'The Pigeon Shooting' by Robert Service

AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay

Lyrics of a Low BrowThey say that Monte Carlo is
A sunny place for shady people;
But I'm not in the gambling biz,
And sober as a parish steeple.
so though this paradisal spot
The devil's playground of the rich is,
I love it and I love it not,
As men may sometimes fall for bitches.I lazed beneath the sky's blue bliss,
The sea swooned with a sequin glimmer;
The breeze was shy as maiden kiss,
The palms sashayed in silken shimmr.
The peace I soaked in every pore
did me more good than ten religions . . .
And then:

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Pigeon Shooting by Robert Service: A Masterpiece of Irony and Social Commentary

When it comes to Robert Service, most people think of his famous poems like "The Cremation of Sam McGee" or "The Shooting of Dan McGrew." However, there is one poem that often gets overlooked, which is a shame because it's a true masterpiece of irony and social commentary. I'm talking about "The Pigeon Shooting," a work that deserves to be studied and appreciated by all lovers of poetry.

The Plot

At first glance, "The Pigeon Shooting" seems like a simple narrative poem about a group of men going out to shoot pigeons. The speaker describes the setting and the participants in detail, making us feel like we're right there with them:

There was Devlin, Fytch, and Blackmon, And Deemer, and I, and the rest As we strolled from the smoking carriages To the Pigeon Shooting's nest.

The men are dressed to impress, with their "shining shoes" and "collars high." They seem to be enjoying themselves, savoring the "cool of the morning" and the "loud, clear note" of the hunting horn.

But as the poem progresses, we start to see cracks in this idyllic scene. The pigeons are described as "fluttering in desperate fear," and the speaker admits that he himself feels "a pang of pity" for them. The shooting itself is brutal and bloody, with the birds falling "like drops of red" and the hunters cheering triumphantly.

By the end of the poem, we realize that what seemed like a harmless sport is actually a cruel and pointless exercise in violence. The speaker says he feels "shame and sorrow," and wonders how he could have ever been "so blind" to the suffering he was causing.

The Irony

What makes "The Pigeon Shooting" such a powerful work is its masterful use of irony. The poem starts out by painting a picture of genteel leisure, with the hunters enjoying their cigars and discussing their shooting techniques. But as the poem goes on, we see that this leisure is built on a foundation of cruelty and death.

The irony is made even more potent by the fact that the poem is written in Service's characteristic rollicking style. His lines are full of energy and humor, making the reader initially feel like they're reading a lighthearted tale. But as the poem progresses, the humor becomes darker and the energy more frenzied, until we're left with a sense of moral outrage.

The Social Commentary

Of course, "The Pigeon Shooting" isn't just about irony and clever wordplay. It's also a biting critique of the class system and the sense of entitlement that often comes with it. The hunters are described as "the lords of creation," with their fine clothes and their expensive guns. They see themselves as superior to the birds they're shooting, and they revel in their power over them.

But the poem makes it clear that this power is illusory. The hunters may be able to kill the pigeons, but they can't escape the guilt and shame that comes with it. They may be able to afford all the trappings of wealth and privilege, but they can't escape the fact that their leisure is built on the suffering of others.

This theme of the hollowness of privilege is made even more poignant by the fact that Service himself was a member of the middle class. He wasn't born into wealth and privilege, but he was able to achieve a measure of success through his writing. "The Pigeon Shooting" shows that he was keenly aware of the dangers of the kind of entitlement that comes with success, and he wasn't afraid to call it out.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "The Pigeon Shooting" is a masterful work of poetry that deserves to be studied and praised. Its use of irony and social commentary make it a powerful critique of the class system and the sense of entitlement that often comes with it. Service's rollicking style only adds to the impact of the poem, making the reader feel like they're part of the scene until the final realization that what they were reading was anything but lighthearted.

So, the next time someone asks you what your favorite Robert Service poem is, remember "The Pigeon Shooting." It may not be as well-known as some of his other works, but it's a true masterpiece in its own right.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The Pigeon Shooting by Robert Service is a classic poem that captures the essence of the sport of pigeon shooting. The poem is written in a simple yet powerful style that evokes the excitement and thrill of the hunt. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, structure, and language used in the poem to understand its deeper meaning.

The poem is set in the countryside, where a group of men have gathered for a pigeon shooting competition. The speaker of the poem is one of the participants, and he describes the scene with great enthusiasm. The first stanza sets the tone for the poem, with the speaker describing the beauty of the countryside and the excitement of the hunt. He says, "The sky is blue, the fields are green, / And laughter is the only sound, / As we go forth to try our skill / And bring the pigeons to the ground."

The theme of competition is central to the poem, as the men are all vying for the title of the best pigeon shooter. The speaker describes the tension and excitement of the competition in the second stanza, saying, "The air is tense, the guns are hot, / And every eye is on the sky, / As we wait for the first bird to fly / And the shooting to begin."

The structure of the poem is simple, with four stanzas of four lines each. The rhyme scheme is AABB, which gives the poem a sing-song quality that adds to its charm. The language used in the poem is also simple, with short, punchy sentences that convey the excitement of the hunt. The use of alliteration and onomatopoeia adds to the sensory experience of the poem, with words like "whirring wings" and "crackling guns" evoking the sounds of the hunt.

The third stanza of the poem is perhaps the most powerful, as it describes the moment when the first bird is shot down. The speaker says, "Then suddenly a bird is down, / And we all rush to claim the prize, / With shouts of triumph and high fives / As we revel in our skill and size." This stanza captures the thrill of the hunt, as the men compete to be the first to shoot down a bird. The use of the word "prize" suggests that the competition is not just about skill, but also about status and recognition.

The final stanza of the poem brings the competition to a close, with the speaker reflecting on the day's events. He says, "And as we pack our guns away, / And head back to our homes and wives, / We know that we'll be back again / To relive the thrill of pigeon lives." This stanza captures the sense of camaraderie that exists among the hunters, as they share a common passion for the sport. The use of the word "relive" suggests that the thrill of the hunt is something that can be experienced again and again, and that the competition is not just about winning, but also about the joy of the hunt itself.

In conclusion, The Pigeon Shooting by Robert Service is a classic poem that captures the excitement and thrill of the sport of pigeon shooting. The poem is structured in a simple yet powerful way, with short, punchy sentences that convey the sensory experience of the hunt. The use of alliteration and onomatopoeia adds to the sensory experience of the poem, with words like "whirring wings" and "crackling guns" evoking the sounds of the hunt. The theme of competition is central to the poem, as the men are all vying for the title of the best pigeon shooter. However, the poem also captures the sense of camaraderie that exists among the hunters, as they share a common passion for the sport. Overall, The Pigeon Shooting is a timeless poem that captures the essence of the hunt and the thrill of the competition.

Editor Recommended Sites

Dart Book - Learn Dart 3 and Flutter: Best practice resources around dart 3 and Flutter. How to connect flutter to GPT-4, GPT-3.5, Palm / Bard
Cloud Data Fabric - Interconnect all data sources & Cloud Data Graph Reasoning:
GCP Anthos Resources - Anthos Course Deep Dive & Anthos Video tutorial masterclass: Tutorials and Videos about Google Cloud Platform Anthos. GCP Anthos training & Learn Gcloud Anthos
Rules Engines: Business rules engines best practice. Discussions on clips, drools, rete algorith, datalog incremental processing
Graph ML: Graph machine learning for dummies

Recommended Similar Analysis

Drummer Hodge by Thomas Hardy analysis
Autumn Begins In Martins Ferry, Ohio by James Wright analysis
I Look Into My Glass by Thomas Hardy analysis
Up -Hill by Christina Georgina Rossetti analysis
The Dance by William Carlos Williams analysis
Nurse's Song (Innocence) by William Blake analysis
Design by Robert Frost analysis
You left me, sweet, two legacies,-- by Emily Dickinson analysis
The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid by Thomas Hardy analysis
Dust by Sarah Teasdale analysis