'Worms' by Robert Service
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
Worms finer for fishing you couldn't be wishing;
I delved them dismayed from the velvety sod;
The rich loam upturning I gathered them squirming,
big, fat, gleamy earthworms, all ripe for my rod.
Thinks I, without waiting, my hook I'll be baiting,
And flip me a fish from the foam of the pool;
Then Mother beholding, came crying and scolding:
"You're late, ye young devil! Be off to the school."
So grabbing me bait-tin I dropped them fat worms in,
With globs of green turf for their comfort and cheer;
And there, clean forgotten, no doubt dead and rotten;
I left them to languish for nigh on a year.
One day to be cleaning the byre I was meaning,
When seeing that old rusty can on the shelf,
Says I: "To my thinking, them worms must be stinking:
Begorrah! I'd better find out for myself."
So I opened the tin, held my nose and looked in;
And what did I see? Why, most nothing at all.
Just darkness and dank. and . . . a something that stank,
Tucked down in a corner, a greasy grey ball.
My worms - no, not dead, but thin as a thread,
Each seemed to reproach me, protesting its worth:
So softly I took them and tenderly shook them
Back into the bosom of mothering earth.
I'm now in the City; 'tis grand, but I pity
The weariful wretches that crawl in its grime;
The dregs and the scum and the spawn of the slum,
And the poor little children that's cradled in crime.
Sure I see them in terms of my pitiful worms,
surviving despite desperation and doom,
And I wish I was God, with a smile and a nod
To set them all down in a valley of bloom,
Saying: "Let these rejoice with a wonderful voice
For mothering earth and for fathering sea,
And healing of sun, for each weariful one
Of these poor human worms is a wee bit of me. . . .
Let your be the blame and yours be the shame:
What ye do unto them ye do also to ME."
Editor 1 Interpretation
"Worms" by Robert Service: A Close Look at Life and Death
Do you ever stop to contemplate the meaning of life and death? Are you ever caught off guard by how fleeting your existence can be? If so, you might find "Worms" by Robert Service particularly intriguing. This classic poem, written in the early 1900s, explores the cycle of life and death in a thought-provoking way that will leave you pondering your own mortality.
An Overview of "Worms"
"Worms" is a poem that tells the story of a man who dies and is buried in the ground. As time passes, his body decomposes and is eventually consumed by the very earth that he was buried in. The poem is written in a conversational tone that makes it easy to follow, despite the heavy subject matter.
Let's take a closer look at the poem and explore some of its key themes and literary devices.
The Imagery of "Worms"
One of the most striking aspects of "Worms" is the vivid imagery that Robert Service uses to describe the decomposition process. He paints a picture of a man's body slowly breaking down and becoming one with the earth. For example, he writes:
And the flesh of him so boned and bold
Is ever a-changing into mould;
Yea, changes and moulds and melts away
In the loam where he lieth day by day.
These lines use alliteration and rhyming to create a musical effect that makes the words almost hypnotic. The imagery of the "flesh...changing into mould" is particularly striking, as it highlights the idea that all living things eventually return to the earth.
The Themes of "Worms"
At its core, "Worms" is a meditation on life and death. It reminds us that no matter how strong and powerful we may feel in life, we are all destined to return to the earth in the end. This theme is captured beautifully in the opening lines of the poem:
My body's a sacred tomb
Where worms with sluggish creep
Lie tunnelling through the gloom
Beside a long-dead sleep.
This imagery of worms crawling through the body emphasizes the idea that we are all just temporary vessels that will eventually decay and be consumed by the earth. It's a sobering thought, but one that is also strangely comforting in its universality.
Another theme that emerges in "Worms" is the idea of the cyclical nature of life. The poem suggests that even though we may die and be consumed by the earth, our bodies will become part of the soil that nourishes new life. This is captured in the following lines:
And the dust of him is blown afar
In the wind or the wings of a star,
To enrich the sod where he doth moulder
And help to nourish a plant or a boulder.
These lines suggest that even though we may die, we continue to be part of the larger cycle of life and death. It's a comforting thought that reminds us that our existence has a purpose, even if it's not always immediately clear to us.
The Tone of "Worms"
Despite the heavy subject matter of "Worms," Robert Service manages to infuse the poem with a sense of lightness and even humor. This is particularly evident in the final stanza, where he writes:
So let me lie where the grasses creep,
Where the rain comes tumbling, the sunbeams leap;
By day and night, in heat and cold,
The changing seasons shall o'er me roll.
These lines have a whimsical quality that is almost playful. They suggest that even though death is inevitable, there's no reason to be afraid of it. Instead, we should embrace it as just another part of the larger cycle of life and death.
The Significance of "Worms" Today
Even though "Worms" was first published over a hundred years ago, its message is still relevant today. In a world where we often feel disconnected from nature and the natural world, this poem reminds us that we are all part of something larger than ourselves. It's a message that is particularly resonant in the face of the current climate crisis, as we are reminded of the importance of taking care of the planet that sustains us.
"Worms" is also significant because it challenges us to confront our own mortality. In a culture that often shies away from discussing death, this poem is a reminder that we should not be afraid to think about our own eventual demise. By doing so, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the preciousness of life and the importance of making the most of the time we have.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Worms" by Robert Service is a classic poem that explores the cycle of life and death in a thought-provoking and sometimes humorous way. Through its vivid imagery and themes of the cyclical nature of life, it challenges us to confront our own mortality and to appreciate the preciousness of the time we have on this earth. Even though it was written over a hundred years ago, its message is still relevant today and is a reminder of the importance of taking care of the planet that sustains us.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Worms by Robert Service: A Poem of Life and Death
Robert Service is a name that resonates with many poetry enthusiasts. The Canadian poet is known for his vivid and often humorous depictions of life in the Yukon during the Gold Rush era. However, one of his lesser-known works, Worms, is a poem that delves into the darker aspects of life and death. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and symbolism in Worms, and how they contribute to the overall message of the poem.
The poem begins with a vivid description of worms, which are often associated with decay and death. Service describes them as "slimy things" that "crawl with legs of leather." This imagery sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a meditation on the inevitability of death and the transience of life. The worms are a symbol of the decay that awaits all living things, and their presence in the poem serves as a reminder of our mortality.
Service goes on to describe the worms as "blind and writhing," which further emphasizes their lack of agency and purpose. They are creatures that exist solely to consume and decompose, and their existence is a reminder that all living things will eventually return to the earth. This idea is reinforced in the second stanza, where Service writes, "And we in blindness fret and fume, / And waste our little lives in gloom." Here, the worms are contrasted with humans, who are capable of thought and emotion but often waste their lives in pursuit of meaningless goals.
The third stanza of the poem introduces the idea of death as a great equalizer. Service writes, "The king may boast of pomp and power, / But in the end he'll be a flower." This line is a reference to the medieval tradition of memento mori, which was a reminder of the inevitability of death. The idea was that no matter how powerful or wealthy a person was, they would eventually die and be reduced to nothing more than a pile of bones. Service's use of the flower metaphor is particularly effective, as it suggests that even the most beautiful and vibrant things in life will eventually wither and die.
The fourth stanza of the poem is perhaps the most poignant. Service writes, "The worm that crawls my corpse within, / May break his fast on kith or kin." Here, the worms are no longer a symbol of death and decay, but rather a reminder of the interconnectedness of all living things. The idea that the worms that consume our bodies may also consume those of our loved ones is a powerful one, and it serves as a reminder that we are all part of the same cycle of life and death.
The final stanza of the poem is a call to action. Service writes, "So let us live that when at last / We crawl to death we may not fast." This line is a reminder that while death is inevitable, we have the power to make the most of our lives while we are still alive. By living our lives with purpose and meaning, we can ensure that we leave a positive legacy behind us. The use of the word "fast" in this line is particularly effective, as it suggests that those who waste their lives in pursuit of meaningless goals will be consumed by death more quickly than those who live with purpose.
In conclusion, Worms is a powerful meditation on the inevitability of death and the transience of life. Through his use of vivid imagery and symbolism, Service reminds us that we are all part of the same cycle of life and death, and that our time on this earth is limited. However, the poem is also a call to action, urging us to live our lives with purpose and meaning so that we may leave a positive legacy behind us. While the poem may be dark and somber, it is ultimately a celebration of life and a reminder to make the most of the time we have.
Editor Recommended Sites
Developer Asset Bundles - Dev Assets & Tech learning Bundles: Asset bundles for developers. Buy discounted software licenses & Buy discounted programming coursesSoftware Engineering Developer Anti-Patterns. Code antipatterns & Software Engineer mistakes: Programming antipatterns, learn what not to do. Lists of anti-patterns to avoid & Top mistakes devs make
Container Tools - Best containerization and container tooling software: The latest container software best practice and tooling, hot off the github
Prompt Catalog: Catalog of prompts for specific use cases. For chatGPT, bard / palm, llama alpaca models
Data Governance - Best cloud data governance practices & AWS and GCP Data Governance solutions: Learn cloud data governance and find the best highest rated resources
Recommended Similar Analysis
Sonnet : To The River Otter by Samuel Taylor Coleridge analysisMetamorphoses: Book The Sixth by Ovid analysis
A Starry Night by Paul Laurence Dunbar analysis
Kitten And Falling Leaves, The by William Wordsworth analysis
To Be In Love by Gwendolyn Brooks analysis
Love and Friendship by Emily Jane Brontë analysis
A Few Crusted Characters: Introduction by Thomas Hardy analysis
The Emperor Of Ice-Cream by Wallace Stevens analysis
To A Young Girl by William Butler Yeats analysis
Sonnet XXXIX by William Shakespeare analysis