Robert W. Service

Early Life

Robert W. Service was born on January 16, 1874 in Preston, Lancashire, England. His father, William Service, was a banker and his mother, Catherine Macaulay, was a schoolteacher. Robert was the eldest of ten children. When he was five, his family moved to Scotland, where he attended school in Kilmarnock.

At the age of sixteen, Service left school and began working as a clerk in a Glasgow bank. He was an avid reader and wrote poetry in his spare time. In 1894, he moved to Canada and settled in Vancouver.

Writing Career

In 1897, Service moved to the Yukon Territory in search of adventure and to pursue his writing career. He worked as a bank clerk in Dawson City and wrote poetry about the people and places he encountered. His first book of poetry, Songs of a Sourdough, was published in 1907 and was an instant success.

Service wrote about the people and places of the Yukon, and his work was praised for its vivid descriptions and humor. He wrote several more books of poetry, including Rhymes of a Rolling Stone (1912) and Ballads of a Cheechako (1915). He also wrote several novels, including The Trail of '98 (1910) and The Pretender (1917).

Later Life

In the 1920s, Service moved to France, where he lived for the rest of his life. He continued to write poetry and novels, and he also wrote several autobiographical works. He died in 1958 in Lancieux, France, at the age of 84.

Legacy

Robert W. Service is remembered as one of the most popular poets of the early 20th century. His work is still widely read and appreciated for its vivid descriptions and humor. He is also remembered for his love of adventure and his appreciation of the people and places of the Yukon.