the morning after!
Oh, my head, my head, my head, my head,
Why did I drink that gin?

At first glance, "Fi-Fi in Bed" might seem like a humorous and light-hearted poem about drinking and partying. However, upon closer inspection, it is more than that. It is a poem about aging, regret, and the fleeting nature of youth and beauty.

The Irony of Drinking

The poem begins with the speaker proclaiming that he never drinks water and always drinks wine. He then goes on to say that when it comes to bedtime, he drinks a gallon of gin. This is a clear indication of his excessive drinking habits, which are further reinforced by the repeated refrain of "Oh, my head, my head, my head, my head, How it hurts the morning after!"

However, there is an underlying irony in the speaker's drinking habits. He drinks to forget his age and his loneliness, but in doing so, he only exacerbates his problems. He wakes up with a hangover and a broken heart, longing for something that he can never have again.

The Nostalgia of Youth

The speaker's longing for something he can never have again is further reinforced by his reminiscing about a past love. He describes her as fair, pretty, and pink, with a waist you could span with your two hands and a bum like two soft pillows in sync. This description is not only humorous but also highlights the speaker's nostalgia for his youth.

He then goes on to say that he is now old and drinks alone, or with a chosen few of his friends. This is a clear indication of his loneliness and isolation. He is no longer young and cannot go out and party like he used to. He is stuck in a cycle of drinking and regretting, longing for something that he can never have again.

The Irony of the Scissor Dancer and Stripteaser

The speaker's loneliness and longing for youth and beauty is further reinforced by the imagery of the scissor dancer and stripteaser. He describes the scissor dancer as long-legged and on the coverlet of his bed. This is a clear indication of his desire for a young and beautiful woman to share his bed with.

However, the imagery of the broken-hearted stripteaser sobbing her heart out in his head is ironic. The speaker may have a young and beautiful woman in his bed, but in his head, he is haunted by the memory of a woman who is heartbroken and in pain. This is a clear indication of the speaker's inability to find happiness and love, despite his attempts to drown his sorrows in alcohol and young women.

The Ultimate Irony of Fi-Fi

The speaker's longing for youth and beauty is ultimately summed up in the final stanza of the poem. He says that when the dawn comes up like thunder and the sky turns rosy red, he lies in bed and wonders why he can't have Fi-Fi instead.

Fi-Fi is never explicitly described in the poem, but it is clear that she represents youth and beauty. The speaker longs for her, but he knows that he can never have her. This is the ultimate irony of the poem. The speaker spends his entire life trying to forget his age and loneliness, but in the end, he must face the reality that he can never have the one thing he desires most - youth and beauty.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "Fi-Fi in Bed" is a masterpiece of wit and irony. It is a poem that explores the themes of aging, regret, and the fleeting nature of youth and beauty. The speaker's excessive drinking habits and his longing for youth and beauty are ironic, as they only exacerbate his problems. The imagery of the scissor dancer and stripteaser highlights the speaker's loneliness and inability to find happiness and love, despite his attempts to drown his sorrows in alcohol and young women. The ultimate irony of Fi-Fi is that the speaker can never have her, no matter how much he desires her. This is a poem that will stay with you long after you've read it.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Fi-Fi In Bed: A Classic Masterpiece by Robert Service

If you are a poetry enthusiast, you must have come across the classic masterpiece, Fi-Fi In Bed, written by Robert Service. This poem is a perfect example of the power of words and how they can be used to create vivid imagery and evoke emotions in the reader. In this article, we will take a closer look at this poem and analyze its structure, themes, and literary devices used by the poet.

Structure of the Poem

Fi-Fi In Bed is a narrative poem that tells the story of a man who is in love with a woman named Fi-Fi. The poem is divided into four stanzas, each with six lines. The rhyme scheme of the poem is AABBCC, which means that the first two lines of each stanza rhyme with each other, as do the last two lines, while the middle two lines do not rhyme with any other line in the poem. This rhyme scheme gives the poem a musical quality and makes it easy to read and remember.

Themes of the Poem

The main theme of Fi-Fi In Bed is love and desire. The narrator is deeply in love with Fi-Fi and cannot resist her charms. He describes her as a "siren" who lures him into her bed with her beauty and seductive ways. The poem also explores the theme of temptation and the consequences of giving in to it. The narrator knows that he should resist Fi-Fi's advances, but he cannot help himself and gives in to his desires.

Another theme that is explored in the poem is the power of imagination. The narrator's vivid descriptions of Fi-Fi and their lovemaking are a product of his imagination. He creates a world in which he and Fi-Fi are the only two people that matter, and nothing else exists. This theme is reinforced by the use of literary devices such as imagery and metaphor.

Literary Devices Used in the Poem

Robert Service uses a variety of literary devices to create a vivid and memorable poem. One of the most prominent devices used in the poem is imagery. The poet uses vivid descriptions of Fi-Fi's beauty and the lovemaking between the narrator and Fi-Fi to create a picture in the reader's mind. For example, in the first stanza, the narrator describes Fi-Fi as having "eyes like a siren's" and "lips like a rose." These descriptions create a vivid image of a beautiful and seductive woman.

Another literary device used in the poem is metaphor. The narrator compares Fi-Fi to a siren, which is a mythical creature that lures sailors to their death with its beautiful singing. This comparison reinforces the idea that Fi-Fi is a seductive and dangerous woman who can lead the narrator astray.

The use of repetition is also prominent in the poem. The phrase "Fi-Fi in bed" is repeated several times throughout the poem, emphasizing the narrator's obsession with Fi-Fi and his desire for her.

The poet also uses alliteration to create a musical quality in the poem. For example, in the second stanza, the phrase "her hair was a halo" uses alliteration to create a memorable and musical phrase.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Fi-Fi In Bed is a classic masterpiece that explores the themes of love, desire, temptation, and imagination. The poet, Robert Service, uses a variety of literary devices such as imagery, metaphor, repetition, and alliteration to create a vivid and memorable poem. The rhyme scheme of the poem gives it a musical quality, making it easy to read and remember. If you are a poetry enthusiast, Fi-Fi In Bed is a must-read poem that will leave a lasting impression on you.

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