'The Atavist' by Robert Service
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
Rhymes of a Rolling StoneWhat are you doing here, Tom Thorne, on the white top-knot o' the world,
Where the wind has the cut of a naked knife and the stars are rapier keen?
Hugging a smudgy willow fire, deep in a lynx robe curled,
You that's a lord's own son, Tom Thorne -- what does your madness mean?Go home, go home to your clubs, Tom Thorne! home to your evening dress!
Home to your place of power and pride, and the feast that waits for you!
Why do you linger all alone in the splendid emptiness,
Scouring the Land of the Little Sticks on the trail of the caribou?Why did you fall off the Earth, Tom Thorne, out of our social ken?
What did your deep damnation prove? What was your dark despair?
Oh with the width of a world between, and years to the count of ten,
If they cut out your heart to-night, Tom Thorne,
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Atavist: A Masterpiece of Poetry by Robert Service
Are you a lover of poetry? Do you relish in the beauty of words that flow like a river? If you do, then you must read Robert Service's "The Atavist". This classic poem is a masterful piece of literature that showcases Service's exquisite craftsmanship as a poet.
At first glance, "The Atavist" appears to be a simple narrative about a man who feels the call of the wild. However, upon closer inspection, the poem reveals deeper layers of meaning and metaphor. Service takes us on a journey through the psyche of a man who is torn between civilization and his primal instincts. Through vivid descriptions and evocative imagery, he invites us to explore the human condition and the eternal struggle between nature and nurture.
The poem begins with a scene that sets the tone for the entire piece:
I cannot cease from travel:
I will drink
Life to the lees.
These lines are a testament to the restless spirit of the protagonist. He is a man who cannot be content with the mundane and the ordinary. He seeks adventure and excitement, and he is willing to pay the price for it. The imagery of drinking life to the lees suggests that he wants to experience everything that life has to offer, without reservation or hesitation.
The next stanza introduces us to the theme of the call of the wild:
All times I have enjoyed
Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when
Through scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vexed the dim sea.
Here, Service describes the protagonist's past experiences, both good and bad. He has enjoyed life to the fullest, but he has also suffered greatly, both with others and alone. The mention of the rainy Hyades and the dim sea creates a sense of foreboding, as if something ominous is about to happen.
The next stanza is where the metaphor of the atavist is introduced:
I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known,-- cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honoured of them all,--
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
The protagonist sees himself as an atavist, a throwback to an earlier, more primitive time. He has roamed far and wide, experiencing everything that civilization has to offer. However, he feels a deep connection to his primal instincts, and he longs to return to a simpler, more natural way of life. The mention of Troy and the ringing plains creates an epic, heroic image, as if the protagonist is a warrior who has fought in great battles.
The following stanza is where the conflict between civilization and nature is fully articulated:
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.
Here, the protagonist acknowledges that he is a product of his experiences, but he also recognizes that there is a vast, unexplored world beyond those experiences. He feels that he is missing out on something essential, something that can only be found in nature. The mention of the fading margin creates a sense of urgency, as if the protagonist is running out of time to explore that world.
The final stanza is where the poem reaches its climax:
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
As though to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this grey spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
Here, the protagonist expresses his fear of becoming stagnant and unfulfilled. He cannot bear the thought of pausing in his journey, of settling down and living a mundane life. He believes that life is meant to be lived to the fullest, and that the pursuit of knowledge and adventure is the only way to achieve true fulfillment. The mention of the sinking star creates a sense of urgency and desperation, as if the protagonist is racing against time to find what he is looking for.
In conclusion, "The Atavist" is a masterpiece of poetry that explores the eternal struggle between civilization and nature. Robert Service's exquisite craftsmanship and evocative imagery make this poem a joy to read and analyze. The protagonist's journey through the psyche is a powerful metaphor for the human condition, and his quest for knowledge and adventure is a testament to the restless spirit of humanity. If you love poetry, then you must read "The Atavist". It will leave you breathless and yearning for more.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Atavist: A Poetic Masterpiece by Robert Service
Robert Service, the renowned poet, has left an indelible mark on the world of literature with his powerful and evocative works. Among his many masterpieces, "The Atavist" stands out as a hauntingly beautiful poem that captures the essence of human nature and the primal instincts that lie within us all.
At its core, "The Atavist" is a poem about the struggle between civilization and the wild, between the rational mind and the primal instincts that lurk beneath the surface. The poem tells the story of a man who, despite his best efforts to suppress his primal urges, finds himself drawn back to the wilderness and the untamed world that lies beyond the boundaries of civilization.
The poem begins with a vivid description of the man's inner turmoil as he struggles to resist the call of the wild:
"I was always a lover of wilderness, Prairies, forests, mountains, deserts; I could look at a vista for hours, And find in it endless pleasures."
Despite his love for the natural world, the man has chosen to live in the city, surrounded by the trappings of civilization. He has a job, a home, and a family, and he has done his best to fit in with the norms and expectations of society. But despite his efforts, he cannot shake the feeling that something is missing, that there is a part of him that remains unfulfilled.
As the poem progresses, the man's inner conflict intensifies. He finds himself increasingly drawn to the wilderness, and he begins to feel a sense of unease and restlessness in the confines of the city. He longs to break free from the constraints of civilization and to embrace the wildness that lies within him:
"But there was a voice that whispered low, And it spoke of a primal yearning; It said: 'You are only a city-dweller, And the call of the wild is burning.'"
Despite his reservations, the man eventually gives in to his primal urges and sets out into the wilderness. As he wanders through the untamed landscape, he feels a sense of liberation and joy that he has never experienced before. He revels in the raw power and beauty of the natural world, and he feels a deep connection to the primal forces that govern it:
"I felt the pulse of the earth beneath me, And the beat of the sun above; I heard the roar of the wind in the trees, And the whisper of the grasses I love."
But even as he revels in his newfound freedom, the man is haunted by a sense of guilt and shame. He knows that he has abandoned his responsibilities and his obligations to society, and he fears that he will never be able to return to the world of civilization:
"I knew that I had broken the law, And that I was a fugitive then; I had fled from the world of the city, And the ways of the civilized men."
In the end, the man is forced to confront the consequences of his actions. He realizes that he cannot continue to live in the wilderness forever, and he must eventually return to the world of civilization. But even as he makes his way back to the city, he knows that he will never be the same again. He has tasted the freedom and the wildness that lies within him, and he knows that he can never fully suppress it:
"I had tasted the joy of the wild, And the lure of the primitive call; I had drunk of the cup of the savage, And I knew that I could not forestall."
In conclusion, "The Atavist" is a powerful and evocative poem that speaks to the primal instincts that lie within us all. Through the story of a man who is torn between the world of civilization and the call of the wild, Robert Service captures the essence of human nature and the struggle between the rational mind and the primal urges that lurk beneath the surface. With its vivid imagery and hauntingly beautiful language, "The Atavist" is a true masterpiece of poetry that will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.
Editor Recommended Sites
Dev Curate - Curated Dev resources from the best software / ML engineers: Curated AI, Dev, and language model resourcesKnowledge Graph Ops: Learn maintenance and operations for knowledge graphs in cloud
Ethereum Exchange: Ethereum based layer-2 network protocols for Exchanges. Decentralized exchanges supporting ETH
Container Watch - Container observability & Docker traceability: Monitor your OCI containers with various tools. Best practice on docker containers, podman
Developer Lectures: Code lectures: Software engineering, Machine Learning, AI, Generative Language model
Recommended Similar Analysis
Ballad of the Goodly Fere by Ezra Pound analysisA Forgetful Number by Vasko Popa analysis
After Love by Sarah Teasdale analysis
Meditations In Time Of Civil War by William Butler Yeats analysis
The Blossom by William Blake analysis
Hymn to the Night by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow analysis
The Telephone by Robert Frost analysis
Mine Enemy is growing old- by Emily Dickinson analysis
Dream , The by George Gordon, Lord Byron analysis
Sonnet 32 - The first time that the sun rose on thine oath by Elizabeth Barrett Browning analysis