Eagle Plain

Robert Francis

The American eagle is not aware he is the American eagle. He is never tempted to look modest.

When orators advertise the American eagle’s virtues, the American eagle is not listening. This is his virtue.

He is somewhere else, he is mountains away but even if [...]]]> Here is the poem that I am wondering about. What does it mean to you??

Eagle Plain

Robert Francis

The American eagle is not aware he is
the American eagle. He is never tempted
to look modest.

When orators advertise the American eagle’s
virtues, the American eagle is not listening.
This is his virtue.

He is somewhere else, he is mountains away
but even if he were near he would never
make an audience.

The American eagle never says he will serve
if drafted, will dutifully serve etc. He is
not at our service.

If we have honored him we have honored one
who unequivocally honors himself by
overlooking us.

He does not know the meaning of magnificent.
Perhaps we do not altogether either
who cannot touch him

Aye, so I think By shore or sea, As deep I drink Of purity. This brave machine, Bare to the buff, I keep ice-clean, Breath is enough.

From mountain stream To covert cool The world, I deem, Is wonderful; The great, the small, The smooth, the [...]]]> Breath Is Enough

I draw sweet air
Deeply and long,
As pure as prayer,
As sweet as song.
Where lilies glow
And roses wreath,
Heart-joy I know
Is just to breathe.

Aye, so I think
By shore or sea,
As deep I drink
Of purity.
This brave machine,
Bare to the buff,
I keep ice-clean,
Breath is enough.

From mountain stream
To covert cool
The world, I deem,
Is wonderful;
The great, the small,
The smooth, the rough,
I love it all,–
Breath is enough.

Robert W. Service

———–

“It’s just the Army life, mother, the drill, the left and right, That puts the stiffinin’ in yer spine and locks yer jaw up tight. . . .”

“There’s something in your eyes, [...]]]> “There’s something in your face, Michael, I’ve seen it all the day;
There’s something quare that wasn’t there when first ye wint away. . . .”

“It’s just the Army life, mother, the drill, the left and right,
That puts the stiffinin’ in yer spine and locks yer jaw up tight. . . .”

“There’s something in your eyes, Michael, an’ how they stare and stare –
You’re lookin’ at me now, me boy, as if I wasn’t there. . . .”

“It’s just the things I’ve seen, mother, the sights that come and come,
A bit o’ broken, bloody pulp that used to be a chum. . . .”

“There’s something on your heart, Michael, that makes ye wake at night,
And often when I hear ye moan, I trimble in me fright. . . .”

“It’s just a man I killed, mother, a mother’s son like me;
It seems he’s always hauntin’ me, he’ll never let me be. . . .”

“But maybe he was bad, Michael, maybe it was right
To kill the inimy you hate in fair and honest fight. . . .”

“I did not hate at all, mother ; he never did me harm;
I think he was a lad like me, who worked upon a farm. . . .”

“And what’s it all about, Michael; why did you have to go,
A quiet, peaceful lad like you, and we were happy so? . . .”

“It’s thim that’s up above, mother, it’s thim that sits an’ rules;
We’ve got to fight the wars they make, it’s us as are the fools. . . .”

“And what will be the end, Michael, and what’s the use, I say,
Of fightin’ if whoever wins it’s us that’s got to pay? . . .”

“Oh, it will be the end, mother, when lads like him and me,
That sweat to feed the ones above, decide that we’ll be free. . . .”

“And when will that day come, Michael, and when will fightin’ cease,
And simple folks may till their soil and live and love in peace? . . .”

“It’s coming soon and soon, mother, it’s nearer every day,
When only men who work and sweat will have a word to say;
When all who earn their honest bread in every land and soil
Will claim the Brotherhood of Man, the Comradeship of Toil;
When we, the Workers, all demand: `What are we fighting for?’ . . .
Then, then we’ll end that stupid crime, that devil’s madness — War.”

Robert William Service

If you can name the poem, you can consider yourself awarded a paper star, like in grade-school.

It should have different characters in the poem so it can be a [...]]]> My piece for prose is The Nightmare at 20,000 feet by Richard Mathewson and my poetry piece is the cremation of Sam McGee by Robert Service. I don’t like the poem. Does anyone have any suggestions that i can replace it with.

It should have different characters in the poem so it can be a children’s poem. This is for a speech and debate tournament and should be 8-10 minutes. It should be one so that i could put a wide range of personality into it with different gestures, not one where you have the “poet’s voice” like in shows where you see people wearing sunglasses and snap and everything.

Its being judged based on its liveliness and voice dictation acting not dullness and poem soundness. They don’t like it when the dictation makes the rhymes noticeable so its important if t he poem can be read like a story. It it should be able to flow like sentences so a poem contructed of fragments doesn’t work either.

So the stranger stumbles across the room and flops down there like a fool.

I need an explanation to what this means, it’s from the poem The Shooting of Dan McGrew by Robert Service.

Please help!

I also have to write a multi-paragraph essay that has 4 references to the title in the [...]]]> Okay I have to do a project for English and its on Call of The Wild. I have to relate the poem “The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert Service to Call of the Wild in a multi-paragraph essay.

I also have to write a multi-paragraph essay that has 4 references to the title in the novel and explain how Jack London’s use of auditory imagery enhances the reading experience.

If you can help at all thanks that would be great.!