Most of the themes prominent in Service's poems address particular attitudes toward life. Like Service himself, his characters are free-spirited individuals who love the open air and their independence. Service is fascinated by those individuals who seem not to "fit in" elsewhere—prospectors, gamblers, adventurers, and pioneers. Among his many themes, Service especially celebrates personal liberty and selfreliance.

The theme of personal responsibility is also prominent, however. Speaking directly in poems such as "The Quitter," or indirectly through the various examples of his characters, Service champions the virtue of tenacity, of not giving up when life seems nearly impossible.

He writes, "To fight and to fight when hope's out of sight/ Why that's the best game of them all!" Doing one's duty brings adventure as well as satisfaction, according to Service. In his most famous poem, "The Cremation of Sam McGee," much of...