The Cremation of Sam McGee

Poem

The Cremation of Sam McGee (full text)

There are strange things done in the midnight sun
      By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
      That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
      But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
      I cremated Sam McGee.

Now Sam McGee was from Tennessee, where the cotton blooms and blows.
Why he left his home in the South to roam 'round the Pole, God only knows.
He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell;
Though he'd often say in his homely way that "he'd sooner live in hell."

On a Christmas Day we were mushing our way over the Dawson trail.
Talk of your cold! through the parka's fold it stabbed like a driven nail.
If our eyes we'd close, then the lashes froze till sometimes we couldn't see;
It wasn't much fun, but the only one to whimper was Sam McGee.

And that very night, as we lay packed tight in our robes beneath the snow,
And the dogs were fed, and the stars o'erhead were dancing heel and toe,
He turned to me, and "Cap," says he, "I'll cash in this trip, I guess;
And if I do, I'm asking that you won't refuse my last request."

Well, he seemed so low that I couldn't say no; then he says with a sort of moan:
"It's the cursèd cold, and it's got right hold till I'm chilled clean through to the bone.
Yet 'tain't being dead—it's my awful dread of the icy grave that pains;
So I want you to swear that, foul or fair, you'll cremate my last remains."

A pal's last need is a thing to heed, so I swore I would not fail;
And we started on at the streak of dawn; but God! he looked ghastly pale.
He crouched on the sleigh, and he raved all day of his home in Tennessee;
And before nightfall a corpse was all that was left of Sam McGee.

There wasn't a breath in that land of death, and I hurried, horror-driven,
With a corpse half hid that I couldn't get rid, because of a promise given;
It was lashed to the sleigh, and it seemed to say: "You may tax your brawn and brains,
But you promised true, and it's up to you to cremate those last remains."

Now a promise made is a debt unpaid, and the trail has its own stern code.
In the days to come, though my lips were dumb, in my heart how I cursed that load.
In the long, long night, by the lone firelight, while the huskies, round in a ring,
Howled out their woes to the homeless snows— O God! how I loathed the thing.

And every day that quiet clay seemed to heavy and heavier grow;
And on I went, though the dogs were spent and the grub was getting low;
The trail was bad, and I felt half mad, but I swore I would not give in;
And I'd often sing to the hateful thing, and it hearkened with a grin.

Till I came to the marge of Lake Lebarge, and a derelict there lay;
It was jammed in the ice, but I saw in a trice it was called the "Alice May."
And I looked at it, and I thought a bit, and I looked at my frozen chum;
Then "Here," said I, with a sudden cry, "is my cre-ma-tor-eum."

Some planks I tore from the cabin floor, and I lit the boiler fire;
Some coal I found that was lying around, and I heaped the fuel higher;
The flames just soared, and the furnace roared—such a blaze you seldom see;
And I burrowed a hole in the glowing coal, and I stuffed in Sam McGee.

Then I made a hike, for I didn't like to hear him sizzle so;
And the heavens scowled, and the huskies howled, and the wind began to blow.
It was icy cold, but the hot sweat rolled down my cheeks, and I don't know why;
And the greasy smoke in an inky cloak went streaking down the sky.

I do not know how long in the snow I wrestled with grisly fear;
But the stars came out and they danced about ere again I ventured near;
I was sick with dread, but I bravely said: "I'll just take a peep inside.
I guess he's cooked, and it's time I looked"; ... then the door I opened wide.

And there sat Sam, looking cool and calm, in the heart of the furnace roar;
And he wore a smile you could see a mile, and he said: "Please close that door.
It's fine in here, but I greatly fear you'll let in the cold and storm—
Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee, it's the first time I've been warm."

There are strange things done in the midnight sun
      By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
      That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
      But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
      I cremated Sam McGee.


-- Robert W. Service --

About The Cremation of Sam McGee

“The Cremation of Sam McGee” is a narrative poem written by Robert W. Service. It tells the story of a prospector named Sam McGee, who hails from Tennessee and travels to the harsh Klondike in search of gold. The poem is known for its engaging storytelling, vivid descriptions of the Yukon wilderness, and exploration of themes of determination, friendship, and the human struggle against nature.

“The Cremation of Sam McGee” was published in Canada in 1907 as part of Robert Service’s collection titled “Songs of a Sourdough” (known in the U.S. as “The Spell of the Yukon, and Other Verses”). The poem was an instant success and was reprinted 15 times within its first year of publication.

The poem was again brought to prominence following the 1986 publication of the children’s book illustrated by Ted Harrison.

Is the Cremation of Sam McGee based on a true Story?

“The Cremation of Sam McGee” is not based on a true story; it’s a work of fiction. However, the poem does draw upon real-world elements and experiences, particularly those related to the Klondike Gold Rush and the harsh conditions of the Yukon Territory. The events were inspired by the experience of his roommate, Dr. Leonard S. E. Sugden. Dr Sugden had used the firebox onboard the steamer “Olive May” to cremate the body of Cornelius Curtin.

“Lake Labarge” from the poem is a spelling variation of the real Lake Laberge. Lake Laberge is formed from the widening of the Yukon river.

As for the specific characters and events in the poem, these are inventions of the poet. Robert Service did meet a Sam McGee (William Samuel McGee), but he was a road builder from Ontario, not a prospector from Tennessee. The real Sam McGee did not freeze to death, nor was he cremated; Service simply liked the sound of his name and used it for the character in the poem.

In 1904 Robert Service was working as a bank clerk at the Bank of Commerce in the town of Whitehorse when he came across McGee’s name on a form. The real Sam McGee died September 5, 1940 of a heart attack and is buried in Beiseker, Alberta, Canada. 

Key Excerpt

And there sat Sam, looking cool and calm, in the heart of the furnace roar;
And he wore a smile you could see a mile, and he said: “Please close that door.
It’s fine in here, but I greatly fear you’ll let in the cold and storm—
Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee, it’s the first time I’ve been warm.

Climax from The Cremation of Sam Mcgee

This is the climactic moment of the poem. The narrator has fulfilled his promise to Sam and has cremated him. When the narrator opens the furnace door expecting to find Sam’s ashes, he finds Sam alive and well. The heat of the furnace is a welcome change for Sam, who has been perpetually cold since he left his warm home in Tennessee. In a sense, he has found his “hell”, and it is a paradise to him. The excerpt is both eerie and humorous, encapsulating the overall tone of the poem.

Who are the characters?

The two main characters are the narrator and Sam McGee. Sam is from Tennessee and is not used to the extreme cold of the Yukon. The narrator is a fellow prospector and friend of Sam.

What is the narrative of the poem?

The poem tells the story of Sam’s death and his unusual last wish to avoid being buried in the cold ground. He asks the narrator to cremate his body. The narrator, honoring his friend’s request, carries Sam’s body across the Yukon until he finds a derelict ship and uses its boiler to fulfill Sam’s last wish.

What are the main themes?

The main themes of the poem include the struggle against nature, the duty of friendship, and the fear of the cold and death. Sam’s dread of the cold is so intense that he prefers the heat of cremation. The narrator, despite the difficulties, fulfills Sam’s request, demonstrating the depth of their friendship.

What is the tone and style?

The poem is written in a ballad style, with a rhyme scheme of AABBA. It has a storytelling tone and uses vivid imagery to describe the harsh, cold environment and the characters’ struggles.

Is there a moral or lesson?

The poem doesn’t explicitly offer a moral or lesson, but it does illustrate the importance of friendship and keeping promises, even under the most challenging circumstances. It also portrays the human struggle against harsh natural conditions and the lengths to which people will go to find comfort or peace.

What does cremation symbolize in the poem?

In the poem, cremation is a symbol of Sam McGee’s wish to escape the unbearable cold of the Arctic. He tells the narrator that he fears the icy grave more than anything else and requests that his body be cremated to avoid being frozen. This could also symbolize a desire for purification and transformation, as the process of cremation reduces the body to its elemental form.

Was cremation a common practice during the time the poem was written?

Cremation was not a common practice in the Western world when Robert Service wrote the poem in 1907. In fact, it was considered somewhat taboo in many societies. However, it was and is a common practice in many cultures around the world, including Hinduism and Buddhism.

How does the historical context of the gold rush influence the poem?

The historical context of the gold rush is central to the poem. Sam McGee, like many men of his time, was drawn to the Arctic by the promise of gold. However, the harsh conditions and isolation of the Arctic were far from what many prospectors expected. The gold rush promised wealth and opportunity, but it often brought hardship and suffering, as seen in Sam’s case.

Why did Sam McGee request to be cremated?

Sam McGee’s request for cremation stems from his fear of the cold. He tells the narrator that he doesn’t want to be buried in the icy ground of the Arctic. As a man from Tennessee, a much warmer climate, he never got used to the freezing conditions in the Yukon. His request to be cremated can be seen as a desire for warmth, even in death.

About the Author: Robert Service

Robert W. Service was born on January 16, 1874, in Preston, Lancashire, England, and he died on September 11, 1958, in Lancieux, Côtes-d’Armor, France. He was a British-Canadian poet and writer, often called “the Bard of the Yukon”. He was of Scottish descent and worked as a bank clerk before embarking on his writing career.

His travels in the west in the United States and Canada, often in poverty, greatly influenced his work. When his bank sent him to the Yukon, he was inspired by tales of the Klondike Gold Rush, and wrote two poems, “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” and “The Cremation of Sam McGee”, which enjoyed immediate popularity. His works were published as Songs of a Sourdough and achieved a massive sale.

His work was largely informed by his experiences and travels. He was inspired by Rudyard Kipling and Robert Louis Stevenson and moved to western Canada in 1894 to become a cowboy in the Yukon Wilderness. Service gleaned material from his experiences working on a ranch and as a bank teller in Vancouver Island six years after the Gold Rush, which informed his poetry. He traveled widely throughout his life, including trips to Hollywood, Cuba, Alberta, Paris, Louisiana, and more, and these travels continued to fuel his writing​.

Service was a prolific writer and poet, publishing numerous collections of poetry during his lifetime. Several of his novels were made into films, and he also appeared as an actor in The Spoilers, a 1942 film with Marlene Dietrich. His epic, rhymed, often humorous poems about the West’s wilderness, Yukon gold miners, and World War I show the narrative mastery, appetite for adventure, and eye for detail that enabled him to bridge the spheres of popular and literary audiences. However, contemporary readings of his work are complicated by his casual usage of what would today be considered ethnic slurs​​​.

Service served as a correspondent for the Toronto Star during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, and served in World War I as an ambulance driver in France. After the war, Service married Germaine Bougeoin and they resided mainly in the south of France until his death. His two-room cabin in the Yukon, where he lived from November 1909 until June 1912 while writing his Gold Rush novel The Trail of Ninety-Eight and his poetry collection Rhymes of a Rolling Stone, is maintained as a historic site for visitors​​.