The Cremation Of Sam Mcgee Analysis

The poem The Cremation of Sam McGee, by Robert Service, is a humorous poem, despite how its grim title makes it sound. It is a narrative poem because it tells a story. The Cremation of Sam McGee starts out in North America during the Gold Rush. Sam McGee was traveling with his friend when he asked him to cremate his last remains. He told his friend, the Captain, that he feared a cold grave. A little after that, Sam McGee died of the cold. The Captain loathed carrying his friend’s body around with him, but he had promised his friend that he would be cremated. Sam McGee’s captain saw a suitable place to cremate the body, he dug a hole in the coals of the furnace and shoved Sam McGee in. He waited a while, till he thought his friend would surely be cooked by then. Upon opening the glowing furnace door, he saw Sam McGee looking out at him, telling him to shut the door so the cold would get to him. Poor Sam McGee’s surprised friend shut the door and continued traveling.

The two main characters, Sam McGee and the Captain, told us about themselves with this story. After Sam McGee dies,
To me, this makes me picture a cold night in the forest with snow all around. Somewhere where the snow can’t rest, where it has no home, no place to stay. It paints a sad picture, where the captain and the huskies are homeless, unresting, much like the snow.

The mood of the poem began as a sad tale, but it ended on an ironic, even funny tone. At first, the poet describes Sam McGee in a sad, sickly way, but by the end of the story, he was warm and lively. The poet describes the homeless snows, the harsh trails, and the huskies howling. Robert Service paints a very sad picture, one where there is little warmth and light. When Sam McGee is cremated, the warm fire livens it up and brings good ol’ Sam back to life. Sam McGee’s response to his friend checking on him is funny, mostly because Sam was supposed to be, well,