Poem: Home and Love

By Robert William Service

Main theme:
The poet says that the words 'home' and 'love' are the words which are inseparable and the sweetest
words. The poet says that without the presence of love in the home, home is a bitter place and
without the presence of home, love is a pain. both of them are incomplete and not enough without
each other.

Paraphrase:

Stanza #1:

Both home and love are small four-letter words. No other words are as sweet and loving as these.
Angels in the heaven also talk about None but these two words.

Stanza # 2 :

It is hard to tell whether ‘Home’ or ‘Love’ is best to gain. They are substitute of each other. One is
incomplete without the other. Love is bitterness without home. Home is often pain without Love.
One of them alone is not sufficient. They are in close cooperation like hand glove. One makes the
other complete.

Stanza # 3:

If we have both the home and love, we must be too happy to sing all day long. These two make our
song divine if we are poor or rich. Finally the poet again emphasizes on the fact that angels in the
Heaven talk about these two words. ‘Love’ and ‘home.’