'The Squaw Man' by Robert Service


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Rhymes of a Rolling StoneThe cow-moose comes to water, and the beaver's overbold,
The net is in the eddy of the stream;
The teepee stars the vivid sward with russet, red and gold,
And in the velvet gloom the fire's a-gleam.
The night is ripe with quiet, rich with incense of the pine;
From sanctuary lake I hear the loon;
The peaks are bright against the blue, and drenched with sunset wine,
And like a silver bubble is the moon.Cloud-high I climbed but yesterday; a hundred miles around
I looked to see a rival fire a-gleam.
As in a crystal lens it lay, a land without a bound,
All lure, and virgin vastitude, and dream.
The great sky soared exultantly, the great earth bared its breast,
All river-veined and patterned with the pine;
The heedless hordes of caribou were streaming to the West,
A land of lustrous mystery -- and mine.Yea, mine to frame my Odyssey: Oh, little do they know
My conquest and the kingdom that I keep!
The meadows of the musk-ox, where the laughing grasses grow,
The rivers where the careless conies leap.
Beyond the silent Circle, where white men are fierce and few,
I lord it, and I mock at man-made law;
Like a flame upon the water is my little light canoe,
And yonder in the fireglow is my squaw.A squaw man! yes, that's what I am; sneer at me if you will.
I've gone the grilling pace that cannot last;
With bawdry, bridge and brandy -- Oh, I've drank enough to kill
A dozen such as you, but that is past.
I've swung round to my senses, found the place where I belong;
The City made a madman out of me;
But here beyond the Circle, where there's neither right or wrong,
I leap from life's straight-jacket, and I'm free.Yet ever in the far forlorn, by trails of lone desire;
Yet ever in the dawn's white leer of hate;
Yet ever by the dripping kill, beside the drowsy fire,
There comes the fierce heart-hunger for a mate.
There comes the mad blood-clamour for a woman's clinging hand,
Love-humid eyes, the velvet of a breast;
And so I sought the Bonnet-plumes, and chose from out the band
The girl I thought the sweetest and the best.O wistful women I have loved before my dark disgrace!
O women fair and rare in my home land!
Dear ladies, if I saw you now I'd turn away my face,
Then crawl to kiss your foot-prints in the sand!
And yet -- that day the rifle jammed -- a wounded moose at bay --
A roar, a charge . . . I faced it with my knife:
A shot from out the willow-scrub, and there the monster lay. . . .
Yes, little Laughing Eyes, you saved my life.The man must have the woman, and we're all brutes more or less,
Since first the male ape shinned the family tree;
And yet I think I love her with a husband's tenderness,
And yet I know that she would die for me.
Oh, if I left you, Laughing Eyes, and nevermore came back,
God help you, girl! I know what you would do. . . .
I see the lake wan in the moon, and from the shadow black,
There drifts a little,

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Squaw Man: A Masterpiece of Robert Service's Poetry

Wow! The Squaw Man is one incredible piece of poetry that can move your heart and soul. Robert Service has done a fantastic job in describing the life of a squaw man and the struggles he goes through. The poem is full of emotions, and every word takes you deeper into the story. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve into the themes, literary devices, and meanings behind this masterpiece of Service's poetry.

Background

Before we dive into the poem, let's learn a little about Robert Service, the poet. He was a British-Canadian poet and novelist best known for his poems about the Canadian North, including "The Spell of the Yukon," "The Cremation of Sam McGee," and "The Shooting of Dan McGrew." Service worked as a bank clerk and later moved to Canada to work at a bank in Victoria, British Columbia. He started writing poems when he was young, and his love for literature and poetry only grew stronger with time. He was often called the "Bard of the Yukon" and is considered one of the most popular poets of the 20th century.

The Poem

The Squaw Man is a narrative poem that tells the story of a man who has married a Native American woman and lives with her in the mountains. The poem is divided into four parts and is written in the first person, making it more personal and relatable. In the first part of the poem, the squaw man describes his life in the mountains, the beauty of the land, and the love he has for his wife. However, as the poem progresses, we see the struggles he faces, the discrimination he encounters, and the internal conflict he experiences.

Themes

One of the main themes in the poem is love. The squaw man deeply loves his wife and is willing to do anything for her. He describes her beauty, her kindness, and how she makes his life worth living. However, their love is not accepted by society, and he faces discrimination and ridicule. The poem explores the idea of how love can overcome barriers and how society's norms can often limit individuals from loving freely.

Another theme in the poem is identity. The squaw man feels conflicted about his identity and where he belongs. He is not accepted by the white people and is seen as an outcast. He is also not fully accepted by the Native Americans, as he is seen as an outsider. This internal conflict is explored throughout the poem and adds depth to the narrative.

Literary Devices

Service uses various literary devices in the poem to enhance the storytelling and evoke emotions in the reader. One of the most prominent devices is imagery. The descriptions of the mountains, the trees, and the wildlife are vivid and create a clear picture in the reader's mind. Service also uses metaphors to describe the squaw man's life. For example, "I took to the mountains like a coulee takes to rain," is a metaphor that describes how the squaw man feels a sense of belonging in the mountains.

Another literary device used in the poem is repetition. The line, "I am a squaw man, I am a squaw man," is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the squaw man's identity and the discrimination he faces. The repetition also creates a sense of rhythm and adds to the flow of the poem.

Interpretation

The Squaw Man is a poem that explores various themes and emotions. It is a story of love, discrimination, and internal conflict. The squaw man's love for his wife is pure and genuine, but society's norms prevent him from expressing it freely. The discrimination he faces because of his marriage is an example of how society's prejudices can limit individuals from living their lives fully.

The poem also explores the idea of identity and the struggles that come along with it. The squaw man feels conflicted about his identity and where he belongs. He is not fully accepted by either the white people or the Native Americans, and this internal conflict adds depth to the narrative. The poem raises questions about the importance of identity and the impact it has on our lives.

In conclusion, The Squaw Man is a masterpiece of Robert Service's poetry that explores various themes and emotions. The vivid descriptions, metaphors, and repetition used in the poem create a powerful narrative that evokes emotions in the reader. The poem is a reminder of the power of love and the impact of society's norms on individuals. It is a must-read for anyone who loves poetry and wants to explore the deeper meanings behind it.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The Squaw Man by Robert Service is a classic poem that tells the story of a man who falls in love with a Native American woman and decides to live with her tribe. The poem is a beautiful and powerful portrayal of love, sacrifice, and the clash of cultures.

The poem begins with the speaker describing the beauty of the land where the Native American tribe lives. He describes the mountains, the rivers, and the forests, and how they all come together to create a stunning landscape. The speaker then introduces the Squaw Man, a man who has left his own culture behind to live with the tribe.

The Squaw Man is described as a man who has given up everything he had in his own culture to be with the woman he loves. He has left behind his family, his friends, and his way of life to be with her. The speaker describes the Squaw Man as a man who is willing to do anything for the woman he loves, even if it means giving up everything he has.

The poem then goes on to describe the relationship between the Squaw Man and the Native American woman. The speaker describes how they are deeply in love and how they are willing to do anything for each other. The Squaw Man is described as a man who is completely devoted to the woman he loves, and he is willing to do anything to make her happy.

The poem then takes a darker turn as the speaker describes the conflict between the Squaw Man's culture and the culture of the Native American tribe. The Squaw Man is described as a man who is torn between two worlds, and he is struggling to find his place in either one. The speaker describes how the Squaw Man is constantly being pulled in different directions, and how he is struggling to find his identity.

The conflict between the Squaw Man's culture and the culture of the Native American tribe is further explored in the poem. The speaker describes how the Squaw Man is seen as an outsider by the tribe, and how he is constantly being judged and criticized by them. The speaker also describes how the Squaw Man is struggling to understand the customs and traditions of the tribe, and how he is constantly making mistakes.

The poem then takes a tragic turn as the speaker describes the death of the Native American woman. The Squaw Man is described as being completely devastated by her death, and he is left alone to mourn her passing. The speaker describes how the Squaw Man is left with nothing, and how he is forced to confront the reality of his situation.

The poem ends with the speaker describing how the Squaw Man is left with nothing but his memories of the woman he loved. The speaker describes how the Squaw Man is left to ponder the choices he made, and how he is left to wonder if he made the right decision in leaving his own culture behind.

In conclusion, The Squaw Man by Robert Service is a powerful and moving poem that explores the themes of love, sacrifice, and the clash of cultures. The poem is a beautiful portrayal of the struggles that people face when they are torn between two worlds, and it is a testament to the power of love and the human spirit. The Squaw Man is a classic poem that will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.

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