Robert W. Service (1874–1958)

Few poets have Robert Service's range, when it comes to poetic form. He is as comfortable in verses, ballads, odes, and rhymes, all of which have no predetermined form. An early critique of mine for Service was his over reliance on advanced language, but, as I have read some of his work to children and adults alike, I find that even where a word may mystify, the feeling and vision of the line are not mistaken. Robert Service's Complete Works is a great book to take on a wilderness adventure, show more remote vacation, or even long transit ride. You will find in reading, that your mind is transported—not to something fantastic and unreal, but to those small and beautiful natural blessings of every moment. show less

I remember reading this poem in middle school, like seventh or eighth grade, and everyone in my English class having a gross-out reaction to it. This poem is about a prospector in the Yukon Territory of Alaska during the late 19th/early 20th century gold rush and his friend, Sam McGee. The territory is so inhospitable that Sam McGee asks his friend to cremate him when he dies because his body couldn't stand to be buried in the cold ground. The prospector ultimately makes good on his promise show more and cremate Sam McGee in a makeshift crematorium. This poem is morbid but has a comical moment at the end when the prospector opens the crematorium door to check on Sam and find him smiling in the furnace asking him to close the door because this is the first time he's felt warm. So I think it was the gallows humor that threw everyone in my class off guard. I would totally recommend this for students in upper elementary school or middle grades. The poem itself has a great rhyme scheme and has a linear narrative that is easier to follow than some of the more abstract poetry. The kids might also get a kick out of the sarcasm and dark humor. show less

Service's poems don't exactly trip off the tongue, with their long, long lines. And some of the works in this collection are minor or even a bit embarrassing. But at his best, Service is unforgettable. "There are strange things done in the midnight sun, by the men who moil for gold." And so on. The book starts with several strong poems that definitely capture the feel of Canada's far North and the men who were compelled to try to make a living there. Later, it loses its cohesiveness, but it show more is still an enjoyable read. show less

This is a great old poem, where two companions in the cold of the great North, find out what being a friend really means. Sam is always cold, so much so that he persuades his friend to cremate him if he dies. He perishes and his friend tries to take his friend back to civilization for a proper cremation, but finds the trail too rough and long, so he cremates Sam in an abandoned boat. The great lines come when the friend just has to peak in to see if the corpse is finally gone, but instead show more sees his friend, basking in the warmth of the raging fire, who tells him "it's the first time I've been warm." Macabre, but gorgeous. show less