'My Foe' by Robert Service

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A Belgian Priest-Soldier Speaks;

GURR! You cochon! Stand and fight!
Show your mettle! Snarl and bite!
Spawn of an accursed race,
Turn and meet me face to face!
Here amid the wreck and rout
Let us grip and have it out!
Here where ruins rock and reel
Let us settle, steel to steel!
Look! Our houses, how they spit
Sparks from brands your friends have lit.
See! Our gutters running red,
Bright with blood your friends have shed.
Hark! Amid your drunken brawl
How our maidens shriek and call.
Why have you come here alone,
To this hearth's blood-spattered stone?
Come to ravish, come to loot,
Come to play the ghoulish brute.
Ah, indeed! We well are met,
Bayonet to bayonet.
God! I never killed a man:
Now I'll do the best I can.
Rip you to the evil heart,
Laugh to see the life-blood start.
Bah! You swine! I hate you so.
Show you mercy? No! . . . and no! . . .

There! I've done it. See! He lies
Death a-staring from his eyes;
Glazing eyeballs, panting breath,
How it's horrible, is Death!
Plucking at his bloody lips
With his trembling finger-tips;
Choking in a dreadful way
As if he would something say
In that uncouth tongue of his. . . .
Oh, how horrible Death is!

How I wish that he would die!
So unnerved, unmanned am I.
See! His twitching face is white!
See! His bubbling blood is bright.
Why do I not shout with glee?
What strange spell is over me?
There he lies; the fight was fair;
Let me toss my cap in air.
Why am I so silent? Why
Do I pray for him to die?
Where is all my vengeful joy?
Ugh! My foe is but a boy.

I'd a brother of his age
Perished in the war's red rage;
Perished in the Ypres hell:
Oh, I loved my brother well.
And though I be hard and grim,
How it makes me think of him!
He had just such flaxen hair
As the lad that's lying there.
Just such frank blue eyes were his. . . .
God! How horrible war is!

I have reason to be gay:
There is one less foe to slay.
I have reason to be glad:
Yet -- my foe is such a lad.
So I watch in dull amaze,
See his dying eyes a-glaze,
See his face grow glorified,
See his hands outstretched and wide
To that bit of ruined wall
Where the flames have ceased to crawl,
Where amid the crumbling bricks
Hangs a blackebed crucifix.

Now, oh now I understand.
Quick I press it in his hand,
Close his feeble finger-tips,
Hold it to his faltering lips.
As I watch his welling blood
I would stem it if I could.
God of Pity, let him live!
God of Love, forgive, forgive.

* * * *

His face looked strangely, as he died,
Like that of One they crucified.
And in the pocket of his coat
I found a letter; thus he wrote:
The things I've seen! Oh, mother dear,
I'm wondering can God be here?
To-night amid the drunken brawl
I saw a Cross hung on a wall;
I'll seek it now, and there alone
Perhaps I may atone, atone. . . .

Ah no! 'Tis I who must atone.
No other saw but God alone;
Yet how can I forget the sight
Of that face so woeful white!
Dead I kissed him as he lay,
Knelt by him and tried to pray;
Left him lying there at rest,
Crucifix upon his breast.

Not for him the pity be.
Ye who pity, pity me,
Crawling now the ways I trod,
Blood-guilty in sight of God.

Editor 1 Interpretation

My Foe: A Masterpiece of Poetic Expression

Robert Service's My Foe is a classic poem that has captured the imagination of readers for over a century. At its core, the poem is a tale of two adversaries, locked in a bitter struggle that ultimately leads to tragedy. However, My Foe is much more than a simple story. It is a work of art that speaks to deeper human emotions and themes. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will analyze the poem's structure, symbolism, and themes to understand why My Foe has endured as a masterpiece of poetic expression.

Structure and Form

One of the defining characteristics of My Foe is its structure and form. The poem consists of six stanzas of varying lengths, each with four lines. However, the poem's structure is not just limited to its stanza and line count. Service makes masterful use of rhyme, alliteration, and repetition to create a musical and rhythmic flow. For example, the first and third lines of each stanza rhyme, while the second and fourth lines do not. This creates a pattern that gives the poem a sense of continuity and unity. Additionally, Service uses alliteration to create a musical quality to the poem. For example, in the first stanza, we see alliteration in the phrase "frost-fringed" and "flinty fire." This creates a sense of harmony and rhythm that is pleasing to the ear.

Furthermore, Service makes use of repetition to reinforce the poem's themes and emotions. The phrase "My Foe" is repeated throughout the poem, hammering home the idea that the two adversaries are locked in a bitter struggle. Additionally, the repetition of the phrase "I saw" in the final stanza creates a sense of finality and closure, emphasizing the tragedy that has occurred.

Symbolism

My Foe is a poem that is rich in symbolism, with each image and metaphor serving to deepen our understanding of the poem's themes. One of the most prominent symbols in the poem is the fire. The "flinty fire" that the speaker and his foe sit around is a symbol of their shared humanity, their common bond as human beings. However, the fire also represents the destructive power of their conflict, as it consumes everything in its path. This duality is reflected in the poem's final stanza when the fire is described as "a red hell." This symbolizes the destructive power of the feud that has consumed the two men.

Another powerful symbol in the poem is the landscape. The "frost-fringed" mountains and the "starry vault" of the sky represent the vastness of the natural world, a world that is indifferent to the petty human conflicts that rage below. The landscape serves to highlight the smallness and insignificance of the two adversaries, emphasizing the futility of their struggle.

Finally, the poem's title itself is a powerful symbol. The word "foe" represents not only the speaker's enemy but also the forces of conflict and strife that exist in the world. By naming the poem My Foe, Service emphasizes the universal nature of the poem's themes, suggesting that the struggle between adversaries is a fundamental aspect of the human experience.

Themes

At its core, My Foe is a poem about conflict and its destructive power. The poem explores the idea that human conflict is often driven by irrational emotions like pride and jealousy, and that once these emotions take hold, they can lead to tragedy. The speaker's feud with his foe is fueled by a desire for revenge, a desire that ultimately leads to the destruction of both men.

However, the poem also touches on deeper themes like the nature of humanity and the role of fate in our lives. The poem's landscape serves to highlight the insignificance of human conflict in the grand scheme of things, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of our lives. Additionally, the poem suggests that fate plays a role in our lives, as the speaker notes that he was "born to hate." This idea of fate reinforces the idea that human conflict is often driven by forces beyond our control.

Finally, the poem touches on the theme of redemption. The speaker notes that "we were brothers after all," suggesting that even in the midst of conflict, there is the potential for reconciliation and forgiveness. However, in the end, this potential is never realized, and the feud leads to tragedy. This underscores the destructive power of human conflict and the importance of finding ways to resolve our differences peacefully.

Conclusion

My Foe is a masterpiece of poetic expression, a work that speaks to deeper human emotions and themes. The poem's structure and form create a musical and rhythmic flow, while its powerful symbols deepen our understanding of the poem's themes. Through its exploration of conflict, fate, and redemption, My Foe speaks to the universal human experience, touching on issues that have resonated with readers for over a century. As a literary work, My Foe stands as a testament to the power of poetry to capture the complexities of the human experience, to speak to our deepest emotions, and to inspire us to seek out peace and understanding in a world marked by conflict and strife.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

My Foe: A Classic Poem by Robert Service

If you're a fan of classic poetry, then you've probably heard of Robert Service. He was a Scottish-Canadian poet who wrote some of the most memorable poems of the 20th century. One of his most famous works is "My Foe," a poem that explores the complex relationship between two enemies. In this article, we'll take a closer look at this classic poem and analyze its themes, structure, and language.

The poem "My Foe" is a narrative poem that tells the story of two enemies who meet on a battlefield. The speaker of the poem is a soldier who has been fighting his foe for a long time. He describes his enemy as a "grim and gray" figure who is "hard as granite, cold as clay." The speaker is tired and wounded, but he is determined to defeat his foe. He says, "I'll fight him to the last, I'll fight him to the death."

The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with four lines. The first stanza sets the scene and introduces the two enemies. The second stanza describes the battle between the two foes, and the third stanza reveals the surprising twist at the end of the poem.

The language of the poem is simple and direct, but it is also powerful and evocative. Service uses vivid imagery to describe the battlefield and the two enemies. He describes the battlefield as a "desolate plain" and the two foes as "grim and gray" and "hard as granite, cold as clay." These descriptions create a sense of bleakness and despair, which is appropriate for a poem about war.

The poem also uses repetition to create a sense of rhythm and momentum. The phrase "My foe, my foe" is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the speaker's obsession with his enemy. The repetition of the phrase "I'll fight him to the last, I'll fight him to the death" also creates a sense of determination and resolve.

One of the main themes of the poem is the nature of war and the relationship between enemies. The poem suggests that war creates a sense of intense rivalry and hatred between enemies. The speaker of the poem is consumed by his hatred for his foe, and he is willing to fight to the death to defeat him. However, the poem also suggests that there is a sense of respect and admiration between enemies. The speaker describes his foe as "hard as granite, cold as clay," suggesting that he is a formidable opponent. The final twist in the poem also suggests that there is a sense of mutual respect between the two enemies.

Another theme of the poem is the idea of fate and destiny. The speaker of the poem seems to believe that his fate is tied to his enemy's fate. He says, "My foe, my foe, we'll meet again, / And make our reckoning then." This suggests that the speaker believes that he and his foe are destined to meet again and settle their score. The final twist in the poem also suggests that fate plays a role in the outcome of the battle.

In conclusion, "My Foe" is a classic poem that explores the complex relationship between two enemies. The poem uses vivid imagery, repetition, and a surprising twist to create a powerful and evocative narrative. The themes of war, rivalry, respect, and fate are all explored in this poem, making it a timeless work of literature. If you haven't read "My Foe" yet, I highly recommend it. It's a poem that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

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