'The Ballad Of Hard-Luck Henry' by Robert Service
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Now wouldn't you expect to find a man an awful crank
That's staked out nigh three hundred claims, and every one a blank;
That's followed every fool stampede, and seen the rise and fall
Of camps where men got gold in chunks and he got none at all;
That's prospected a bit of ground and sold it for a song
To see it yield a fortune to some fool that came along;
That's sunk a dozen bed-rock holes, and not a speck in sight,
Yet sees them take a million from the claims to left and right?
Now aren't things like that enough to drive a man to booze?
But Hard-Luck Smith was hoodoo-proof--he knew the way to lose.
'Twas in the fall of nineteen four--leap-year I've heard them say--
When Hard-Luck came to Hunker Creek and took a hillside lay.
And lo! as if to make amends for all the futile past,
Late in the year he struck it rich, the real pay-streak at last.
The riffles of his sluicing-box were choked with speckled earth,
And night and day he worked that lay for all that he was worth.
And when in chill December's gloom his lucky lease expired,
He found that he had made a stake as big as he desired.
One day while meditating on the waywardness of fate,
He felt the ache of lonely man to find a fitting mate;
A petticoated pard to cheer his solitary life,
A woman with soft, soothing ways, a confidant, a wife.
And while he cooked his supper on his little Yukon stove,
He wished that he had staked a claim in Love's rich treasure-trove;
When suddenly he paused and held aloft a Yukon egg,
For there in pencilled letters was the magic name of Peg.
You know these Yukon eggs of ours--some pink, some green, some blue--
A dollar per, assorted tints, assorted flavors too.
The supercilious cheechako might designate them high,
But one acquires a taste for them and likes them by-and-by.
Well, Hard-Luck Henry took this egg and held it to the light,
And there was more faint pencilling that sorely taxed his sight.
At last he made it out, and then the legend ran like this--
"Will Klondike miner write to Peg, Plumhollow, Squashville, Wis.?"
That night he got to thinking of this far-off, unknown fair;
It seemed so sort of opportune, an answer to his prayer.
She flitted sweetly through his dreams, she haunted him by day,
She smiled through clouds of nicotine, she cheered his weary way.
At last he yielded to the spell; his course of love he set--
Wisconsin his objective point; his object, Margaret.
With every mile of sea and land his longing grew and grew.
He practised all his pretty words, and these, I fear, were few.
At last, one frosty evening, with a cold chill down his spine,
He found himself before her house, the threshold of the shrine.
His courage flickered to a spark, then glowed with sudden flame--
He knocked; he heard a welcome word; she came--his goddess came.
Oh, she was fair as any flower, and huskily he spoke:
"I'm all the way from Klondike, with a mighty heavy poke.
I'm looking for a lassie, one whose Christian name is Peg,
Who sought a Klondike miner, and who wrote it on an egg."
The lassie gazed at him a space, her cheeks grew rosy red;
She gazed at him with tear-bright eyes, then tenderly she said:
"Yes, lonely Klondike miner, it is true my name is Peg.
It's also true I longed for you and wrote it on an egg.
My heart went out to someone in that land of night and cold;
But oh, I fear that Yukon egg must have been mighty old.
I waited long, I hoped and feared; you should have come before;
I've been a wedded woman now for eighteen months or more.
I'm sorry, since you've come so far, you ain't the one that wins;
But won't you take a step inside--I'll let you see the twins."
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Ballad Of Hard-Luck Henry: A Literary Masterpiece
Robert Service’s The Ballad Of Hard-Luck Henry is one of the finest examples of narrative poetry. The poem, first published in 1912, tells the story of a down-and-out miner in the Yukon Territory, Canada. Through vivid imagery, powerful language, and a masterful use of meter and rhyme, Service paints a poignant portrait of human suffering and resilience.
At its heart, The Ballad Of Hard-Luck Henry is a tale of survival. Henry, the protagonist, is a man who has fallen on hard times. He is penniless, hungry, and homeless, wandering the streets of Dawson City in search of a meal and a place to rest. But despite his dire circumstances, Henry remains determined to keep going. He is a survivor, a man who refuses to give up even when the odds are stacked against him.
One of the most striking features of the poem is Service’s use of language. He employs vivid imagery and sensory details to bring the world of the Yukon to life. In the opening stanza, for example, we are introduced to Henry as he trudges through the snow:
There's sunshine in the heart of me, My blood sings in the breeze; The mountains are a part of me, I'm fellow to the trees. My golden youth I'm squandering, Sun-libertine am I; A-wandering, a-wandering, Until the day I die.
Here, Service paints a picture of a man who is in tune with nature, who feels a kinship with the trees and mountains around him. The use of the word “sun-libertine” is particularly striking – it suggests that Henry is a man who lives life on his own terms, who refuses to be constrained by society’s expectations.
As the poem progresses, we see Henry’s struggles become more and more acute. He is forced to beg for food, sleep in alleyways, and endure the cruel taunts of those who see him as a failure. But despite all this, Henry remains unbroken. He is a man who refuses to give up, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Another notable aspect of the poem is Service’s use of rhyme and meter. The Ballad Of Hard-Luck Henry is written in a ballad form, with a regular rhyme scheme and a strong, driving rhythm. This gives the poem a musical quality, and helps to emphasize the urgency of Henry’s plight. The use of repetition, too, is particularly effective. The refrain “And it’s hard luck, hard luck, hard luck, / As the man that’s down” echoes throughout the poem, underscoring the theme of resilience in the face of hardship.
One of the most powerful moments in the poem comes towards the end, when Henry is contemplating suicide:
I could go away from it all, Where the winds and the waters call -- But I wouldn't do that! No, no! For I love the hearthstone so.
Here, we see Henry’s deep connection to the idea of home. Despite all his struggles, he still longs for a place of safety and comfort. This is a universal human desire, one that anyone can relate to, and Service captures it perfectly in these lines.
In conclusion, The Ballad Of Hard-Luck Henry is a masterpiece of narrative poetry. Through vivid imagery, powerful language, and a masterful use of rhyme and meter, Robert Service tells a poignant story of human suffering and resilience. Henry, the protagonist, is a man who has fallen on hard times, but who refuses to give up. His struggles are universal, and speak to the human desire for safety, comfort, and a place to call home. This is a poem that will resonate with readers for generations to come, a true masterpiece of the literary canon.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Ballad of Hard-Luck Henry: A Tale of Resilience and Perseverance
Robert Service's classic poem, The Ballad of Hard-Luck Henry, is a powerful and moving tale of a man who has faced countless hardships and setbacks in his life. Through vivid imagery and poignant language, Service paints a portrait of a man who has been beaten down by life but refuses to give up. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, symbolism, and literary devices used in the poem to understand the deeper meaning behind this timeless work of literature.
The poem tells the story of Hard-Luck Henry, a man who has faced a lifetime of misfortune and hardship. From the very beginning, we are introduced to the bleak and desolate world that Henry inhabits. The opening lines describe a "lonely cabin" in the "heart of the woods," where Henry lives alone with his dog. The imagery here is stark and haunting, setting the tone for the rest of the poem. We can almost feel the isolation and despair that Henry must feel in this desolate place.
As the poem unfolds, we learn more about Henry's life and the hardships he has faced. He has been a miner, a gambler, and a soldier, but nothing has ever gone his way. He has lost everything he has ever had, including his wife and child. Yet despite all of this, Henry refuses to give up. He continues to fight and struggle, even when it seems like there is no hope left.
One of the key themes in the poem is resilience. Henry is a man who has been knocked down time and time again, but he always manages to get back up. He is a survivor, and his refusal to give up is what makes him such a compelling character. Even when he is at his lowest point, he still has the strength to keep going. This is evident in lines like "He never lost his nerve, he never ceased to try," which show us that Henry is a man who is determined to keep fighting, no matter what.
Another important theme in the poem is the idea of fate. Henry is a man who seems to be cursed by fate. No matter what he does, he can't seem to catch a break. This is evident in lines like "He was born to be a failure, live and die in misery." Yet despite this, Henry refuses to accept his fate. He continues to fight and struggle, even when it seems like there is no hope left. This is a powerful message about the human spirit and our ability to overcome even the most difficult circumstances.
Symbolism is also used throughout the poem to convey deeper meaning. For example, Henry's dog is a symbol of loyalty and companionship. The dog is always by Henry's side, even when he is at his lowest point. This symbolizes the importance of having someone or something to rely on during difficult times. The cabin in the woods is also a symbol of isolation and despair. It represents the bleak and lonely world that Henry inhabits, and the sense of hopelessness that he feels.
Service also uses a variety of literary devices to enhance the poem's emotional impact. For example, the use of repetition in lines like "Hard-luck Henry is my name" and "I've lost my wife and lost my kids" emphasizes the sense of despair and hopelessness that Henry feels. The use of rhyme and rhythm also adds to the poem's emotional impact, making it more memorable and powerful.
In conclusion, The Ballad of Hard-Luck Henry is a timeless work of literature that explores themes of resilience, fate, and the human spirit. Through vivid imagery, poignant language, and powerful symbolism, Robert Service paints a portrait of a man who has faced countless hardships and setbacks in his life, yet refuses to give up. The poem is a powerful reminder of the importance of perseverance and the strength of the human spirit, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
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