“The Cremation of Sam
McGee”
Robert W. Service
YOU NEED NOTEBOOKS
Page 637
• Type of Poem: Ballad
– A song or songlike poem that tells a story.
– Usually about lost love, betrayal or death.
– Sometimes have supernatural events.
– Usually use simple language and a lot of repetition
(words, sound patterns) and have a refrain.
– The refrain might be a phrase, line, or stanza.
– The most famous ballads have been passed down
through the years orally.
•Poetic Elements
•Hyperbole
•The use of exaggeration to create strong
feelings.
•Alliteration
•The repetition of consonant sounds in words
that are close together, occurring usually at
the beginning of the word.
•Personification
•A literary device where an object or animal is
spoken of as capable of having human traits,
thoughts, feelings, or attitudes.
Need to know! Word meanings…
• Denotation – Denotation refers to the actual intended
meaning/definition of a word.
• Connotation – Connotation refers to the suggested
word meaning that surround the word. It is the feelings
behind the word.
• Example – Hate means a strong dislike for something,
but there are negative feelings associated with the
word. You may say you hate to eat watermelon, but
there is also a suggestion that goes beyond just not
wanting to eat it that includes negative feelings and
sets a tone to the message.
Need to Know!!! MOOD
• The overall feeling of a work of literature. (Also
sometimes referred to as “atmosphere”)
• Can often be described in one or two adjectives
such as scary, happy, sad, or nostalgic.
• A writer produces mood by using imagery and
using word choices that convey a certain feeling.
• The setting can also contribute to the mood.
• Example: “The hot sun beating down on the
workers” vs. “The warm sun glowing at the
workers” creates a different mood.
Practice - Mood
• Look over the lyrics of “The Edmund
Fitzgerald”
• What word choices does the author use that
have meanings that create the mood?
(Connotations)
• What is the setting of the poem?
• What mood is created as a result of the word
choices and setting? Remember to use 1 or 2
adjectives.
Context
• Author info, page 642
• Written by Robert W. Service (18741958)
• Worked on the Yukon from 1904-1912.
• Inspired by the landscape and people
he met
• Yukon Gold Rush – when gold was
discovered in Canada’s Yukon Territory
in 1896, prospectors went to strike it
rich.
• PREDICT: what do you think this poem
will be about?
Answer the following questions in your notebook:
1. What does the poem start with? Do you see that
stanza again anywhere? Why?
2. Find an instance of foreshadowing in the beginning
of the poem.
3. Where is Sam from?
4. Where does the poem take place?
5. How does Sam feel at the beginning of the poem?
6. In the middle of the poem, what does the narrator
make comments to readers about?
7. Why does the speaker cremate Sam?
8. What does the narrator cremate Sam in?
9. What does the narrator see at the end of the poem?
10. Why is this poem a ballad?
Analyzing Poetic Elements
Element/Line
Hyperbole
(Stanza 2)
Alliteration
(Stanza 7)
Metaphor
“Land of death”
Personification
(Line 48)
Describe What’s Happening
How does the element help
readers understand the
poem/enhance the poem?
•
Write on the back of your paper.
1. Give two reasons for why is this poem
considered a ballad?
2. Pick a poetic element other than the ones on
your worksheet.
A. Define it.
B. Describe how it is used in the poem.
C. How does it effect the reader’s
understanding of the poem/what does it do for
the poem?
Examples: imagery, simile, rhyme, rhythm,
etc….
Hang onto it when you’re done.
“The Dying Cowboy”
Traditional American Ballad
Page 643
•Type of Poem: Ballad
–A song or songlike poem that tells a story.
–Usually about lost love, betrayal or death.
–Sometimes have supernatural events.
–Usually use simple language and a lot of
repetition and have a refrain.
–The refrain might be a phrase, line, or
stanza.
–The most famous ballads have been passed
down through the years orally.
Your Assignment
1. In your own words, summarize what happens in
the poem. Your summary should be 2-4
sentences.
2. List 3 reasons this poem is considered a ballad.
3. What is the refrain in the ballad?
4. Compare/Contrast this with “The Cremation of
Sam McGee” (found on pages 637-641).
5. Locate and analyze 2 poetic elements in the
poem.