“Antarctica” Al Stewart
This folk song gives a vivid description of the continent of Antarctica, while recounting the brave attempts by explorers to wander its icy lands.
The singer presents the continent as a very beautiful, mysterious yet dangerous place. He uses several terms such as frost, chill of mystery, being snow blind to paint a picture of Antarctica’s nature. The narrator subtly recounts how men have been enticed by the mystery of this place to go there and sightsee despite the risks involved.
The writer also makes mention of Sir Ernest Shackleton who explored on his own and alongside Robert Scott. He then recounts how Scott’s journey to the Pole in 1912 resulted in his party losing their lives in a blizzard.
The Exploits of Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton
Robert F. Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton were both prominent figures in an era referred to as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. They were instrumental in mankind charting Antarctica and reaching the South Pole(s). As such, their contributions have significantly increased our knowledge and understanding of the world we live in. And the reason they are referred to as ‘heroes’ is because back in those days especially exploration of Antarctica was extremely-dangerous task. Scott and Shackleton most-famously teamed up during Britain’s Discovery Expedition (1901-1904) of Antarctica.
