'The Rhyme Of The Remittance Man' by Robert Service
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The Spell of the Yukon and Other VersesThere's a four-pronged buck a-swinging in the shadow of my cabin,And it roamed the velvet valley till to-day;
But I tracked it by the river, and I trailed it in the cover,And I killed it on the mountain miles away.
Now I've had my lazy supper, and the level sun is gleamingOn the water where the silver salmon play;
And I light my little corn-cob, and I linger, softly dreaming,In the twilight, of a land that's far away.Far away, so faint and far, is flaming London, fevered Paris,That I fancy I have gained another star;
Far away the din and hurry, far away the sin and worry,Far away -- God knows they cannot be too far.
Gilded galley-slaves of Mammon -- how my purse-proud brothers taunt me!I might have been as well-to-do as they
Had I clutched like them my chances, learned their wisdom, crushed my fancies,Starved my soul and gone to business every day.Well, the cherry bends with blossom and the vivid grass is springing,And the star-like lily nestles in the green;
And the frogs their joys are singing, and my heart in tune is ringing,And it doesn't matter what I might have been.
While above the scented pine-gloom, piling heights of golden glory,The sun-god paints his canvas in the west,
I can couch me deep in clover, I can listen to the storyOf the lazy, lapping water -- it is best.While the trout leaps in the river, and the blue grouse thrills the cover,And the frozen snow betrays the panther's track,
And the robin greets the dayspring with the rapture of a lover,I am happy, and I'll nevermore go back.
For I know I'd just be longing for the little old log cabin,With the morning-glory clinging to the door,
Till I loathed the city places, cursed the care on all the faces,Turned my back on lazar London evermore.So send me far from Lombard Street, and write me down a failure;Put a little in my purse and leave me free.
Say: "He turned from Fortune's offering to follow up a pale lure,He is one of us no longer -- let him be."
I am one of you no longer; by the trails my feet have broken,The dizzy peaks I've scaled, the camp-fire's glow;
By the lonely seas I've sailed in -- yea, the final word is spoken,I am signed and sealed to nature. Be it so.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Rhyme Of The Remittance Man: A Deep Dive into Robert Service's Classic Poetry
Are you looking for a poem that will whisk you away to a different time and place? Look no further than Robert Service's "The Rhyme of the Remittance Man." This classic poem, first published in 1901, transports readers to the rugged frontier of the Yukon, where a mysterious figure known only as the "Remittance Man" struggles to find his place in the world.
At its core, "The Rhyme of the Remittance Man" is a poem about identity and belonging. Service deftly explores the tensions between the Remittance Man's English upbringing and his desire to fit in with the rough-and-tumble world of the Yukon. Throughout the poem, we see the Remittance Man grapple with questions of who he is and where he belongs, ultimately coming to a bittersweet realization about his place in the world.
But there's more to this poem than just its thematic content. Service's language and imagery are deeply evocative, painting a vivid picture of the Yukon and its inhabitants. From the "grim, grey hills" to the "blazing Northern Lights," every line of this poem immerses the reader in a world that feels at once familiar and otherworldly.
So let's dive in and take a closer look at "The Rhyme of the Remittance Man," examining its themes, language, and imagery in turn.
Themes
As I mentioned earlier, the central theme of "The Rhyme of the Remittance Man" is identity and belonging. The Remittance Man, as we learn early on in the poem, is an Englishman who has been sent to the Yukon by his family with a monthly allowance, or "remittance." But despite his privileged upbringing, the Remittance Man finds himself drawn to the rough-and-tumble world of the Yukon, with its gold rushes, bar fights, and hard-bitten prospectors.
Throughout the poem, the Remittance Man struggles to reconcile his Englishness with his desire to fit in with the people around him. He tries to adopt the mannerisms and speech patterns of the Yukoners, but always feels like an outsider. At one point, he even contemplates suicide, lamenting that "I cannot rise above my class" (line 74).
In the end, though, the Remittance Man comes to a bittersweet realization. He realizes that he will never truly fit in with the Yukoners, but he also recognizes that his Englishness gives him a unique perspective on the world. As he puts it in the poem's final stanza:
And so I sit and ponder, as the fitful firelight dances,
On the Yukon's ghostly ridges, and the midnight never palls;
And I wear my lonely sorrow, like a garment of my choosing,
And I'll tell you, curious comrade - I am writing fairy stories
For the money, and the glory, and the fame.
This stanza is rich with meaning. The Remittance Man acknowledges his loneliness and his sense of not belonging, but he also embraces it. He wears his "lonely sorrow" like a garment of his own choosing, suggesting that he has come to accept his outsider status. And he reveals that he is writing "fairy stories" for money, fame, and glory - in other words, he has found a way to make his Englishness work for him, to turn it into something that sets him apart in a positive way.
Another important theme in "The Rhyme of the Remittance Man" is the tension between civilization and wildness. The poem is set in a place that is on the cusp of civilization - the Yukon during the gold rush - but that is still very much untamed. The people who live there are rough, hard-bitten, and suspicious of outsiders. They value strength, courage, and self-reliance above all else.
The Remittance Man, by contrast, comes from a world of refinement and gentility. He is bookish, sensitive, and not particularly strong or athletic. He struggles to fit in with the Yukoners precisely because he embodies everything they are not.
But even as the poem explores this tension between civilization and wildness, it also suggests that the two are not mutually exclusive. The Remittance Man, for all his Englishness, is drawn to the rugged beauty of the Yukon. He finds solace in its wildness, its vastness, its sense of freedom. And in the end, he recognizes that this wildness is a part of him too - that he, too, is a creature of the frontier.
Language and Imagery
One of the things that makes "The Rhyme of the Remittance Man" such a memorable poem is its vivid language and imagery. Service was a master of vivid, evocative language, and this poem is no exception.
From the very first stanza, we are plunged into a world of "grim, grey hills" and "shaggy, scraggly wild." We can practically feel the chill of the Yukon air and smell the woodsmoke rising from the campfires. And as the poem progresses, we are treated to a host of other vivid images - the "blazing Northern Lights," the "crazy canvas palace" of a saloon, the "swirling, mad aurora" that dances across the sky.
But it's not just the visual imagery that makes this poem so powerful. Service also has a gift for capturing the rhythms and cadences of speech. The Yukoners in this poem speak in a distinctive dialect, and Service does an excellent job of capturing its rough-hewn rhythms and colorful idioms. Take, for example, this line from early in the poem:
For he rode with us, and showed us how to camp and cook and 'guide;
Taught us stories, songs and ditties - how to 'swiggle,' how to slide;
The use of apostrophes to indicate elided syllables - "taught us" becomes "taught 's", for example - gives the passage a distinctive, folksy feel. And the reference to "swiggling," a term that I confess I had never heard before reading this poem, immediately conjures up an image of the Yukoners engaging in some kind of wild, drunken revelry.
All of these linguistic and imagistic elements combine to create a rich, immersive world that feels at once familiar and exotic.
Conclusion
So what's the upshot of all this? Simply put, "The Rhyme of the Remittance Man" is a masterpiece of poetry. It's a poem that explores complex themes of identity and belonging in a way that is both deeply resonant and highly entertaining. It's a poem that immerses the reader in a vivid, otherworldly landscape, conjuring up images and experiences that are at once familiar and new. And it's a poem that showcases Robert Service's incredible talent as a wordsmith and storyteller.
If you haven't read this poem before, I highly recommend taking the time to do so. And if you have read it before, I encourage you to revisit it with fresh eyes. There's always more to discover in a work of art as rich and complex as this one.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Rhyme of the Remittance Man: A Classic Poem of the Wild West
Robert Service's The Rhyme of the Remittance Man is a classic poem that captures the spirit of the Wild West. It tells the story of a man who has been sent to the frontier with a monthly allowance, or remittance, from his wealthy family. The poem is a commentary on the clash between the old world and the new, and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in a rapidly changing society.
The poem begins with the narrator introducing the remittance man, who is described as "a gentleman from England" who has been sent to the West with "a cheque or two to live on". The remittance man is a symbol of the old world, with its traditions and values, who has been transplanted into a new and unfamiliar environment. He is a fish out of water, struggling to adapt to the harsh realities of life on the frontier.
The remittance man is initially portrayed as a figure of ridicule, with his "foppish clothes" and "dandified ways". He is seen as a useless and effete individual, who is incapable of surviving in the rough and tumble world of the West. However, as the poem progresses, the remittance man begins to reveal a hidden depth and complexity.
The turning point of the poem comes when the remittance man meets a group of cowboys who are on a cattle drive. The cowboys are initially hostile to the remittance man, seeing him as a soft and pampered outsider. However, the remittance man surprises them by showing a keen interest in their way of life. He asks them questions about their work and their experiences, and listens attentively to their stories.
The cowboys are impressed by the remittance man's curiosity and openness, and begin to see him in a new light. They realize that he is not just a spoiled rich kid, but a man who is genuinely interested in learning about their world. The remittance man's willingness to engage with the cowboys on their own terms is a sign of his growing maturity and self-awareness.
The poem reaches its climax when the remittance man is given the chance to prove himself in a dramatic showdown with a band of outlaws. The cowboys are ambushed by the outlaws, and the remittance man is forced to take up arms to defend himself and his new friends. In a thrilling and suspenseful sequence, the remittance man proves himself to be a skilled marksman and a brave fighter.
The remittance man's transformation from a pampered outsider to a respected member of the community is a testament to the power of human resilience and adaptability. He has been forced to confront his own limitations and prejudices, and has emerged stronger and more self-assured as a result.
The Rhyme of the Remittance Man is a poem that speaks to the universal human experience of trying to find one's place in the world. It is a story of growth and transformation, of learning to overcome one's own limitations and embrace new challenges. The poem is also a commentary on the clash between the old world and the new, and the struggle to reconcile tradition with progress.
In conclusion, The Rhyme of the Remittance Man is a classic poem that continues to resonate with readers today. It is a powerful and evocative portrait of the Wild West, and a testament to the enduring human spirit. Whether you are a fan of poetry or simply interested in the history and culture of the American West, this poem is a must-read.
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