Comments for Robert Service http://robertservice.com A blog devoted to the verse of Robert W. Service Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:52:46 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 Comment on The Ballad of One-Eyed Mike by Keith "Yukon Slim" Hull http://robertservice.com/the-ballad-of-one-eyed-mike/comment-page-1/#comment-23532 Keith "Yukon Slim" Hull Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:52:46 +0000 http://robertservice.com/?p=73#comment-23532 Spencer, Thank you for a very nice Robert W. Service site. I can never get enough of his poetry, thank goodness he wrote so much of it! I've been a fan of his ever since I read "The Cremation of Sam McGee" when I was in Jr. High School some 50 years ago. Through the years I have memorized dozens of his poems and I continue to learn more. This poem,"The Ballad of One Eyed Mike", with it's tremendous word pictures and soulful theme I consider to be one of R.W.S.'s best. His tremendous talent and skill at setting a scene and evoking a mood are displayed here at their apex. It is impossible to read it or hear it recited (Hank Snow does a wonderful recitation of it) without being moved. One wonders what the inspiration was. From the first stanza, setting the scene, "and the bottle of “hooch” was dry" telling us it has been a long night around the campfire, watching the river and the northern lights (the Glories swept the sky) of drinking & story telling, to his description of the corpse, "It bobbed and swung; it sheered and hung; it romped round in a ring; It seemed to play in a tricksome way; it sure was a merry thing". where one gets the impression of a limp, rag doll like corpse, almost dancing through the water, its arms , legs, and head all askew and lolling along at all angles. Every word is carefully chosen to create a mood of apprehension, wonderment and otherworldlyness. In the end it is a poem about forgiveness, asked for and given Read alongside something like "Bessie's Boil" it shows the depth of Service's talent and the breadth and scope of his works. Thanks for posting it, and thanks again for the tribute site to "The Bard of the North", may his poetry never be forgotten. Sincerely, Keith Hull Spencer,
Thank you for a very nice Robert W. Service site. I can never get enough of his poetry, thank goodness he wrote so much of it!
I’ve been a fan of his ever since I read “The Cremation of Sam McGee” when I was in Jr. High School some 50 years ago. Through the years I have memorized dozens of his poems and I continue to learn more.
This poem,”The Ballad of One Eyed Mike”, with it’s tremendous word pictures and soulful theme I consider to be one of R.W.S.’s best.
His tremendous talent and skill at setting a scene and evoking a mood are displayed here at their apex.
It is impossible to read it or hear it recited (Hank Snow does a wonderful recitation of it) without being moved. One wonders what the inspiration was.
From the first stanza, setting the scene, “and the bottle of “hooch” was dry” telling us it has been a long night around the campfire, watching the river and the northern lights (the Glories swept the sky) of drinking & story telling, to his description of the corpse, “It bobbed and swung; it sheered and hung; it romped round in a ring;
It seemed to play in a tricksome way; it sure was a merry thing”. where one gets the impression of a limp, rag doll like corpse, almost dancing through the water, its arms , legs, and head all askew and lolling along at all angles.
Every word is carefully chosen to create a mood of apprehension, wonderment and otherworldlyness.
In the end it is a poem about forgiveness, asked for and given
Read alongside something like “Bessie’s Boil” it shows the depth of Service’s talent and the breadth and scope of his works.
Thanks for posting it, and thanks again for the tribute site to “The Bard of the North”, may his poetry never be forgotten.
Sincerely,
Keith Hull

]]> Comment on The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill by Lou http://robertservice.com/the-ballad-of-blasphemous-bill/comment-page-1/#comment-23516 Lou Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:39:50 +0000 http://robertservice.com/?p=72#comment-23516 I once went to a Thanksgiving Feast at a church, and before I left, I found myself and a total stranger reciting lines from "Blasphemous Bll" and "One Eyed Mike" to each other. The people I was with were horrified. Thank you for posting these. I once went to a Thanksgiving Feast at a church, and before I left, I found myself and a total stranger reciting lines from “Blasphemous Bll” and “One Eyed Mike” to each other. The people I was with were horrified. Thank you for posting these.

]]> Comment on About this Site by Spencer http://robertservice.com/about-these-pages/comment-page-1/#comment-23505 Spencer Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:54:29 +0000 http://robertservice.com/?page_id=11#comment-23505 Dear Pamela, Thanks for finding my web site and your kind comments. And may your novel be a great success. I hope to see it on the bookshelves here in Dawson. Kindest regards, Spencer Dear Pamela,

Thanks for finding my web site and your kind comments.

And may your novel be a great success. I hope to see it on the bookshelves here in Dawson.

Kindest regards,
Spencer

]]> Comment on About this Site by Pamela Shandel http://robertservice.com/about-these-pages/comment-page-1/#comment-23504 Pamela Shandel Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:26:01 +0000 http://robertservice.com/?page_id=11#comment-23504 Dear Spenser, I live in Paris, France. October 31, 2009 I have been to Dawson City, traded room and board for cooking breakfast for borders for a few weeks. I am writing a roadbook novel, that has Dawson City in it. It is a turning point in the book, actually. I was writing a line, where I said that there was a picture of the poet, Robert Service beside the poker table in Diamond Tooth Gerties -- and went on to google, "Robert Service." I found your site, which I find mighty friendly. I will enjoy reading some of Service's poems now, thanks to you. Good work. Best wishes, Pamela Dear Spenser,
I live in Paris, France.
October 31, 2009

I have been to Dawson City, traded room and board for cooking breakfast for borders for a few weeks. I am writing a roadbook novel, that has Dawson City in it. It is a turning point in the book, actually.
I was writing a line, where I said that there was a picture of the poet, Robert Service beside the poker table in Diamond Tooth Gerties — and went on to google, “Robert Service.”
I found your site, which I find mighty friendly. I will enjoy reading some of Service’s poems now, thanks to you.

Good work.
Best wishes,
Pamela

]]> Comment on The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill by Gerard http://robertservice.com/the-ballad-of-blasphemous-bill/comment-page-1/#comment-21334 Gerard Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:10:57 +0000 http://robertservice.com/?p=72#comment-21334 That was an awful job he had to do,but he kept his word even if he had to use a saw,Bill was buried That was an awful job he had to do,but he kept his word even if he had to use a saw,Bill was buried

]]> Comment on Clancy of the Mounted Police by Samy http://robertservice.com/clancy-of-the-mounted-police/comment-page-1/#comment-18767 Samy Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:15:10 +0000 http://robertservice.com/?p=86#comment-18767 Ah, the good old Canadian winter ballad... Them mounties must have it rough when they have to go out for days to get some poor idiot from the wild. Ah, the good old Canadian winter ballad… Them mounties must have it rough when they have to go out for days to get some poor idiot from the wild.

]]> Comment on The Trail of Ninety-Eight by Kim Service http://robertservice.com/the-trail-of-ninety-eight/comment-page-1/#comment-16877 Kim Service Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:09:17 +0000 http://robertservice.com/?p=84#comment-16877 Hey this site is really good, Robert Service is my third-cousin i believe. I came on here while researching him for a school assignment. Props to you for creating such a great site dedicated to good ol' Robert Service. "The Secret Love Life" blog was really interesting to read, I had no idea! Anyways, just wanted to say thanks and well done. Hey this site is really good, Robert Service is my third-cousin i believe. I came on here while researching him for a school assignment. Props to you for creating such a great site dedicated to good ol’ Robert Service. “The Secret Love Life” blog was really interesting to read, I had no idea! Anyways, just wanted to say thanks and well done.

]]> Comment on The Idealist by effehagioda http://robertservice.com/18/comment-page-1/#comment-16323 effehagioda Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:24:04 +0000 http://robertservice.com/?p=18#comment-16323 What is bumburbia? What is bumburbia?

]]> Comment on The Pines by jsteins http://robertservice.com/the-pines/comment-page-1/#comment-8840 jsteins Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:44:20 +0000 http://robertservice.com/?p=41#comment-8840 Here's one of my favorite poems by Gwendolyn MacEwan. It seems akin the Service poem in some strange way. Dark Pines Under Water This land like a mirror turns you inward And you become a forest in furtive lake; The dark pines of your mind reach downward, You dream in the green of your time, Your memory is a row of sinking pines. Explorer, you tell yourself this is not what you came for Although it is good here, and green; You had meant to move with a kind of largeness, You had planned a heavy grace, an anguished dream. But the dark pines of your mind dip deeper And you are sinking, sinking, sleeper In an elementary world; There is something down there and you want it told. Gwendolyn MacEwan Here’s one of my favorite poems by Gwendolyn MacEwan. It seems akin the Service poem in some strange way.

Dark Pines Under Water

This land like a mirror turns you inward
And you become a forest in furtive lake;
The dark pines of your mind reach downward,
You dream in the green of your time,
Your memory is a row of sinking pines.

Explorer, you tell yourself this is not what you came for
Although it is good here, and green;
You had meant to move with a kind of largeness,
You had planned a heavy grace, an anguished dream.

But the dark pines of your mind dip deeper
And you are sinking, sinking, sleeper
In an elementary world;
There is something down there and you want it told.

Gwendolyn MacEwan

]]> Comment on The Spell of the Yukon by anonomous http://robertservice.com/the-spell-of-the-yukon/comment-page-1/#comment-8397 anonomous Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:28:55 +0000 http://robertservice.com/wordpress/?p=6#comment-8397 really long but a very nice poem. I'm not much of a poet but certainly enjoy poetry. love the site. really long but a very nice poem. I’m not much of a poet but certainly enjoy poetry. love the site.

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