Modern Viking. Poem by Michael Walker
Modern Viking.
('Victory awaits him who has everything in order-people call it luck'. Roald Amundsen 1872-1928) .
A Norwegian, Roald Amundsen was the finest explorer on the ice
North and South the world has known.
He was first to sail the Northwest Passage, through the Arctic Ocean
along the coast of North America through Bering Strait to the Pacific, taking three years.
Now Amundsen thought of thethe chance to be first to the South Pole,
before Captain Robert Scott. Amundsen set up headquarters
at the Bay of Whales.
With a few companions, Amundsen reached the South Pole before Scott.
Much later Amundsen took off to the Arctic again,
torescue Italian colleagues, but his plane crashed and his body was never found. He remains the hero of the Arctic and Antarctic.
-3 August,2019.
I read about Amundsen on Google, and in three books. You could too.
These were two fantastic feats, but much later Amundsen took off to the Arctic again, to try and rescue Italian colleagues, but his plane crashed, his body lost, a hero in life and death.....so touching and impressive. You have so touchingly inscribe this poem on life relating to Roald Amundsen. Beautiful work.
Yes, Amundsen could have declined to make the last flight to the Arctic, but he chose to try and rescue other explorers. Actually, that is why I wrote about Amundsen.
We owe everything to those intrepid explorers. The last line is brilliantly stated.
You are right: humanity does owe something to these brave men. Thanks for singling out the last line. I had to do many drafts of the last two lines to arrive at what I wanted to say. The whole poem went through several drafts so I ended up with something different than what I had planned.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/3/2024 3:16:09 AM # 1.0.0.1119
re: your Poet's Notes line: " Totally devoted to exploring, Amundsen never married" i'll add: " and/or maybe he didn't 'like' women? " thanks for saving me having to read 3 books! bri :) bri :)
It's always good to save someone the effort of reading extra books. Although he stayed single, Amundsen liked women a lot, single or married.