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The Law of the Yukon
“Like many who chose not to follow the beaten path but, hearing a barely perceptible call, set out toward adventure — something open only to those who listen not only to the sounds of the outer world but also to their own inner voice — one chooses one’s own solitary path. Overcoming hardships unknown to many in ordinary life, ‘through the slums,’ they came to know the twilight of the soul, having reached the midpoint of earthly life and found themselves in a primeval forest.”
This is the Law of the Yukon:
that only the Strong shall thrive;
That surely the Weak shall perish,
and only the Fit survive.
Questions about this article
01What does the “Law of the Yukon” mean in this note?
Robert Service’s lines serve as a severe literary metaphor for an ordeal in which a chosen path demands resilience and responsibility for one’s choice.
02How is the hero’s journey connected with the inner voice here?
The call to adventure begins with leaving the beaten path and attending to one’s own direction, after which trials become part of a personal transition.
03Should the contrast between strong and weak be read literally?
No. It is an image from a poem about the Yukon, not an objective law of human worth; in this post it signifies resolve, not a right to rank or exclude people.