The cremation of Sam McGee
by Robert W. Service · first published 1987
6mentions
1recommended by
5HN commenters
2018–2026first – last mentioned
20% recommend80% neutral
Constantly suffering from the cold, Sam makes his companion on the Arctic trail promise to cremate him when he dies, which the companion does--to his great surprise.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Something that has stuck with me for my entire life is my mother reading me poetry as a child, in particular - The Cremation Of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service - The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes - Forgiven and King John's Christmas by A. A. Milne - Called Up by Dudley Clarke (not sure how good that one is to everyone, I'm just incredibly…
on “Ask HN: Books your kids like most” ↗…converted into bed & breakfasts. Super cute and feels like the set of a movie, only it's "the real deal" (albeit now mining tourists). Dawson is also where Robert Service wrote much of his work, including The Cremation of Sam McGee. My wife and I rode through on a motorcycle trip some years back. We immediately altered our itinerary to stay a few days, and I wish we could have stayed longer! https://www.flickr.com/photos/lhoriman/3747251310/in/album-7... https://www.flickr.com/photos/lhoriman/3747272684/in/album-7...
on “The world's smallest desert is in Canada” ↗This one reminds me of Robert Service’s Cremation of Sam McGee in its rhyme and how it scans. Whatever you think of these poems, it’s interesting to imagine a time in the US when they could be popular among a wide readership. Poetry seems to have shrunk its audience…
on “A Heap O' Livin'” ↗I totally agree. I've spent time learning several poems of Robert Service (The Cremation of Sam McGee, The Spell of the Yukon, The Men Who Don't Fit In) because I've enjoyed reading them. Now, I don't need a book, I just recall one from memory any time I like. I'm not an actor so I had none of the techniques…
on “How actors remember their lines” ↗25 years ago, after a rafting trip in the Yukon and Alaska, I decided to memorize Service's The Cremation of Sam McGee. After working on it for about a month, I had it cold. Never attempted to recite it since. After seeing this article, I thought I would give it a shot. I stumbled over a couple of lines in the middle,…
on “Now Is the Perfect Time to Memorize a Poem” ↗I studied "The Cremation of Sam McGee" in elementary school and it was a favourite of my grandmother. It's well-known in Canada, as far as poetry goes, though the poem most Canadians know by heart (at least partially) is "In Flanders Fields",…
on “Men That Don't Fit In” ↗