No Sunday Chicken

Read 'No Sunday Chicken' by 'Robert William Service' and provide your summary and literary analysis in the comments section below.

No Sunday Chicken by Robert William Service

 I could have sold him up because
 His rent was long past due;
And Grimes, my lawyer, said it was
 The proper thing to do:
But how could I be so inhuman?
 And me a gentle-woman.

Yet I am poor as chapel mouse,
 Pinching to make ends meet,
And have to let my little house
 To buy enough to eat:
Why, even now to keep agoing
 I have to take in sewing.

Sylvester is a widowed man,
 Clerk in a hardware store;
I guess he does the best he can
 To feed his kiddies four:
It sure is hard,--don't think it funny,
 I've lately loaned him money.

I want to wipe away a tear
 Even to just suppose
Some monster of an auctioneer
 Might sell his sticks and clothes:
I'd rather want for bread and butter
 Than see them in the gutter.

A silly, soft old thing am I,
 But oh them kiddies four!
I guess I'll make a raisin pie
 And leave it at their door . . .
Some Sunday, dears, you'll share my dream,--
 Fried chicken and ice-cream.

Form: Narrative Comments

Comments About This Poem

Share your interpretation, favorite passage, or thoughts about this famous poem. Please provide an in-depth and meaningful comment.

  • What do you think the poet was trying to say?
  • Which line had the biggest impact on you?
  • How does this poem relate to modern life?
  • What literary devices did you notice?
No comments have been posted yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace