'The Ballad Of Blasphemous Bill' by Robert Service
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I took a contract to bury the body of blasphemous Bill MacKie,
Whenever, wherever or whatsoever the manner of death he die--
Whether he die in the light o' day or under the peak-faced moon;
In cabin or dance-hall, camp or dive, mucklucks or patent shoon;
On velvet tundra or virgin peak, by glacier, drift or draw;
In muskeg hollow or canyon gloom, by avalanche, fang or claw;
By battle, murder or sudden wealth, by pestilence, hooch or lead--
I swore on the Book I would follow and look till I found my tombless dead.
For Bill was a dainty kind of cuss, and his mind was mighty sot
On a dinky patch with flowers and grass in a civilized bone-yard lot.
And where he died or how he died, it didn't matter a damn
So long as he had a grave with frills and a tombstone "epigram".
So I promised him, and he paid the price in good cheechako coin
(Which the same I blowed in that very night down in the Tenderloin).
Then I painted a three-foot slab of pine: "Here lies poor Bill MacKie",
And I hung it up on my cabin wall and I waited for Bill to die.
Years passed away, and at last one day came a squaw with a story strange,
Of a long-deserted line of traps 'way back of the Bighorn range;
Of a little hut by the great divide, and a white man stiff and still,
Lying there by his lonesome self, and I figured it must be Bill.
So I thought of the contract I'd made with him, and I took down from the shelf
The swell black box with the silver plate he'd picked out for hisself;
And I packed it full of grub and "hooch", and I slung it on the sleigh;
Then I harnessed up my team of dogs and was off at dawn of day.
You know what it's like in the Yukon wild when it's sixty-nine below;
When the ice-worms wriggle their purple heads through the crust of the pale blue snow;
When the pine-trees crack like little guns in the silence of the wood,
And the icicles hang down like tusks under the parka hood;
When the stove-pipe smoke breaks sudden off, and the sky is weirdly lit,
And the careless feel of a bit of steel burns like a red-hot spit;
When the mercury is a frozen ball, and the frost-fiend stalks to kill--
Well, it was just like that that day when I set out to look for Bill.
Oh, the awful hush that seemed to crush me down on every hand,
As I blundered blind with a trail to find through that blank and bitter land;
Half dazed, half crazed in the winter wild, with its grim heart-breaking woes,
And the ruthless strife for a grip on life that only the sourdough knows!
North by the compass, North I pressed; river and peak and plain
Passed like a dream I slept to lose and I waked to dream again.
River and plain and mighty peak--and who could stand unawed?
As their summits blazed, he could stand undazed at the foot of the throne of God.
North, aye, North, through a land accurst, shunned by the scouring brutes,
And all I heard was my own harsh word and the whine of the malamutes,
Till at last I came to a cabin squat, built in the side of a hill,
And I burst in the door, and there on the floor, frozen to death, lay Bill.
Ice, white ice, like a winding-sheet, sheathing each smoke-grimed wall;
Ice on the stove-pipe, ice on the bed, ice gleaming over all;
Sparkling ice on the dead man's chest, glittering ice in his hair,
Ice on his fingers, ice in his heart, ice in his glassy stare;
Hard as a log and trussed like a frog, with his arms and legs outspread.
I gazed at the coffin I'd brought for him, and I gazed at the gruesome dead,
And at last I spoke: "Bill liked his joke; but still, goldarn his eyes,
A man had ought to consider his mates in the way he goes and dies."
Have you ever stood in an Arctic hut in the shadow of the Pole,
With a little coffin six by three and a grief you can't control?
Have you ever sat by a frozen corpse that looks at you with a grin,
And that seems to say: "You may try all day, but you'll never jam me in"?
I'm not a man of the quitting kind, but I never felt so blue
As I sat there gazing at that stiff and studying what I'd do.
Then I rose and I kicked off the husky dogs that were nosing round about,
And I lit a roaring fire in the stove, and I started to thaw Bill out.
Well, I thawed and thawed for thirteen days, but it didn't seem no good;
His arms and legs stuck out like pegs, as if they was made of wood.
Till at last I said: "It ain't no use--he's froze too hard to thaw;
He's obstinate, and he won't lie straight, so I guess I got to--saw."
So I sawed off poor Bill's arms and legs, and I laid him snug and straight
In the little coffin he picked hisself, with the dinky silver plate;
And I came nigh near to shedding a tear as I nailed him safely down;
Then I stowed him away in my Yukon sleigh, and I started back to town.
So I buried him as the contract was in a narrow grave and deep,
And there he's waiting the Great Clean-up, when the Judgment sluice-heads sweep;
And I smoke my pipe and I meditate in the light of the Midnight Sun,
And sometimes I wonder if they was, the awful things I done.
And as I sit and the parson talks, expounding of the Law,
I often think of poor old Bill--and how hard he was to saw.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Ballad Of Blasphemous Bill: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Oh, have you heard of Blasphemous Bill,
The bold and reckless rider,
Who swore by all the powers of hell
He'd never be a hider?
The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill is a stirring piece of poetry, one that captures the spirit of the Wild West and the bravery of the men who rode through it. Written by Robert Service, the poem follows the story of Blasphemous Bill, a cowboy who defies the odds and refuses to back down in the face of danger. Through Service's vivid imagery and evocative language, we are transported to a world of dusty plains, dangerous outlaws, and the raw courage of a man who refuses to be defeated.
An Analysis of the Poem's Content
Blasphemous Bill is a complex character, one who embodies the rugged individualism of the American West. He is a man who lives by his own rules, who refuses to be cowed by authority or convention. In the opening stanza, we see him as a fearless rider, one who is willing to swear by the powers of hell in order to prove his courage. This opening sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as we follow Bill on his journey through the dangerous and lawless West.
As the poem progresses, we see Bill facing a series of challenges, each one more dangerous than the last. He takes on outlaws and wild beasts, all while remaining steadfast and true to his own code of honor. In one memorable moment, he even defies death itself, shooting a rattlesnake that threatens to take his life. Through it all, Bill remains unafraid, a symbol of the indomitable spirit of the American West.
Service's use of language is particularly effective in conveying the ruggedness of the West and the courage of its people. He employs a simple, direct style that is well-suited to the subject matter, using short, punchy lines to create a sense of urgency and excitement. He also makes effective use of repetition, both in the structure of the poem and in the repeated use of key phrases and images. This repetition serves to reinforce the poem's central themes and to create a sense of momentum and energy.
A Deeper Look at the Poem's Themes
At its core, The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill is a celebration of individualism and courage. Bill is a symbol of the American pioneer spirit, a man who refuses to be constrained by the norms and expectations of society. He lives by his own rules, and is willing to face any challenge in order to prove his worth.
At the same time, however, the poem also explores the darker side of this individualism. Bill's refusal to be cowed by authority can also be seen as a rejection of community and society. He is a lone figure, one who stands apart from his fellow men, and his triumphs are won through his own efforts and determination. This can be seen as a critique of the rugged individualism that has come to be associated with the American West, suggesting that this philosophy can lead to isolation and loneliness.
Another theme that runs throughout the poem is the idea of fate and destiny. Bill is depicted as a man who is destined for greatness, one who is fated to overcome any obstacle that comes his way. This sense of fate is reinforced by the ballad's structure, which follows a pattern of challenge and triumph that builds to a climactic conclusion. By the end of the poem, Bill has become a hero, a symbol of the American spirit of determination and resilience.
The Poem's Historical Context
The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill was written in 1907, a time when the American West was still very much a wild and untamed land. The romanticism of the West had taken hold in the popular imagination, and the figure of the cowboy had become an iconic symbol of American resilience and determination. Service's poem taps into this romanticism, evoking a world of danger and adventure that was rapidly disappearing.
At the same time, however, the poem also reflects the changing attitudes of the time. The turn of the century saw a shift away from the rugged individualism that had characterized the West in earlier years, and towards a greater emphasis on community and cooperation. Service's depiction of Blasphemous Bill can be seen as a critique of this earlier philosophy, suggesting that it can lead to isolation and loneliness.
Conclusion
The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill is a stirring piece of poetry that captures the spirit of the American West and the rugged individualism that characterized it. Through his vivid imagery and evocative language, Robert Service creates a world of danger and adventure, one that is populated by bold and fearless men like Blasphemous Bill. At the same time, however, the poem also offers a critique of this philosophy, suggesting that it can lead to loneliness and isolation. Ultimately, The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill is a celebration of the American spirit of determination and resilience, one that continues to resonate with readers today.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill: A Poem of Contradictions
Robert Service's The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill is a poem that is both fascinating and perplexing. On the surface, it appears to be a simple story of a man who defies God and pays the ultimate price. However, upon closer examination, the poem reveals a complex web of contradictions and ambiguities that challenge our understanding of morality, religion, and human nature.
The poem tells the story of Bill, a man who is described as "a reckless sort of cuss" and "a hard-faced, two-fisted guy." Bill is a man who lives life on his own terms, defying authority and convention at every turn. He is a man who is not afraid to speak his mind, even if it means blaspheming against God. In fact, Bill's blasphemy is the central theme of the poem. He is described as "a scoffer bold" who "swore with an oath that made Christ stand up quite stiff."
Despite his blasphemy, Bill is not portrayed as a villain. On the contrary, he is depicted as a sympathetic character who is admired by many. The narrator of the poem describes him as "a man that men admired" and "a man that women loved." Even the preacher who confronts him is impressed by his courage and his refusal to back down.
The poem's ambiguity is evident in the way it portrays Bill's blasphemy. On the one hand, his blasphemy is presented as a serious offense that cannot be tolerated. The preacher warns him that he is "a sinner doomed to hell" and that he must repent or face eternal damnation. On the other hand, Bill's blasphemy is also presented as a sign of his independence and his refusal to be cowed by authority. He is a man who is not afraid to speak his mind, even if it means defying God himself.
The poem's ambiguity is further compounded by the way it portrays God. On the one hand, God is presented as a stern and unforgiving figure who cannot tolerate blasphemy. The preacher warns Bill that "God's wrath will strike you dead" if he does not repent. On the other hand, God is also presented as a distant and indifferent figure who does not seem to care about the fate of his creation. When Bill defies him, there is no thunderbolt or lightning strike to punish him. Instead, he is struck down by a random accident, a "bolt from the blue" that seems to have no connection to his blasphemy.
The poem's ambiguity is also evident in the way it portrays the afterlife. On the one hand, the preacher warns Bill that he will be condemned to eternal damnation if he does not repent. On the other hand, the poem suggests that there may be some hope for Bill even after his death. When he dies, he is described as "a man that men regretted" and "a man that women cried to see." This suggests that he was not entirely without redeeming qualities, and that he may have some chance of salvation.
In the end, The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill is a poem that challenges our understanding of morality, religion, and human nature. It is a poem that defies easy interpretation, and that invites us to question our assumptions about the world around us. It is a poem that reminds us that there are no easy answers, and that the most important questions are often the ones that cannot be answered at all.
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