'The Law Of The Yukon' by Robert Service
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This is the law of the Yukon, and ever she makes it plain:
"Send not your foolish and feeble; send me your strong and your sane --
Strong for the red rage of battle; sane for I harry them sore;
Send me men girt for the combat, men who are grit to the core;
Swift as the panther in triumph, fierce as the bear in defeat,
Sired of a bulldog parent, steeled in the furnace heat.
Send me the best of your breeding, lend me your chosen ones;
Them will I take to my bosom, them will I call my sons;
Them will I gild with my treasure, them will I glut with my meat;
But the others -- the misfits, the failures -- I trample under my feet.
Dissolute, damned and despairful, crippled and palsied and slain,
Ye would send me the spawn of your gutters -- Go! take back your spawn again.
"Wild and wide are my borders, stern as death is my sway;
From my ruthless throne I have ruled alone for a million years and a day;
Hugging my mighty treasure, waiting for man to come,
Till he swept like a turbid torrent, and after him swept -- the scum.
The pallid pimp of the dead-line, the enervate of the pen,
One by one I weeded them out, for all that I sought was -- Men.
One by one I dismayed them, frighting them sore with my glooms;
One by one I betrayed them unto my manifold dooms.
Drowned them like rats in my rivers, starved them like curs on my plains,
Rotted the flesh that was left them, poisoned the blood in their veins;
Burst with my winter upon them, searing forever their sight,
Lashed them with fungus-white faces, whimpering wild in the night;
"Staggering blind through the storm-whirl, stumbling mad through the snow,
Frozen stiff in the ice-pack, brittle and bent like a bow;
Featureless, formless, forsaken, scented by wolves in their flight,
Left for the wind to make music through ribs that are glittering white;
Gnawing the black crust of failure, searching the pit of despair,
Crooking the toe in the trigger, trying to patter a prayer;
Going outside with an escort, raving with lips all afoam,
Writing a cheque for a million, driveling feebly of home;
Lost like a louse in the burning . . . or else in the tented town
Seeking a drunkard's solace, sinking and sinking down;
Steeped in the slime at the bottom, dead to a decent world,
Lost 'mid the human flotsam, far on the frontier hurled;
In the camp at the bend of the river, with its dozen saloons aglare,
Its gambling dens ariot, its gramophones all ablare;
Crimped with the crimes of a city, sin-ridden and bridled with lies,
In the hush of my mountained vastness, in the flush of my midnight skies.
Plague-spots, yet tools of my purpose, so natheless I suffer them thrive,
Crushing my Weak in their clutches, that only my Strong may survive.
"But the others, the men of my mettle, the men who would 'stablish my fame
Unto its ultimate issue, winning me honor, not shame;
Searching my uttermost valleys, fighting each step as they go,
Shooting the wrath of my rapids, scaling my ramparts of snow;
Ripping the guts of my mountains, looting the beds of my creeks,
Them will I take to my bosom, and speak as a mother speaks.
I am the land that listens, I am the land that broods;
Steeped in eternal beauty, crystalline waters and woods.
Long have I waited lonely, shunned as a thing accurst,
Monstrous, moody, pathetic, the last of the lands and the first;
Visioning camp-fires at twilight, sad with a longing forlorn,
Feeling my womb o'er-pregnant with the seed of cities unborn.
Wild and wide are my borders, stern as death is my sway,
And I wait for the men who will win me -- and I will not be won in a day;
And I will not be won by weaklings, subtle, suave and mild,
But by men with the hearts of vikings, and the simple faith of a child;
Desperate, strong and resistless, unthrottled by fear or defeat,
Them will I gild with my treasure, them will I glut with my meat.
"Lofty I stand from each sister land, patient and wearily wise,
With the weight of a world of sadness in my quiet, passionless eyes;
Dreaming alone of a people, dreaming alone of a day,
When men shall not rape my riches, and curse me and go away;
Making a bawd of my bounty, fouling the hand that gave --
Till I rise in my wrath and I sweep on their path and I stamp them into a grave.
Dreaming of men who will bless me, of women esteeming me good,
Of children born in my borders of radiant motherhood,
Of cities leaping to stature, of fame like a flag unfurled,
As I pour the tide of my riches in the eager lap of the world."
This is the Law of the Yukon, that only the Strong shall thrive;
That surely the Weak shall perish, and only the Fit survive.
Dissolute, damned and despairful, crippled and palsied and slain,
This is the Will of the Yukon, -- Lo, how she makes it plain!
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Law of the Yukon
By Robert Service
INTRODUCTION
The Law of the Yukon is a classic poem that captures the spirit and the harshness of life in the northern wilderness. Robert Service, the author of the poem, was a Scottish-Canadian poet and writer who spent many years in the Yukon. He wrote several poems and novels that depicted the rugged and adventurous life of the gold rush era.
The Law of the Yukon is a short but powerful poem that tells the story of the men who sought their fortunes in the Yukon gold rush. The poem describes the harsh conditions and the dangers that the prospectors faced in their search for gold. It also portrays the rugged individualism and the sense of camaraderie that characterized life in the Yukon.
In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the themes and the literary devices that are used in The Law of the Yukon. I will examine the poem in detail, analyzing its structure, imagery, and symbolism. I will also discuss the historical and cultural context that influenced the writing of the poem.
THEME
The theme of The Law of the Yukon is the harshness and the unpredictability of life in the northern wilderness. The poem portrays the harsh conditions that the prospectors faced, including the bitter cold, the rugged terrain, and the threat of starvation. It also highlights the dangers that they faced, such as avalanches, ice jams, and predatory animals.
Despite these challenges, the prospectors were driven by a fierce determination to strike it rich. They were willing to endure any hardship and take any risk to find the elusive gold. The poem captures this spirit of adventure and individualism that characterized life in the Yukon during the gold rush era. It celebrates the rugged individualism and the sense of camaraderie that developed among the prospectors.
The poem also touches on the theme of the natural law. The Yukon wilderness is portrayed as a place where only the strongest survive. The poem suggests that there is a natural order to life in the wilderness, and those who ignore it do so at their peril. The natural law is represented by the harsh conditions and the unforgiving landscape of the Yukon.
STRUCTURE
The Law of the Yukon is a short poem consisting of four stanzas. Each stanza has four lines, and the poem follows a regular rhyme scheme. The first and third lines of each stanza rhyme, as do the second and fourth lines. The poem's structure is simple, but it effectively conveys the message of the poem.
The poem's structure reflects the simplicity and the ruggedness of life in the Yukon. The short, four-line stanzas mirror the brevity and the harshness of the wilderness. The regular rhyme scheme adds a sense of musicality to the poem, underscoring the importance of oral tradition in the Yukon.
IMAGERY
The Law of the Yukon is rich in imagery that vividly portrays the harsh conditions and the rugged beauty of the Yukon wilderness. The poem's imagery is both visual and auditory, creating a sense of immersion in the wild landscape.
The first stanza describes the bitter cold of the Yukon winter:
This is the law of the Yukon, that only the strong shall thrive; That surely the weak shall perish, and only the fit survive.
The second stanza portrays the rugged terrain and the threat of avalanches:
Strain till the sinews are sundered, or down to the knees in snow; Do that which you fear to do, there is might in the grasp of woe.
The third stanza describes the danger of ice jams and the ferocity of wild animals:
Dogged by need, and beset by sin, the wolf-pack, gray and dire, Strips the hunter's shoon and coat, but it cannot strip his fire.
The final stanza reinforces the theme of the natural law and the importance of individualism:
For it's only the pluck of the devil, and the luck of the devil too, And the mad, fierce joy of the fighting, that win, and that hold on you.
The poem's imagery creates a sense of awe and respect for the wilderness, while also highlighting the dangers and the unpredictable nature of life in the Yukon.
SYMBOLISM
The Law of the Yukon makes use of several symbols that reinforce the themes of the poem.
The first symbol is gold, which represents both the promise of riches and the lure of adventure. The prospectors were driven by the dream of finding gold, and they were willing to risk everything to achieve it. Gold also symbolizes the rugged individualism and the sense of adventure that characterized life in the Yukon.
The second symbol is fire, which represents the inner strength and the determination of the prospectors. The harsh conditions of the Yukon winter made it essential for the prospectors to build fires to survive. Fire also symbolizes the spirit of resilience and the refusal to give up, even in the face of adversity.
The third symbol is the wolf pack, which represents the dangers and the unpredictability of the wilderness. The wolves are a constant threat to the prospectors, and they symbolize the natural law that governs life in the Yukon.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The Law of the Yukon was written during the Yukon gold rush, which took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The gold rush attracted thousands of prospectors to the Yukon, creating a new frontier of adventure and opportunity.
Robert Service arrived in the Yukon in 1904, at the height of the gold rush. He worked as a bank clerk and a storekeeper, and he also wrote poetry and stories about the northern wilderness. Service's experiences in the Yukon inspired many of his works, including The Law of the Yukon.
The poem reflects the cultural and historical context of the gold rush era. It celebrates the rugged individualism and the sense of adventure that characterized life in the Yukon. It also acknowledges the harsh conditions and the dangers that the prospectors faced, highlighting the natural law that governed life in the wilderness.
CONCLUSION
The Law of the Yukon is a classic poem that captures the spirit and the harshness of life in the northern wilderness. It portrays the rugged individualism and the sense of camaraderie that characterized life in the Yukon during the gold rush era. The poem's structure, imagery, and symbolism effectively convey the message of the poem, creating a sense of immersion in the wild landscape.
The Law of the Yukon is a timeless work that continues to resonate with readers today. It celebrates the human spirit and the determination to overcome adversity, even in the harshest of environments. The poem is a tribute to the men and women who sought their fortunes in the Yukon, and to the natural law that governed life in the wilderness.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Law of the Yukon: A Poem of Adventure and Survival
The Yukon River, the longest river in Alaska, is a place of great beauty and danger. It is a place where the law of the land is not written in books, but in the hearts and minds of those who live and work there. Robert Service, a poet and writer who lived in the Yukon during the Gold Rush, captured the spirit of this wild and untamed land in his poem, The Law of the Yukon.
The poem begins with a description of the harsh and unforgiving landscape of the Yukon. Service writes, "This is the law of the Yukon, and ever she makes it plain: / 'Send not your foolish and feeble; send me your strong and your sane.'" The Yukon is not a place for the weak or timid. It is a place where only the strong survive. The law of the Yukon is simple: if you can't handle the harsh conditions and the dangers that come with living in this remote and rugged land, then you don't belong here.
Service goes on to describe the kind of person who can thrive in the Yukon. He writes, "Strong of muscle and will and heart, he mates with the stars above; / He hews a path for his heavy cart, and he whistles a song of love." The people who live in the Yukon are not just strong physically, but they are also strong in spirit. They have a deep connection to the land and the natural world around them. They are not afraid of hard work or of the challenges that come with living in such a remote and isolated place.
The poem also touches on the theme of survival. Service writes, "For the strong of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack." In the Yukon, survival is not just about individual strength and skill, but it is also about working together as a community. The people who live in the Yukon rely on each other for support and protection. They know that they are stronger together than they are alone.
The Law of the Yukon also speaks to the idea of risk-taking and adventure. Service writes, "There's gold, and it's haunting and haunting; / It's luring me on as of old; / Yet it isn't the gold that I'm wanting / So much as just finding the gold." The lure of gold brought many people to the Yukon during the Gold Rush, but it was not just the promise of wealth that drew them there. It was also the thrill of adventure and the chance to test themselves against the wild and untamed land.
The poem ends with a powerful message about the importance of living life to the fullest. Service writes, "So it's make hike, and it's pack and it's mush, / And a-buckling down for the trail; / And it's looking you straight in the eye and it's asking a hell of a tale." Life in the Yukon is not easy, but it is also not boring. It is a place where every day is an adventure and every moment is an opportunity to test yourself and push your limits.
In conclusion, The Law of the Yukon is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the spirit of the Yukon and the people who live there. It speaks to the themes of strength, survival, risk-taking, and adventure, and it reminds us of the importance of living life to the fullest. Whether you have lived in the Yukon or not, this poem is a reminder that we can all learn something from the people who have made their home in this wild and untamed land.
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