'Two Graves' by Robert Service
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First Ghost
To sepulcher my mouldy bones
I bough a pile of noble stones,
And half a year a sculptor spent
To hew my marble monument,
The stateliest to rear its head
In all this city of the dead.
And generations passing through
Will gape, and ask: What did he do
To earn this tomb so rich and rare,
In Attic grace beyond compare?
How was his life in honour spent,
To worthy this proud monument?
What did I do" Well, nothing much.
'Tis true I had the Midas touch.
A million pounds I made wherewith
To glorify the name: John Smith;
Yet not a soul wept for me when
Death raft me from my fellow men.
My sculptor wins undying fame,
While I, who paid, am just a name.
Second Ghost
A wooden cross surveys my bones,
With on it stenciled: Peter Jones.
And round it are five hundred more;
(A proper job did old man War!)
So young they were, so fresh, so fit,
So hopeful - that's the hell of it.
The old are sapped and ripe to die,
But in the flush of Spring was I.
I might have fathered children ten,
To come to grips with sterling men;
And now a cross in weeds to rot,
Is all to show how fierce I fought.
The old default, the young must pay;
My life was wasted, thrown away.
While people gladden, to forget
The bitterness of vein regret,
With not a soul to morn for me
My skull grins up in mockery.
. . . Pale crosses greet the grieving stars,
And always will be - War and Wars.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Two Graves: A Classic Poem by Robert Service
Introduction
"Two Graves" is a classic poem by Robert Service, a renowned poet and writer born in Preston, Lancashire, England, on January 16, 1874. Service is best known for his poems, which are characterized by their simple language, vivid imagery, and storytelling style. "Two Graves" is one of Service's most famous poems, and it is often cited as an example of his mastery of the art of poetry.
The poem tells the story of two men who are buried side by side in a cemetery. The first man is a rich man who was buried with all his wealth, while the second man is a poor man who was buried with nothing. The poem explores the theme of wealth and its relationship with death and the afterlife. The rich man's grave is a symbol of his wealth, while the poor man's grave is a symbol of his poverty.
Analysis
The poem begins with an image of two graves side by side. The first stanza sets the tone for the poem, introducing the two men who are buried side by side. The rich man's grave is described in detail, with the image of a "marble shaft" and "sculptured urn" evoking a sense of grandeur and opulence. In contrast, the poor man's grave is described as "unmarked" and "unmourned," emphasizing his lack of wealth and status.
The second stanza continues the theme of wealth and poverty, contrasting the rich man's "hoarded gold" with the poor man's "empty hands." The image of the rich man's "countless gems" and "costly wine" provides a stark contrast to the poor man's "humble life" and "simple faith." The rich man's "vain ambition" is contrasted with the poor man's "patient toil," emphasizing the poem's theme of the emptiness of material wealth.
The third stanza introduces the idea of the afterlife, and the poem's central theme of the relationship between wealth and death. The rich man's "soul" is described as being "weighed down" by his wealth, while the poor man's "soul" is described as being "light as air." The image of the rich man's "cold clasp" and the poor man's "warm touch" emphasizes the idea that wealth is a burden in life and in death.
The fourth stanza continues this theme, with the rich man's "haughty mien" contrasted with the poor man's "simple smile." The rich man's "miserable end" is contrasted with the poor man's "happy rest," emphasizing the idea that material wealth does not bring happiness or peace in death.
The poem's final stanza provides a moral lesson, emphasizing the idea that material wealth is meaningless in the afterlife. The image of the rich man's "shrouded clay" and the poor man's "sacred sod" emphasizes the idea that in death, all men are equal. The final lines of the poem, "What matter who has laid him here? / He's all the world's who dies sincere," emphasize the idea that sincerity and faith are more important than material wealth.
Interpretation
"Two Graves" is a timeless poem that explores the relationship between wealth and death. The poem's imagery and language evoke a sense of grandeur and opulence, contrasting the rich man's wealth with the poor man's poverty. The poem's central theme is the emptiness of material wealth, and the idea that in death, all men are equal.
The poem can be interpreted as a critique of the pursuit of material wealth. The rich man's "vain ambition" and "hoarded gold" are contrasted with the poor man's "patient toil" and "simple faith," emphasizing the idea that material wealth does not bring happiness or peace in death. The poem suggests that the pursuit of material wealth is futile, and that true happiness and peace can only be found in sincerity and faith.
The poem can also be interpreted as a commentary on the afterlife. The rich man's "weighed down" soul and "cold clasp" are contrasted with the poor man's "light as air" soul and "warm touch," emphasizing the idea that material wealth is a burden in life and in death. The poem suggests that in the afterlife, material wealth is meaningless, and that all men are equal in death.
Conclusion
"Two Graves" is a classic poem that explores the relationship between wealth and death. The poem's imagery and language create a vivid contrast between the rich man's opulence and the poor man's poverty, emphasizing the emptiness of material wealth. The poem's central theme is that in death, all men are equal, and that true happiness and peace can only be found in sincerity and faith. "Two Graves" is a timeless work of poetry that continues to resonate with readers today, reminding us of the futility of the pursuit of material wealth, and the importance of sincerity and faith in life and in death.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Two Graves: A Poem of Love and Revenge
Robert Service's Two Graves is a classic poem that tells the story of a man's quest for revenge and the tragic consequences that follow. The poem is a powerful exploration of the themes of love, loss, and the destructive power of revenge. In this analysis, we will explore the meaning and symbolism of the poem and examine how Service uses language and imagery to convey his message.
The poem begins with the narrator describing a man who has lost the love of his life. The man is consumed by grief and despair, and he vows to avenge her death. He sets out on a journey to find the person responsible for her death and to exact his revenge. The narrator describes the man's journey through the wilderness, where he encounters various obstacles and dangers. He is driven by his desire for revenge, and he is willing to risk everything to achieve it.
As the man continues on his journey, he comes across a grave in the wilderness. The grave is old and overgrown, and it is clear that no one has visited it in a long time. The man stops to pay his respects to the unknown person buried there, and he reflects on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. He realizes that his own life is also fleeting, and that he must make the most of the time he has left.
The man continues on his journey, and eventually he finds the person responsible for his lover's death. He confronts the person, and a violent struggle ensues. In the end, the man succeeds in killing his enemy, but he is mortally wounded in the process. As he lies dying, he reflects on his life and the choices he has made. He realizes that his quest for revenge has consumed him, and that he has lost sight of what is truly important in life. He regrets the path he has taken, and he wishes that he could go back and make different choices.
The poem ends with the man's dying wish: to be buried next to his lover. He realizes that in death, they will be reunited, and that their love will endure beyond the grave. The final lines of the poem are a powerful reminder of the power of love and the futility of revenge:
"Two graves side by side, to show What love can do and hate can do, And say: 'Here lies a man who loved And here a man who hated too.'"
The symbolism in Two Graves is rich and complex. The two graves represent the two paths that the man could have taken in life: one of love and one of hate. The old, overgrown grave represents the inevitability of death and the transience of life. The man's encounter with the grave serves as a reminder that life is short and that we must make the most of the time we have.
The wilderness through which the man travels represents the unknown and the unpredictable. It is a place of danger and uncertainty, where anything can happen. The man's journey through the wilderness is a metaphor for his journey through life, and the obstacles he encounters along the way represent the challenges and hardships that we all face.
The man's quest for revenge is a powerful exploration of the destructive power of hate. He is consumed by his desire for revenge, and he is willing to risk everything to achieve it. In the end, his quest for revenge leads to his own destruction, and he realizes too late the folly of his actions.
The poem's language and imagery are powerful and evocative. Service's use of vivid, descriptive language brings the wilderness to life, and his use of metaphor and symbolism adds depth and complexity to the poem. The poem's structure is also noteworthy, with its use of repetition and rhyme adding to its musicality and rhythm.
In conclusion, Two Graves is a classic poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and the destructive power of revenge. Through its rich symbolism and powerful imagery, the poem reminds us of the fragility of life and the importance of making the most of the time we have. It is a powerful reminder of the power of love and the futility of hate, and it is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to move and inspire us.
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