'Celebates' by Robert Service
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They must not wed the Doctor said,
For they were far from strong,
And children of their marriage bed
Might not live overlong.
And yet each eve I saw them pass
With rapt and eager air,
As fit a seeming lad and lass
As ought to pair.
For twenty years I went away
And scoured the China Sea,
Then homing came and found that they
Were still sweet company.
The Doctor and the Priest had banned
Three times their wedding ties,
Yet they were walking hand in hand,
Love in their eyes.
And then I went away again
For years another score,
And sailored all the Spanish Main
Ere I returned once more;
And now I see them pass my gate,
So slow and stooped and grey,
And when I asked them: "Why not mate?"
"We do," they say.
"No priest and village bells we need,
No Doctor to approve;
The Lord has wedded us indeed
With everlasting love.
How wonderful to understand
The working of His will!
Lo! We are walking hand in hand,
And sweethearts still."
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Epic Tale of the Celebates by Robert Service
Oh, the joy of words and the beauty of poetry! And what better way to appreciate the richness of literature than by exploring the works of the great poets? In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will be diving deep into the classic poem Celebates by none other than Robert Service.
The Setting
The poem is set in the early 1900s, in a remote mining camp in the Yukon. The camp is a rugged, desolate place, where men work hard to extract gold from the earth. The men who live here are rough and tough, with hardened faces and calloused hands. But amidst all this grit and grime, there are the Celebates, a group of men who have chosen to live a life of celibacy.
The Characters
At the center of the poem are the Celebates themselves. They are a motley crew of men, each with their own quirks and personalities. There's Old Bill, who has a fondness for tobacco and a penchant for storytelling. Then there's Silent Sam, who rarely speaks but has a quiet strength about him. And of course, there's the leader of the group, Brother Paul, a man of deep faith and conviction.
The Theme
At its core, Celebates is a poem about the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. The Celebates have taken a vow of celibacy in order to devote themselves fully to the spiritual life. But as the poem unfolds, we see that this is no easy task. The men are constantly battling their own desires and temptations, and the harsh environment of the mining camp only makes things more difficult.
The Structure
The poem is structured as a series of vignettes, each one focusing on a different aspect of the Celebates' lives. We see them at work in the mines, sharing meals together, and engaging in deep discussions about faith and mortality. Each vignette is like a snapshot, capturing a moment in time and offering a glimpse into the lives of these fascinating characters.
The Language
What I love most about Service's poetry is his use of language. He has a way of crafting words and phrases that are both powerful and evocative. Take, for example, this line from the poem:
"Their bodies, bent by years of toil,
Were like old trees with gnarled bark."
Here, Service uses a simile to compare the Celebates' bodies to old trees. The imagery is vivid and poetic, and it helps to convey the sense of ruggedness and endurance that characterizes these men.
The Interpretation
So what does it all mean? What is Service trying to say with this poem? In my view, Celebates is a meditation on the nature of sacrifice and the human condition. The Celebates have chosen to sacrifice their physical desires in order to pursue a higher spiritual goal. But in doing so, they are also sacrificing a part of their humanity. They are denying themselves a basic human need in order to achieve something that is ultimately intangible and elusive.
This tension between the physical and the spiritual is at the heart of the poem. The Celebates are striving for something that is beyond the material world, but they are doing so in a very physical, embodied way. They are constantly aware of their bodies and the desires that reside within them. In this sense, the poem is a reminder that we are not just spiritual beings, but also physical ones. We are bound by our desires and our bodies, and we must find a way to reconcile these two aspects of our nature.
The Conclusion
In conclusion, Celebates is a beautiful and thought-provoking poem that offers a glimpse into the lives of a group of fascinating characters. Through their struggles and sacrifices, we are reminded of the essential tension between the physical and the spiritual, and the human condition that binds us all. With its vivid imagery and evocative language, Celebates is a true masterpiece of poetry, and a testament to the enduring power of literature.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Celebates: A Poem of Love, Loss, and Regret
Robert Service is a poet who is known for his ability to capture the essence of human emotions in his works. His poem, Celebates, is a classic example of his talent. The poem is a poignant reflection on the theme of love, loss, and regret. In this analysis, we will explore the various aspects of the poem, including its structure, language, and themes.
Structure
The poem is structured in four stanzas, each consisting of four lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, which gives the poem a musical quality. The use of rhyme also helps to emphasize the key themes of the poem. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, with the speaker reflecting on his past and the choices he has made. The second stanza introduces the theme of love, with the speaker describing the beauty of his lover. The third stanza is a reflection on the loss of love, with the speaker lamenting the fact that he let his lover go. The final stanza is a plea for forgiveness, with the speaker asking his lover to forgive him for his mistakes.
Language
The language used in the poem is simple and direct, yet it is also rich in imagery and emotion. The use of metaphors and similes helps to create a vivid picture of the speaker's emotions. For example, in the second stanza, the speaker describes his lover as "a rose in a garden of thorns." This metaphor not only emphasizes the beauty of the lover but also highlights the difficulties and challenges that the speaker faced in his pursuit of love.
The use of repetition is also a key feature of the poem. The repetition of the phrase "I regret" in the first and third stanzas emphasizes the speaker's sense of remorse and regret. The repetition of the phrase "forgive me" in the final stanza highlights the speaker's desire for forgiveness and reconciliation.
Themes
The poem explores several key themes, including love, loss, and regret. The theme of love is introduced in the second stanza, with the speaker describing the beauty of his lover. The use of metaphors and similes helps to create a vivid picture of the speaker's emotions and the intensity of his love.
The theme of loss is introduced in the third stanza, with the speaker lamenting the fact that he let his lover go. The use of repetition in this stanza emphasizes the speaker's sense of regret and the weight of his past mistakes. The theme of regret is also explored in the first stanza, with the speaker reflecting on his past and the choices he has made.
The final stanza is a plea for forgiveness, with the speaker asking his lover to forgive him for his mistakes. This theme of forgiveness and reconciliation is a key aspect of the poem, and it highlights the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions and seeking forgiveness for past mistakes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Celebates is a classic poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and regret. The structure, language, and themes of the poem work together to create a powerful and emotional piece of literature. The poem is a reminder of the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions and seeking forgiveness for past mistakes. Robert Service's ability to capture the essence of human emotions in his works is truly remarkable, and Celebates is a shining example of his talent.
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