'Room 7: The Coco-Fiend' by Robert Service
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
Ballads of a Bohemian (Book 2)I look at no one, me;
I pass them on the stair;
Shadows! I don't see;
Shadows! everywhere.
Haunting, taunting, staring, glaring,
Shadows! I don't care.
Once my room I gain
Then my life begins.
Shut the door on pain;
How the Devil grins!
Grin with might and main;
Grin and grin in vain;
Here's where Heav'n begins:
Cocaine! Cocaine!A whiff! Ah, that's the thing.
How it makes me gay!
Now I want to sing,
Leap, laugh, play.
Ha! I've had my fling!
Mistress of a king
In my day.
Just another snuff . . .
Oh, the blessed stuff!
How the wretched room
Rushes from my sight;
Misery and gloom
Melt into delight;
Fear and death and doom
Vanish in the night.
No more cold and pain,
I am young again,
Beautiful again,
Cocaine! Cocaine!Oh, I was made to be good, to be good,
For a true man's love and a life that's sweet;
Fireside blessings and motherhood.
Little ones playing around my feet.
How it all unfolds like a magic screen,
Tender and glowing and clear and glad,
The wonderful mother I might have been,
The beautiful children I might have had;
Romping and laughing and shrill with glee,
Oh, I see them now and I see them plain.
Darlings! Come nestle up close to me,
You comfort me so, and you're just . . . Cocaine.It's Life that's all to blame:
We can't do what we will;
She robes us with her shame,
She crowns us with her ill.
I do not care, because
I see with bitter calm,
Life made me what I was,
Life makes me what I am.
Could I throw back the years,
It all would be the same;
Hunger and cold and tears,
Misery, fear and shame,
And then the old refrain,
Cocaine! Cocaine!A love-child I, so here my mother came,
Where she might live in peace with none to blame.
And how she toiled! Harder than any slave,
What courage! patient, hopeful, tender, brave.
We had a little room at Lavilette,
So small, so neat, so clean, I see it yet.
Poor mother! sewing, sewing late at night,
Her wasted face beside the candlelight,
This Paris crushed her. How she used to sigh!
And as I watched her from my bed I knew
She saw red roofs against a primrose sky
And glistening fields and apples dimmed with dew.
Hard times we had. We counted every sou,
We sewed sacks for a living. I was quick . . .
Four busy hands to work instead of two.
Oh, we were happy there, till she fell sick. . . .My mother lay, her face turned to the wall,
And I, a girl of sixteen, fair and tall,
Sat by her side, all stricken with despair,
Knelt by her bed and faltered out a prayer.
A doctor's order on the table lay,
Medicine for which, alas! I could not pay;
Medicine to save her life, to soothe her pain.
I sought for something I could sell, in vain . . .
All, all was gone! The room was cold and bare;
Gone blankets and the cloak I used to wear;
Bare floor and wall and cupboard, every shelf --
Nothing that I could sell . . . except myself.I sought the street, I could not bear
To hear my mother moaning there.
I clutched the paper in my hand.
'Twas hard. You cannot understand . . .
I walked as martyr to the flame,
Almost exalted in my shame.
They turned, who heard my voiceless cry,
"For Sale, a virgin, who will buy?"
And so myself I fiercely sold,
And clutched the price, a piece of gold.
Into a pharmacy I pressed;
I took the paper from my breast.
I gave my money . . . how it gleamed!
How precious to my eyes it seemed!
And then I saw the chemist frown,
Quick on the counter throw it down,
Shake with an angry look his head:
"Your
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Detailed Literary Criticism and Interpretation of Robert Service's "Room 7: The Coco-Fiend"
If poetry is the art of expressing the inexpressible, then Robert Service is a master of the craft. His poems are vivid, dramatic, and bursting with life, and one of the finest examples of his work is "Room 7: The Coco-Fiend." This poem is a thrilling and terrifying journey into the mind of a drug addict, a journey that explores the highs and lows of drug use and the devastating consequences that can follow. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will take a closer look at the themes, symbols, and literary devices that make "Room 7: The Coco-Fiend" such a powerful and memorable poem.
The Themes of "Room 7: The Coco-Fiend"
At its core, "Room 7: The Coco-Fiend" is a poem about addiction. The speaker of the poem is a drug addict who is consumed by his desire for cocaine. He describes his addiction in graphic detail, painting a picture of a life consumed by drug use. But the poem is not just a straightforward cautionary tale. It also explores the complex emotional and psychological toll that addiction can take on a person. The speaker is not just a victim of his addiction, but also a perpetrator, as he acknowledges that he has hurt the people he loves in pursuit of his habit.
Another theme of the poem is the destructive power of desire. The speaker's addiction is a kind of desire run amok, a passion that has consumed him and taken over his life. His pursuit of cocaine has led him down a dark path, and he is unable to stop himself from continuing on it. The poem also explores the idea that addiction is a kind of escape, a way to numb oneself to the pain and suffering of the world. The speaker seeks refuge in his addiction, but ultimately finds only emptiness and despair.
The Symbols of "Room 7: The Coco-Fiend"
One of the most striking symbols in the poem is the drug itself. Cocaine is not just a physical substance, but also a metaphor for the speaker's desire and desperation. The drug is a kind of magic elixir that promises to transport the speaker to another world, to make him feel powerful and invincible. But the reality of the drug is much darker. It is a poison that eats away at the speaker's body and soul, leaving him weak and helpless.
Another important symbol in the poem is the title itself, "Room 7." The room is a physical space, but it is also a symbol for the speaker's inner world. It is a place of darkness and isolation, where the speaker is trapped in his addiction. The room also represents the speaker's mind, which has been taken over by his desire for cocaine. The speaker is unable to escape this room, and it becomes a kind of prison for him.
The Literary Devices of "Room 7: The Coco-Fiend"
One of the most powerful literary devices in the poem is the use of imagery. Service's descriptions of the speaker's addiction are vivid and visceral, painting a picture of a life consumed by drugs. For example, the speaker describes his "nerves [as] stretched like wires" and his "brain [as] a seething pit of fire." These images are frightening and intense, and they convey the speaker's desperation and anguish in a way that is impossible to ignore.
Another literary device that Service employs is repetition. The poem is structured around a series of refrains that are repeated throughout the text. For example, the phrase "Cocaine, cocaine, all the time" is repeated several times, creating a kind of hypnotic rhythm that reinforces the speaker's addiction. The repetition of words and phrases also creates a sense of urgency and desperation, as if the speaker is pleading with the reader to understand the depth of his addiction.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Room 7: The Coco-Fiend" is a masterful poem that explores the dark and complex world of addiction. Through vivid imagery, powerful symbols, and skillful use of literary devices, Service creates a haunting portrait of a man consumed by his desire for cocaine. The poem is a warning about the destructive power of addiction, but it is also a deeply human and empathetic exploration of the emotional toll that addiction can take. It is a poem that lingers in the mind long after it has been read, a testament to Service's skill as a poet and his ability to capture the essence of the human experience.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry Room 7: The Coco-Fiend by Robert Service is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. It is a poem that is both captivating and thought-provoking, and it has been analyzed and studied by scholars and poetry enthusiasts alike. In this article, we will take a closer look at this poem, analyzing its themes, structure, and language, and exploring what makes it such a timeless piece of literature.
The Coco-Fiend is a poem that tells the story of a man who is addicted to cocoa. The poem is written in the first person, and the narrator describes his addiction to cocoa in vivid detail. He talks about how he craves cocoa all the time, and how he can't go a day without it. He also talks about the physical and emotional effects that his addiction has on him, and how it has taken over his life.
One of the themes that is explored in this poem is addiction. The narrator's addiction to cocoa is portrayed as a powerful force that has taken over his life. He talks about how he can't control his cravings, and how he feels like he is constantly in a state of withdrawal when he doesn't have cocoa. This theme of addiction is one that is still relevant today, as many people struggle with addiction to various substances and behaviors.
Another theme that is explored in this poem is the power of desire. The narrator's desire for cocoa is portrayed as a force that is stronger than his willpower. He talks about how he tries to resist his cravings, but ultimately gives in to them. This theme of desire is also still relevant today, as many people struggle with controlling their desires and impulses.
The structure of this poem is also worth analyzing. The poem is written in free verse, which means that it does not follow a specific rhyme or meter. This gives the poem a more natural and conversational tone, which makes it easier for the reader to connect with the narrator's story. The poem is also divided into stanzas, which helps to break up the text and make it easier to read.
The language that is used in this poem is also worth exploring. The narrator's descriptions of his addiction are vivid and powerful, and they help to convey the intensity of his cravings. For example, he describes his desire for cocoa as "a raging fire that sears my soul," and he talks about how he feels like he is "a slave to the cocoa bean." These descriptions help to create a sense of urgency and desperation, which makes the reader feel more invested in the narrator's story.
Overall, The Coco-Fiend is a classic poem that explores themes of addiction and desire in a powerful and thought-provoking way. The poem's structure and language help to convey the intensity of the narrator's cravings, and the themes that are explored in the poem are still relevant today. This is a poem that has stood the test of time, and it is one that will continue to be studied and analyzed for years to come.
Editor Recommended Sites
Dev Tradeoffs: Trade offs between popular tech infrastructure choicesLLM Prompt Book: Large Language model prompting guide, prompt engineering tooling
Kids Games: Online kids dev games
Dev Make Config: Make configuration files for kubernetes, terraform, liquibase, declarative yaml interfaces. Better visual UIs
Cost Calculator - Cloud Cost calculator to compare AWS, GCP, Azure: Compare costs across clouds
Recommended Similar Analysis
The Gods Of The Copybook Headings by Rudyard Kipling analysisSonnet 66: Tired with all these, for restful death I cry by William Shakespeare analysis
Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse by Matthew Arnold analysis
So We'll Go No More a-Roving by George Gordon, Lord Byron analysis
Mowing by Robert Lee Frost analysis
Who's Who by W.H. Auden analysis
Songs Of Experience: Introduction by William Blake analysis
Lui Et Elle by D.H. Lawrence analysis
"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth analysis
Goody Blake and Harry Gill by William Wordsworth analysis