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The Cremation of Sam McGee

The poem tells the story of Sam McGee, a man from Tennessee who travels to the Arctic for gold. While on a sled journey, Sam grows increasingly ill from the cold. He makes the narrator promise to cremate his body if he dies. Sam does pass away, and the narrator is forced to drag his frozen corpse. He eventually finds an abandoned ship to use as a makeshift crematorium, burning Sam's body. To the narrator's surprise, when he checks on Sam, he is sitting calmly, saying he is finally warm after leaving Tennessee.

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1K views4 pages

The Cremation of Sam McGee

The poem tells the story of Sam McGee, a man from Tennessee who travels to the Arctic for gold. While on a sled journey, Sam grows increasingly ill from the cold. He makes the narrator promise to cremate his body if he dies. Sam does pass away, and the narrator is forced to drag his frozen corpse. He eventually finds an abandoned ship to use as a makeshift crematorium, burning Sam's body. To the narrator's surprise, when he checks on Sam, he is sitting calmly, saying he is finally warm after leaving Tennessee.

Uploaded by

banzaibob
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Poem:TheCremationofSamMcGee

byRobertW.Service Therearestrangethingsdoneinthemidnightsun Bythemenwhomoilforgold TheArctictrailshavetheirsecrettales Thatwouldmakeyourbloodruncold TheNorthernLightshaveseenqueersights, Butthequeeresttheyeverdidsee WasthatnightonthemargeofLakeLebarge IcrematedSamMcGee. NowSamMcGeewasfromTennessee,wherethecottonbloomsandblows. WhyhelefthishomeintheSouthtoroamroundthePole,Godonlyknows. Hewasalwayscold,butthelandofgoldseemedtoholdhimlikeaspell Thoughhedoftensayinhishomelywaythathedsoonerliveinhell. OnaChristmasDayweweremushingourwayovertheDawsontrail. Talkofyourcold!throughtheparkasfolditstabbedlikeadrivennail. Ifoureyeswedclose,thenthelashesfrozetillsometimeswecouldntsee Itwasntmuchfun,buttheonlyonetowhimperwasSamMcGee. Andthatverynight,aswelaypackedtightinourrobesbeneaththesnow, Andthedogswerefed,andthestarsoerheadweredancingheelandtoe, Heturnedtome,andCap,sayshe,Illcashinthistrip,Iguess AndifIdo,Imaskingthatyouwontrefusemylastrequest. Well,heseemedsolowthatIcouldntsaynothenhesayswithasortofmoan: Itsthecursedcold,anditsgotrightholdtillImchilledcleanthroughtothe bone. Yettaintbeingdeaditsmyawfuldreadoftheicygravethatpains SoIwantyoutoswearthat,foulorfair,youllcrematemylastremains. Apalslastneedisathingtoheed,soIsworeIwouldnotfail AndwestartedonatthestreakofdawnbutGod!helookedghastlypale. Hecrouchedonthesleigh,andheravedalldayofhishomeinTennessee AndbeforenightfallacorpsewasallthatwasleftofSamMcGee. Therewasntabreathinthatlandofdeath,andIhurried,horrordriven, WithacorpsehalfhidthatIcouldntgetrid,becauseofapromisegiven Itwaslashedtothesleigh,anditseemedtosay:Youmaytaxyourbrawnand brains, Butyoupromisedtrue,anditsuptoyoutocrematethoselastremains. Nowapromisemadeisadebtunpaid,andthetrailhasitsownsterncode. Inthedaystocome,thoughmylipsweredumb,inmyhearthowIcursedthat load. Inthelong,longnight,bythelonefirelight,whilethehuskies,roundinaring, HowledouttheirwoestothehomelesssnowsOGod!howIloathedthething. Andeverydaythatquietclayseemedtoheavyandheaviergrow AndonIwent,thoughthedogswerespentandthegrubwasgettinglow Thetrailwasbad,andIfelthalfmad,butIsworeIwouldnotgivein AndIdoftensingtothehatefulthing,andithearkenedwithagrin.

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TillIcametothemargeofLakeLebarge,andaderelicttherelay Itwasjammedintheice,butIsawinatriceitwascalledtheAliceMay. AndIlookedatit,andIthoughtabit,andIlookedatmyfrozenchum ThenHere,saidI,withasuddencry,ismycrematoreum. SomeplanksItorefromthecabinfloor,andIlittheboilerfire SomecoalIfoundthatwaslyingaround,andIheapedthefuelhigher Theflamesjustsoaredandthefurnaceroaredsuchablazeyouseldomsee ThenIburrowedaholeintheglowingcoal,andIstuffedinSamMcGee. ThenImadeahike,forIdidntliketohearhimsizzleso Andtheheavensscowled,andthehuskieshowled,andthewindbegantoblow. Itwasicycold,butthehotsweatrolleddownmycheeks,andIdontknowwhy Andthegreasysmokeinaninkycloakwentstreakingdownthesky. IdonotknowhowlonginthesnowIwrestledwithgrislyfear ButthestarscameoutandtheydancedaboutereagainIventurednear Iwassickwithdread,butIbravelysaid:Illjusttakeapeepinside. Iguesshescooked,anditstimeIlooked...thenthedoorIopenedwide.

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AndtheresatSam,lookingcoolandcalm,intheheartofthefurnaceroar Andheworeasmileyoucouldseeamile,andhesaid:Pleaseclosethatdoor. Itsfineinhere,butIgreatlyfearyoullletinthecoldandstorm SinceIleftPlumtree,downinTennessee,itsthefirsttimeIvebeenwarm. Therearestrangethingsdoneinthemidnightsun Bythemenwhomoilforgold TheArctictrailshavetheirsecrettales Thatwouldmakeyourbloodruncold TheNorthernLightshaveseenqueersights, Butthequeeresttheyeverdidsee

WasthatnightonthemargeofLakeLebarge IcrematedSamMcGee.
FromLaterCollectedVersebyRobertService Dodd,Mead&CompanyNewYork1970pages3336.

RobertServiceBiogrphicalSketch RobertW.Service,aCanadianpoetandnovelist,wasknownforhisballadsofthe Yukon.Hewrotethisnarrativepoemwhichispresentedherebecauseitisan outstandingexampleofhowsensorystimuliareemphasizedandithasasurprise ending. RobertWilliamServicewasborninPreston,England,onJanuary16,1874.He emigratedtoCanadaattheageoftwenty,in1894,andsettledforashorttimeon VancouverIsland.HewasemployedbytheCanadianBankofCommerceinVictoria, B.C.,andwaslatertransferredtoWhitehorseandthentoDawsonintheYukon. Inall,hespenteightyearsintheYukonandsawandexperiencedthedifficult timesoftheminers,trappers,andhuntersthathehaspresentedtousinverse. DuringtheBalkanWarof191213,Servicewasawarcorrespondentforthe TorontoStar.HeservedthispaperinthesamecapacityduringWorldWarI,also servingtwoyearsasanambulancedriverintheCanadianArmymedicalcorps.He returnedtoVictoriaforatimeduringWorldWarII,butlaterlivedinretirementonthe FrenchRiviera,wherehediedonSeptember14,1958,inMonteCarlo. SamMcGeewasarealperson,acustomerattheBankofCommercewhereService worked.TheAliceMaywasarealboat,theOliveMay,aderelictonLakeLaberge. Anyonewhohasexperiencedthebitternessofcoldweatherandwhatitcandotoa personwillempathizewithSamMcGeesfeelingsasexpressedbyRobertServiceinhis poem,TheCremationofSamMcGee. MorepoemsarelistedatthisPoems:Index.

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