'The Mourners' by Robert Service
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I look into the aching womb of night;
I look across the mist that masks the dead;
The moon is tired and gives but little light,
The stars have gone to bed.
The earth is sick and seems to breathe with pain;
A lost wind whimpers in a mangled tree;
I do not see the foul, corpse-cluttered plain,
The dead I do not see.
The slain I would not see . . . and so I lift
My eyes from out the shambles where they lie;
When lo! a million woman-faces drift
Like pale leaves through the sky.
The cheeks of some are channelled deep with tears;
But some are tearless, with wild eyes that stare
Into the shadow of the coming years
Of fathomless despair.
And some are young, and some are very old;
And some are rich, some poor beyond belief;
Yet all are strangely like, set in the mould
Of everlasting grief.
They fill the vast of Heaven, face on face;
And then I see one weeping with the rest,
Whose eyes beseech me for a moment's space. . . .
Oh eyes I love the best!
Nay, I but dream. The sky is all forlorn,
And there's the plain of battle writhing red:
God pity them, the women-folk who mourn!
How happy are the dead!
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Mourners by Robert Service: A Masterpiece of Grief and Love
Are you looking for a poem that will make you cry and smile at the same time? Do you want to read a work of art that captures the essence of human emotions in the face of death and loss? Look no further than The Mourners, a classic poem by Robert Service that will leave you breathless and moved.
Background and Context
Before delving into the poem itself, let us first explore its author and the historical backdrop that inspired its creation. Robert Service was a British-Canadian poet and writer who lived from 1874 to 1958. He is best known for his works of poetry that capture the spirit of the Yukon Gold Rush, such as The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses and Ballads of a Cheechako.
However, The Mourners is a departure from Service's usual themes of adventure and rugged individualism. Instead, it deals with the universal experience of grief and the beauty of love that transcends death. Service wrote the poem in response to the loss of his brother, Albert Service, who died in World War I. The Mourners was published in 1918, a year after Albert's death, and it has since become one of Service's most beloved works.
Analysis and Interpretation
The Mourners is a narrative poem that tells the story of a widow and her three children who are grieving the loss of the patriarch of their family. The poem opens with a description of the widow's appearance, which is marked by sorrow and pain:
She stands before her husband's bier,
A stricken woman, gaunt and wild.
Her hair is grey, her cheeks are sear,
Her tears are yet undried.
Service's use of vivid imagery creates a powerful and emotional tone that sets the stage for the rest of the poem. The widow is not just sad; she is "gaunt and wild," her tears "undried." The reader can immediately sense the depth of her grief and empathize with her pain.
The poem then shifts to the widow's three children, who are also mourning their father. Service portrays the children as innocent and vulnerable, yet resilient in their own way:
The children stand with solemn eyes,
Like little bronze Statuettes,
And though their grief they will not disguise,
They show no self-pitying frets.
It is remarkable how Service conveys the children's grief without resorting to sentimentality or clichés. They are not "crying buckets" or "hugging teddy bears," but "little bronze Statuettes" who are dignified in their sorrow. The phrase "self-pitying frets" is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the children are aware of the gravity of the situation but are not consumed by their own pain.
The poem then moves on to the central theme of love and how it endures even in the face of death. Service uses a striking metaphor to describe the widow's love for her husband:
Yet there's a love-light in her eyes
That glorifies her woe.
It's as if she sees beyond the skies
And knows he's waiting so.
The phrase "love-light" is a beautiful and evocative way of describing the widow's love. It suggests that love is not just an emotion but a source of light that illuminates even the darkest of moments. The image of the widow seeing beyond the skies and knowing that her husband is waiting for her is also a powerful one, as it suggests that death is not the end of love but the beginning of a new chapter.
Service continues to explore the theme of love by describing how the widow's love for her husband is passed on to her children:
And as they watch their mother there
They feel the love she feels
And learn that love is more than prayer,
And stronger than the steel.
The phrase "more than prayer" is a poignant reminder that love is not just a passive feeling but an active force that can shape lives. The image of love being "stronger than the steel" is also a powerful one, as it suggests that love is not vulnerable to the ravages of time or the inevitability of death.
The poem ends with a moving tribute to the widow and her family, who are united in their grief and their love:
They mourn beside their husband's bier,
But not with hopeless moan,
For they have love that conquers fear
And strength to carry on.
The phrase "love that conquers fear" is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of loss. The image of the family having the strength to carry on suggests that grief is not the end of the story but the beginning of a new chapter that is marked by love and hope.
Conclusion
The Mourners is a masterpiece of grief and love that captures the essence of the human experience. Service's use of vivid imagery, striking metaphors, and poignant phrases creates a powerful and emotional tone that resonates with readers to this day. The poem is a testament to the enduring power of love and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of loss. It is a work of art that will leave you breathless and moved, and it is not to be missed.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Mourners: A Poem of Grief and Loss
Robert Service, the renowned poet, has left an indelible mark on the world of literature with his powerful and evocative works. One of his most poignant poems, The Mourners, is a masterpiece that captures the essence of grief and loss in a way that is both haunting and beautiful.
The poem begins with the image of a funeral procession, with mourners walking solemnly behind the hearse. The speaker of the poem observes the scene with a sense of detachment, as if he is an outsider looking in. He describes the mourners as "a somber throng" and notes that they are "mute and motionless" as they follow the coffin to its final resting place.
As the procession moves forward, the speaker begins to reflect on the nature of grief and the ways in which it affects those who are left behind. He notes that grief is a universal experience, one that touches everyone at some point in their lives. He observes that the mourners are "all alike in grief" and that their sorrow is a "common bond" that unites them.
Despite this shared experience, however, the speaker notes that each mourner experiences grief in their own unique way. He observes that some are "stern and still" while others are "wracked with pain." Some mourners are "lost in thought" while others are "weeping bitter tears." The speaker recognizes that grief is a deeply personal experience, one that cannot be fully understood by anyone else.
As the procession reaches its destination, the speaker reflects on the finality of death and the ways in which it changes the lives of those left behind. He notes that the dead are "gone beyond recall" and that their absence leaves a "vacant place" in the lives of those who loved them. He observes that the mourners will never be the same again, that they have been forever changed by the loss of their loved one.
Despite the sadness and pain of grief, however, the speaker notes that there is also a sense of beauty and dignity in the mourning process. He observes that the mourners are "clothed in black" and that they move with a "solemn grace" that is both dignified and respectful. He notes that the funeral procession is a "pageant of sorrow" that honors the memory of the dead and acknowledges the pain of the living.
In the final stanza of the poem, the speaker reflects on the ways in which grief can bring people together. He notes that the mourners are "strangers all" and that they come from different walks of life. Despite their differences, however, they are united in their grief and their shared experience of loss. The speaker observes that grief is a "great leveler" that erases the boundaries between people and brings them together in a common bond of sorrow.
In conclusion, The Mourners is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the essence of grief and loss in a way that is both haunting and beautiful. Through his vivid imagery and poignant observations, Robert Service reminds us of the universality of grief and the ways in which it touches us all. He shows us that while grief can be a painful and difficult experience, it can also be a source of beauty, dignity, and connection. The Mourners is a timeless work of art that speaks to the human experience in a way that is both profound and deeply moving.
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