'"?"' by Robert Service

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Rhymes of a Rolling StoneIf you had the choice of two women to wed,
(Though of course the idea is quite absurd)
And the first from her heels to her dainty head
Was charming in every sense of the word:
And yet in the past (I grieve to state),
She never had been exactly "straight".And the second -- she was beyond all cavil,
A model of virtue, I must confess;
And yet, alas! she was dull as the devil,
And rather a dowd in the way of dress;
Though what she was lacking in wit and beauty,
She more than made up for in "sense of duty".Now, suppose you must wed, and make no blunder,
And either would love you, and let you win her --
Which of the two would you choose, I wonder,
The stolid saint or the sparkling sinner?

Editor 1 Interpretation

"The Cremation of Sam McGee" by Robert Service

What a fantastic poem! "The Cremation of Sam McGee" by Robert Service is a masterpiece of narrative poetry. It tells the story of a prospector in the Yukon who makes a strange request before he dies: to be cremated instead of buried. The narrator, a friend of Sam's, agrees to fulfill the request, but only if he can find a way to make a fire hot enough to do the job in the freezing cold of the Arctic winter.

The poem is full of vivid imagery and evocative language. Service is a master of the rhythm and rhyme of poetic verse, and he uses these tools to great effect in "The Cremation of Sam McGee." The poem is written in ballad form, with four-line stanzas that follow an ABCB rhyme scheme. This creates a musical quality to the poem that makes it easy to read aloud and hear the rhythm in the words.

But it's not just the sound of the poem that makes it great. The imagery is vivid and powerful, transporting the reader to the frozen wasteland of the Yukon. Service describes the landscape in vivid detail, painting a picture of a world that is both beautiful and deadly. He describes the "Arctic trails" with their "secret tales" and the "Northern Lights" that dance in the sky. But he also describes the "frosty winds" that "moan" and the "crunching snow" that "shrieks" underfoot.

The character of Sam McGee is also fascinating. He's a larger-than-life figure, a prospector who has spent his life chasing after gold. Service describes him as a man who "hated the things that 'made life worth living'" and who "cursed the bread that 'sustained him.'" He's a hard man, a man who has lived a hard life. But he's also a man with a sense of humor, as shown by his request to be cremated.

The theme of the poem is death and the fear of the unknown. Sam McGee fears being buried in the frozen ground, where his body would never decompose. He wants to be burned to ashes, to become part of the landscape he has spent his life exploring. The narrator, on the other hand, fears the cold and the darkness of the Arctic night. He fears that he will not be able to fulfill his friend's request and that he will be left alone in the wilderness.

The poem is also a commentary on the human condition. Service paints a picture of a world that is cold and unforgiving, where life is a struggle just to survive. But he also shows the resilience of the human spirit, the ability to laugh in the face of death and to find joy in the midst of hardship.

Overall, "The Cremation of Sam McGee" is a masterpiece of narrative poetry. It's a testament to the power of words and the human spirit, and it's a poem that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry has always been a medium of expression for human emotions, and Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" is a classic example of how poetry can convey a story in a captivating and entertaining way. The poem is a narrative ballad that tells the story of a man named Sam McGee, who dies in the cold and desolate land of the Yukon, and his friend's quest to cremate his body.

The poem is written in a simple and straightforward language, which makes it accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds. The use of rhyme and meter adds to the musicality of the poem, making it a joy to read aloud. The poem's structure is also unique, with each stanza consisting of four lines, and the second and fourth lines rhyming with each other.

The poem's opening lines set the tone for the story, with the narrator introducing the reader to the harsh and unforgiving environment of the Yukon. The narrator describes the land as a place where "the Arctic trails have their secret tales / That would make your blood run cold." This sets the stage for the story of Sam McGee, who meets his demise in this unforgiving land.

The narrator then introduces the reader to the protagonist of the story, a man named Cap, who is determined to fulfill his friend's dying wish of being cremated. Cap is described as a man who "wasn't no saint, but at least he was white." This line is significant because it highlights the racial tensions that existed in the Yukon during the time the poem was written.

Cap's determination to fulfill his friend's dying wish is admirable, and it shows the depth of their friendship. The poem's central conflict arises when Cap realizes that he cannot find a suitable place to cremate Sam's body. He searches high and low, but all he finds is snow and ice. This is where the poem's tension builds, and the reader is left wondering how Cap will fulfill his friend's dying wish.

The poem's climax comes when Cap stumbles upon a derelict boat, the Alice May, which he believes will be the perfect place to cremate Sam's body. The boat is described as "a derelict brig on the shore," and it adds to the eerie and haunting atmosphere of the poem. Cap's decision to use the boat as a crematorium is a desperate one, but it shows his unwavering commitment to his friend.

The poem's resolution comes when Cap successfully cremates Sam's body, and the reader is left with a sense of closure. The final lines of the poem are particularly poignant, with the narrator describing how "Sam McGee was cremated right on the spot." The use of the word "right" emphasizes the immediacy of the cremation, and it adds to the poem's sense of urgency.

Overall, "The Cremation of Sam McGee" is a classic example of how poetry can convey a story in a captivating and entertaining way. The poem's use of rhyme and meter adds to its musicality, and the simple language makes it accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds. The poem's central conflict and resolution are both satisfying, and the final lines leave the reader with a sense of closure. Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" is a timeless classic that will continue to be enjoyed by readers for generations to come.

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