'Facility' by Robert Service
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
So easy 'tis to make a rhyme,
That did the world but know it,
Your coachman might Parnassus climb,
Your butler be a poet.
Then, oh, how charming it would be
If, when in haste hysteric
You called the page, you learned that he
Was grappling with a lyric.
Or else what rapture it would yield,
When cook sent up the salad,
To find within its depths concealed
A touching little ballad.
Or if for tea and toast you yearned,
What joy to find upon it
The chambermaid had coyly laid
A palpitating sonnet.
Your baker could the fashion set;
Your butcher might respond well;
With every tart a triolet,
With every chop a rondel.
Your tailor's bill . . . well, I'll be blowed!
Dear chap! I never knowed him . . .
He's gone and written me an ode,
Instead of what I owed him.
So easy 'tis to rhyme . . . yet stay!
Oh, terrible misgiving!
Please do not give the game away . . .
I've got to make my living.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Facility by Robert Service: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Are you ready to embark on a journey through the pages of Robert Service's classic poem, Facility? This 4000-word literary criticism and interpretation will take you through the poem's themes, structure, language, and imagery, providing a deep understanding of this timeless masterpiece.
The Poet and His Work
Before we delve into the poem itself, let's take a brief look at the poet and his work. Robert Service was a Scottish-born poet and writer who lived from 1874 to 1958. His work encompassed a wide range of themes, from the rugged landscapes of the Canadian wilderness to the human condition, love, and war. Service's poetry was marked by its accessibility and simplicity. He was a master of narrative verse, using clear and straightforward language to tell compelling stories.
Service's most famous works include "The Cremation of Sam McGee," "The Shooting of Dan McGrew," and "The Spell of the Yukon." However, one of his lesser-known poems, "Facility," also deserves our attention. Published in 1912, "Facility" is a poem that explores the transformative power of language and the creative process.
Structure and Language
The poem is divided into four stanzas, each consisting of six lines. The rhyme scheme is ABABCC, with a regular meter of iambic tetrameter. This creates a rhythmic and musical quality to the poem, which is accentuated by Service's use of alliteration, assonance, and repetition.
The poem begins with the speaker describing his struggles with writing. He speaks of how he's "troubled in mind" and how "words and phrases [are] hard to find." He longs for the effortless ability to write like other poets, who seem to possess an innate "facility" for writing. The word "facility" here refers to both the ease with which other poets write and the creative space, or facility, that writing provides.
As the poem progresses, the speaker paints a vivid picture of the creative process. He describes how he sits at his desk, staring at the blank page, trying to summon the words to fill it. He speaks of how he feels "pent-up, cramped, and choked" before finally finding release in the act of writing. This release is accompanied by a physical sensation, as he feels the "swift, sweet surge of song."
However, this release is short-lived, and the speaker soon finds himself back in the grips of writer's block. He speaks of how he longs for the words to come to him as easily as they do to other poets, who seem to be "marching in triumph to a tune I cannot hear." The speaker's frustration is palpable, and we can feel his longing for the creative freedom that other writers seem to possess effortlessly.
Imagery and Theme
Service uses powerful imagery to convey the transformative power of writing. In the first stanza, he describes the blank page as a "desert waste," a metaphor that speaks to the barrenness of the creative process before the words begin to flow. As the poem progresses, the imagery becomes more vibrant, with the speaker describing the act of writing as a "swift, sweet surge of song." This image speaks to the release that writing provides, as well as the joy and pleasure that comes with creative expression.
The theme of the poem is the transformative power of language and the creative process. Service is exploring the idea that writing has the power to transform us and transport us to different dimensions of our being. The act of writing provides a space for creative expression, allowing us to tap into our deepest emotions and desires. This creative release is essential for our wellbeing, and Service is highlighting the importance of giving ourselves permission to create and express ourselves through language.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Facility" is a powerful poem that speaks to the transformative power of language and the creative process. Service's use of vivid imagery, powerful language, and musical rhythm make this poem a pleasure to read. The theme of the poem is universal, and it speaks to the importance of creative expression and the role that writing can play in our lives. If you haven't read this poem before, I highly recommend it. It's a timeless masterpiece that speaks to the human condition and the power of language to transform us.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Facility: A Poem of the Human Condition
Robert Service’s poem, Facility, is a masterpiece of modern poetry that explores the human condition in a way that is both profound and accessible. Written in Service’s signature style of simple language and vivid imagery, Facility captures the essence of what it means to be human in a world that is often chaotic and unpredictable.
At its core, Facility is a poem about the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life. The speaker of the poem is a man who has achieved great success in his career, but who feels empty and unfulfilled. He longs for the simplicity and joy of his childhood, when life was full of wonder and possibility. But he knows that he can never go back to that time, and so he is left with a sense of longing and regret.
The poem begins with the speaker reflecting on his life and his accomplishments. He describes himself as a man who has “scaled the heights of worldly fame” and who has “won the plaudits of the crowd”. He has achieved everything that society tells us we should strive for: wealth, success, and recognition. But despite all of this, he feels a sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction.
The speaker then goes on to describe his childhood, when life was full of wonder and possibility. He remembers the joy of playing with his friends, of exploring the world around him, and of dreaming about the future. But as he grew older, he became more focused on achieving success and less focused on the simple pleasures of life. He lost touch with his inner child and became consumed by the demands of the adult world.
The poem then takes a darker turn, as the speaker begins to reflect on the cost of his success. He realizes that he has sacrificed his happiness and his sense of self in order to achieve his goals. He has become a slave to his own ambition, and he is no longer able to find joy in the things that once brought him happiness.
But despite all of this, the speaker is not without hope. He knows that there is still a chance for him to find meaning and purpose in life. He recognizes that he has been living a life of “facile deeds and words”, and that he needs to rediscover the simplicity and joy of his childhood in order to find true happiness.
In the final stanza of the poem, the speaker makes a plea to the reader to join him on this journey of self-discovery. He asks us to “come back to the things that count”, to rediscover the wonder and joy of life, and to find meaning and purpose in the world around us.
Facility is a poem that speaks to the heart of the human condition. It reminds us that success and recognition are not enough to bring us true happiness, and that we must never lose sight of the simple pleasures of life. It is a call to action, a plea to rediscover the wonder and joy of childhood, and to find meaning and purpose in the world around us.
In terms of poetic technique, Service’s use of simple language and vivid imagery is particularly effective in conveying the message of the poem. The use of repetition, such as the repeated use of the word “facile”, emphasizes the speaker’s sense of dissatisfaction and his desire for something more. The use of metaphor, such as the comparison of the speaker’s life to a “tinsel toy”, adds depth and complexity to the poem, and helps to convey the speaker’s sense of disillusionment.
Overall, Facility is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that speaks to the universal human experience. It is a reminder that true happiness and fulfillment can only be found by rediscovering the wonder and joy of life, and by finding meaning and purpose in the world around us.
Editor Recommended Sites
Blockchain Job Board - Block Chain Custody and Security Jobs & Crypto Smart Contract Jobs: The latest Blockchain job postingsBusiness Process Model and Notation - BPMN Tutorials & BPMN Training Videos: Learn how to notate your business and developer processes in a standardized way
Learn Snowflake: Learn the snowflake data warehouse for AWS and GCP, course by an Ex-Google engineer
Webassembly Solutions: Webassembly consulting in DFW
Ontology Video: Ontology and taxonomy management. Skos tutorials and best practice for enterprise taxonomy clouds
Recommended Similar Analysis
Trees by Joyce Kilmer analysisSohrab and Rustum by Matthew Arnold analysis
Number 8 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti analysis
Sonnet 147: My love is as a fever, longing still by William Shakespeare analysis
Desire by Samuel Taylor Coleridge analysis
The Man Of The Crowd by Edgar Allen Poe analysis
The Deserted Village, A Poem by Oliver Goldsmith analysis
The Vanishing Red by Robert Frost analysis
Success is Counted Sweetest by Emily Dickinson analysis
To A Shade by William Butler Yeats analysis