Lobster For Lunch Poem by Robert William Service

Lobster For Lunch

Rating: 4.4


His face was like a lobster red,
His legs were white as mayonnaise:
"I've had a jolly lunch," he said,
That Englishman of pleasant ways.
"Thy do us well at our hotel:
In England food is dull these days."

"We had a big langouste for lunch.
I almost ate the whole of it.
And now I'll smoke and read my Punch,
And maybe siesta a bit;
And then I'll plunge into the sea
And get an appetite for tea."

We saw him plunge into the sea,
With jolly laugh, his wife and I.
"George does enjoy his food," said she;
"In Leeds lobsters are hard to buy.
How lucky we to have a chance
To spend our holiday in France!"

And so we watched him swim and swim
So far and far we scarce could see,
Until his balding head grew dim;
And then there came his children three,
And we all waited there for him, -
Ah yes, a little anxiously.

But George, alas! came never back.
Of him they failed to find a trace;
His wife and kids are wearing black,
And miss a lot his jolly face . . .
But oh how all the lobsters laugh,
And write in wrack his epitaph.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Alem Hailu G/kristos 14 December 2015

It shows boredom sets in at the closing chapter of one's life.Maxim Gorky has a similar story entitled Jovani Tuba.It is a good work.

1 0 Reply
A. Madhavan 14 December 2015

One reader has praised the rhymes in this poem. The rhyme scheme is regular in all the six stanzas, each with six lines; the rhyme scheme being, ABABCC. There are many poems in the anthologies, some with apt rhymes; but what I look for is the meaning, the phrases, the images, the associations they inspire in me as a reader. I think Lewis Carroll's verses in his two 'Alice' books are worth reading both for the craft and the humour of verse: I was reminded of 'The Lobster and the Carpenter' as a parallel.

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Dawanna Taylor 14 December 2015

This poem is so interesting and cool

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Kim Barney 14 December 2015

This has long been one of my favorite poems. R W Service was a great poet. His two most famous are THE CREMATION OF SAM McGEE and THE SHOOTING OF DAN McGREW.

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Ratnakar Mandlik 14 December 2015

Marvelous flow of rhyme and the story poem. Enjoyed the twist in the end. Thanks for sharing.

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Manonton Dalan 14 December 2015

very good rhymes.... nice poem

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