Learning in Freedom

Welcome to Learning in Freedom, a blog all about the learning adventures (and mishaps) of the Allen family. My four children are unschooled, following their interests and passions every day and living the lives of their choosing. The purpose of this blog is to share our every day lives (and my not-so-humble opinons) with anyone interested in stopping by. We hope this will give a glimpse of how natural learning unfolds from day to day......

Monday, October 30, 2006

The Cremation of Sam McGee

I have fond memories of my Dad reciting this poem throughout my childhood. I grew up in the land of ice and snow from whence this poem originates. Now here I am in Sam McGee's original home (in the poem anyway) where the "cotton blooms and blows".
This video brought back some good memories.

One of the most interesting parts about this poem, is the fact that the real Sam McGee who inspired the poem was really from Ontario. Follow the link to see a picture of his cabin up North.

I think it's time to pull out my copy of Robert Service originals...not sure if my kids would appreciate it the way we did, living without a tv and all. Both "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and "Bessie's Boil" were my favorites.

~~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.~~

**I just now tried to watch the video from my blog and figured out it doesn't allow embedding. Just go HERE to view it.**

5 Comments:

Heidi Snavley said...: Such great memories of taking our baths, putting our curlers in, and curling up with Dad to listen to Bessie's Boil - my personal fav. Dave Cornberg has several of Robert Service poems memorized and I got to listen to him, so much fun!!; 1:46 AM
WonderSoul said...: Wow, what memories you just stirred up. My Pop has an album of a mixture of poems and songs about the goldrush and the frontier. Burgess Meredith reading 'Sam McGee' was one of those selections along with songs about the Black Hills and gambling and doomed men searching for gold. I should go dig that out tho I don't have a workable turntable any more.; 10:45 AM
Anonymous said...: I read this post yesterday and then today my parents came over for Halloween and what did my mom bring to read?- the Cremation of Sam Magee of course! Just had to let you know that.

Also, my dad told me that when I was very small he went to Alaska with colleagues of his to measure gravity (he's a physicist). One of his colleagues took that poem and made a version about measuring gravity. He's going to look for it at home and read it to us next time we're over there.; 2:51 AM
cris said...: my dad was posted in alaska while in the air force. he had a copy of service, don't know the title, but definitely had sam macgee in it. don't have any particularly fond memories of it, other than being alone in my room reading it aloud to myself!; 3:30 PM
Just another mother said...: That poem was the first peic of poetry I ever recited, I was about 4 yars old and by the age of 5 I knew it by heart, My grandfather would set me on his knee and we would recite it together.
good good memories!; 12:32 PM

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Monday, October 30, 2006

5 Comments: