# Quatrains explained — Songs of a Sourdough

> Chapter companion for Songs of a Sourdough by Robert W. Service.

## What happens

This chapter presents a philosophical dialogue in quatrains, debating free will versus determinism. The speaker initially asserts the power of individual choice, then counters with a fatalistic view that all actions are predetermined by fate, heredity, and cosmic forces, leaving humans as mere marionettes in a fixed universe.

## Themes in this chapter

### Loneliness and Despair

The fatalistic tone and imagery of humans as 'blind fools of fate' and 'slaves of circumstance' evoke a sense of existential despair and powerlessness.

### The Outcast and the Misfit

The speaker's rejection of free will and embrace of determinism positions them as a misfit challenging conventional notions of personal responsibility.

## Character check-ins

### Master

Addressed as 'Thy' in the opening quatrain, representing the voice of agency and choice.

## Key lines

> Thy life is thine to make or mar, To flicker feebly, or to soar, a star; It lies with thee⁠—the choice is thine, is thine, To hit the ties or drive thy auto-car.

Your life is yours to ruin or improve, to barely survive or to achieve greatness; the decision is entirely yours, whether to fail or succeed.

_The opening quatrain presents the initial argument for free will, using contrasting metaphors of failure and success._

> Blind fools of fate, and slaves of circumstance, Life is a fiddler, and we all must dance.

We are ignorant pawns of destiny and prisoners of our situations; life forces us to follow its tune, and we have no choice but to comply.

_This quatrain shifts to a deterministic view, portraying humans as helpless dancers controlled by life's music._

> There’s no haphazard in this world of ours: Cause and effect are grim, relentless powers. They rule the world.

There is no randomness in our world; cause and effect are harsh, unyielding forces that govern everything.

_The speaker asserts a strict causal determinism, dismissing any notion of chance or randomness._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/chapters/quatrains
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/songs_of_a_sourdough_se/chapters