'The Law Of The Yukon' by Robert Service
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The Spell of the Yukon and Other VersesThis 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: An Ode to the Rugged Frontier Life
Oh, the grand old Law of the Yukon, it's a strange and mighty creed. That's how Robert Service introduces his timeless poem, The Law of the Yukon. And indeed, this work of art is a tribute to the harsh, unforgiving terrain of the Yukon, and the tough, resilient men and women who made a life there.
The Poem
The poem is divided into four stanzas, each containing eight lines. The rhyme scheme is AABBCCDD. The language is straightforward, with no complex metaphors or intricate wordplay. Service's strength lies in his ability to evoke vivid images through simple, direct language.
The poem opens with the speaker describing the Law of the Yukon as a "strange and mighty creed." He then goes on to list the "rules" of this law, which include "the strong shall thrive" and "the weak shall die." The speaker acknowledges that this law is harsh and unforgiving, but he also celebrates it, saying that it "makes for better men."
The second stanza introduces the character of "One-Eye," a rough and tumble miner who embodies the Law of the Yukon. One-Eye is described as "a man with a heart of gold" who "never got caught in the cooler." The speaker admires One-Eye for his toughness and resilience, and suggests that he is a role model for all who live in the Yukon.
In the third stanza, the speaker shifts his focus to the landscape of the Yukon. He describes the "silence" and "solitude" of the frozen wilderness, and the "eternal snows" that cover the land. He acknowledges that this landscape can be deadly, but he also suggests that it is beautiful in its own way.
The final stanza returns to the theme of the Law of the Yukon. The speaker reminds us that this law is "the law of the wild" and that it "makes for better men." He acknowledges that life in the Yukon is tough, but he suggests that it is also rewarding, saying that "the gold is there for the finding."
The Interpretation
The Law of the Yukon is more than just a poem about a harsh and unforgiving land. It is a celebration of the rugged frontier life, and the men and women who embraced it. In this poem, Robert Service pays tribute to those who were willing to face the challenges of the Yukon, and who emerged stronger and better for it.
At its core, The Law of the Yukon is about survival. It is about the struggle to endure in a world that is indifferent to our desires and ambitions. The Law of the Yukon is not kind, but it is fair. It rewards those who are strong and resilient, and it punishes those who are weak and unprepared.
One-Eye, the character introduced in the second stanza, is a perfect example of this idea. He is a man who has survived in the harsh landscape of the Yukon, and he has done so on his own terms. He is tough, resilient, and resourceful. He embodies the Law of the Yukon, and he is a role model for all who wish to survive in this unforgiving world.
The landscape of the Yukon is also an important character in this poem. It is a vast, frozen wilderness that is both beautiful and deadly. The silence and solitude of this landscape can be overwhelming, but it can also be awe-inspiring. The eternal snows that cover the land are a reminder of the power and majesty of nature. The Yukon is a land that demands respect, and those who survive there must learn to live in harmony with its rhythms and cycles.
The Law of the Yukon is not just a poem about the past. It is a poem about the present and the future as well. It is a reminder that the struggle for survival is ongoing, and that we must be prepared to face the challenges of life head-on. We must be strong, resilient, and resourceful if we are to thrive in a world that is often unforgiving.
In conclusion, The Law of the Yukon is a masterpiece of poetry that celebrates the rugged frontier life. It is a tribute to the tough, resilient men and women who made a life in the Yukon, and who emerged stronger and better for it. This poem is a reminder that the struggle for survival is ongoing, and that we must be prepared to face the challenges of life head-on. The Law of the Yukon is not kind, but it is fair, and it makes for better men.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Law of the Yukon: A Poetic Masterpiece
Robert Service's "The Law of the Yukon" is a classic poem that captures the spirit of the Yukon Gold Rush of the late 19th century. The poem is a celebration of the rugged, independent spirit of the men who ventured into the harsh wilderness of the Yukon in search of fortune and adventure.
The poem begins with a description of the Yukon landscape, with its "mighty mountains" and "rushing rivers." Service paints a vivid picture of the harsh beauty of the land, with its "stark and rugged" terrain and its "wild and woolly" weather. He describes the "frosty air" and the "blinding snow," and he evokes the sense of isolation and loneliness that must have been felt by those who lived in this remote and unforgiving land.
But the poem is not just a description of the Yukon landscape. It is also a celebration of the men who lived and worked in this harsh environment. Service describes these men as "the men who brave the storms of life and come out strong and true." He praises their courage, their determination, and their resilience in the face of adversity.
The poem is also a celebration of the law of the Yukon, which is a law unto itself. Service describes this law as "the law that never changes," and he suggests that it is a law that is based on the principles of survival and self-reliance. He 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 -- Strong for the red rage of battle; sane for I harry them sore; Send me men who are girt for the combat, men who are grit to the core.'"
In other words, the law of the Yukon is a law that demands strength, courage, and determination. It is a law that rewards those who are willing to take risks and to fight for what they believe in. And it is a law that punishes those who are weak or foolish.
Service's poem is also a celebration of the Yukon Gold Rush itself. He describes the "madness" that gripped the men who came to the Yukon in search of gold, and he suggests that this madness was a necessary part of the adventure. He 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."
In other words, the search for gold was not just about the gold itself. It was also about the adventure, the challenge, and the thrill of the hunt. And it was about the sense of accomplishment that came from finding something that was so elusive and so valuable.
Overall, "The Law of the Yukon" is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the spirit of the Yukon Gold Rush and the men who lived and worked in this harsh and unforgiving land. It is a celebration of the rugged, independent spirit of these men, and it is a tribute to their courage, their determination, and their resilience in the face of adversity. It is a poem that speaks to the human spirit and to the universal desire for adventure, challenge, and accomplishment. And it is a poem that will continue to inspire and captivate readers for generations to come.
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