The white land locked tight as a drum,
The cold fears that follows and finds you,
The silence that bludgeons you dumb,
Robert Service
The Spell of the Yukon
On a Christmas day we were mushing our way over the Dawson trail.
Talk of your cold!through the parka's fold it stabbed like a driven nail.
If our eyes we'd close , then the lashes froze till sometimes we couldn't see.
It wasn't much fun , but the only one to whimper was Sam Magee.
Robert Service
The Cremation of Sam Magee
We are in a severe cold spell so I thought I would use some poetry to provide some color. The high today was minus 26 C ( minus 12 F) . Tonight's low will be minus 36 (minus 37 F). To make things worse there has been some wind. I'm warm when I'm outside except for my face. I had a lab appointment at 8:30 this morning and in the two block walk it was cold on the face .
Now Canada claims Robert Service as our poet. Robert Service was born in England and came to North America and lived from Mexico the Vancouver Island. Service began working in a bank on Vancouver Island and went from Whitehorse to Dawson City. They had to make their own entertainment and Service wrote a poem each week and recited it at their weekly concerts. These poems were a great hit.
About 1912 Service left Canada, went to France and lived there for much of the rest of his life. He wrote much poetry. He also spent some time in Hollywood during the second World war and entertained troops.
What I like about Service is that Canadians claim him as their poet but he lived in Canada for less than ten years. Many Canadians think that Service lived his whole life in the little log cabin in Dawson City. This cabin is a tourist attraction that is very popular.
So no matter if one of our favorite poets didn't live here, it's still cold. Check out Robert Service. He wrote some neat poems.
You do have some cold weather! You need one of those hats that covers your face but has eye and mouth holes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information on Robert Service. I love poetry and I had heard of him but didn't know much about him. Now I want to learn more and will do a little research!
So cold weather and Robert service go together
DeleteI learned something from you today. I always thought Robert Service was a Canadian through and through. He certainly conjured up the Canadian images with his words.
ReplyDeleteYou are like I was until I did some checking on Service for a few lessons of poetry for the Gr. nines.
DeleteHello, maybe Robert the poet was a Canadian at heart. The cabin is cute. I am not sure if I could handle minus temperatures, that is way too cold. Enjoy your day, wishing you a great new week ahead!
ReplyDeleteHe spent as much time in the states as Canada.
DeleteThat's very interesting, Red. The coldest temperature I've been out in was 26ºC in Sarnia. Service was born in Preston, 30 miles or so from where I was born. His father was a Glasgow banker but his mother was English. He went to school in Glasgow. So he had a pretty good grounding as a Scot. I confess that I didn't know his poetry but I've just read some and enjoyed it enough to keep on reading. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteService was a character. It's really neat to hear him reading his poetry.
DeleteThat ia very cold at your place! Such temperatures we haven't had here as long as I can remember. Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteWe get this cold every few years.
DeleteRobert Service is quintessentially associated with Canada regardless of his origins and peregrinations. I think Pierre Berton popularized him more than any other. Thanks for this reminder, Red.
ReplyDeleteI had a video of Berton interviewing Service.
DeleteHorrible cold. I think I'd rather that than the freezing rain, though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on winter rain. It is not only cold but brings many risks.
DeleteI will definitely look him up. I remember his name but little about his work. I do like that bit you shared, Red. :-)
ReplyDeleteHis poetry is fun to red out loud.
DeleteWow, it is really COLD there. I think I'll stop complaining when it's a frosty 31 degrees Farenheit here. It's literally freezing, but nothing like what you get there. I'll check out Robert Service. I love this story.
ReplyDeleteWe get used to cold. I could probably get used to hot weather if I tried.
DeleteI've read Robert Service but I had no idea he was "claimed" by Canadians. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteRobert Service moved around. He spent more than 10 years in the States.
DeleteI've read some Robert Service and enjoyed his writing. It sure is very cold at your location, stay warm.
ReplyDeleteI'll stay warm but I worry about some of my friends.
DeleteThings I didn't know. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that either until I accidentally found it when I was preparing a lesson or two for my gr. nines.
DeletePretty soon you'll have Prince Harry and wife, because they got the cold shoulder from the crown!
ReplyDeleteWell if they came now they would get more than a cold shoulder. My prediction is that they won't stay here very long.
DeleteMr Service spent the first 21 years of his life in Britain but hey we have spawned plenty of great poets so I don't mind you Canucks claiming him as your own and I am glad to be of service to you Red.
ReplyDeleteYes, thanks for your very excellent Service. He spent more time in the States than Canada.
DeleteA new poet for me. Thanks, I will check him out. We have not cold here. Climate change is grabbing us by the 60F and no snow!!~
ReplyDeleteclimate change brings all kinds of nasty weather. Read Service out loud.
DeleteMy dad was a fan of Service and could recite quite a selection of his poetry. I hadn’t realized he lived so many places! Those are some cold temps, but you know how to stay warm.
ReplyDeletemany of the old guys liked reciting poetry and Service was a favorite...especially the Cremation of Sam Magee.
DeleteNow that's cold! Thank you for the poetry and for the info on the author. A new one to me also.
ReplyDeleteCold. but we'll survive like Service.
DeleteI was already familiar with him.
ReplyDeleteHi Red, We are in the midst of a cold/snowy spell in Seattle. But it seems minor to what you've got there in Red Deer. Hang in there and stay warm!
ReplyDeleteI'll stay warm but some people will be cold as furnaces pick the wrong time to break down.
DeleteI have never experienced that kind of cold. Really cold here in Seattle is 20 degrees above zero, and that happens rarely.
ReplyDeleteYou picked a good place to live.
DeleteWe're in the midst of winter but not all cold as where you are. At least not for now. It will find us!
ReplyDeleteDon't be so pessimistic or winter might find you.
DeleteBrrr! I'm glad it's not that cold here!
ReplyDeleteI thought I knew quite a bit about Robert Service but it turns out that was just his poetry, not the man himself. My grandpa had some of his poetry memorized and used to recite it. He was from back in the days when kids were required to learn poetry by heart, and he memorized these later in life just for fun. At the time, we weren't impressed, but I realize now that I should have appreciated his talent more.
Many people recited Service's poetry. The Cremation of Sam Magee was a favorite.
DeleteStay warm Red! I think maybe your cold weather is coming this way sounds like it will be here Wednesday night until then we have snow:(
ReplyDeleteThis cold air covers a wide area. Keep warm.
ReplyDeleteThe cold weather will be heading our way in Nashua, NH, within a day or so. Meanwhile we are expected to get some snow overnigh. This is quite a turnabout after the mild, spring-like weather last weekend which had people walking around in t-shirts and light jackets. Thanks you for the info on Robert Service.
ReplyDeletei really hope you stay warm dear Red
ReplyDeleteour winter are not as stern specially in province i live bears 1 to 10 temps mostly ,if i remember correct it went just few time below zero in past 30 years i spent here after marriage
i agree that world outside can be disappointingly barren which bothers particularly children of all ages
i liked the sharing about poet and found his poetry worth reading and enjoying thank you for mentioning him
blessings!
We'll be heading up to Chicago again next month. We know it's going to be cold... really cold, but probably not as cold as Canada. I've never heard of Robert Service. I shall have to look him up. Tom mentioned Harry and Megan. I wonder how the regular Canadians feel. I saw somewhere that Canadians were worried about the cost of protecting them.
ReplyDelete