I have few favourite poems. Sure there are loads of lyrics in songs I like, but a contemporary song is not a poem and I like few poems.
Since discovering this poem in an old thin book with a hard dark green cover‡ in my parents house 15/20 years ago it has remained my favourite poem. The book was a book that is one of those books that know one ever knows where it came from, and that disappears at some point, and know one is quite sure where it went.
I think it's the rhythm of the poem that grabs me.
‡Update via Dad - After scouring our book shelves I found the little green book. It was called English Verse an Anthology for the Middle School compiled by Neville Nuttall in 1950.
Tarantella - Hilaire Belloc
Do you remember an Inn,
Miranda?
Do you remember an Inn?
And the tedding and the spreading
Of the straw for a bedding,
And the fleas that tease in the High Pyrenees,
And the wine that tasted of tar?
And the cheers and the jeers of the young muleteers
(Under the vine of the dark verandah)?
Do you remember an Inn, Miranda,
Do you remember an Inn?
And the cheers and the jeers of the young muleteeers
Who hadn't got a penny,
And who weren't paying any,
And the hammer at the doors and the Din?
And the Hip! Hop! Hap!
Of the clap
Of the hands to the twirl and the swirl
Of the girl gone chancing,
Glancing,
Dancing,
Backing and advancing,
Snapping of a clapper to the spin
Out and in --
And the Ting, Tong, Tang, of the Guitar.
Do you remember an Inn,
Miranda?
Do you remember an Inn?
Never more;
Miranda,
Never more.
Only the high peaks hoar:
And Aragon a torrent at the door.
No sound
In the walls of the Halls where falls
The tread
Of the feet of the dead to the ground
No sound:
But the boom
Of the far Waterfall like Doom.
1. zed
i hate hillaire belloc.
2. Destructor
Poetry blogging is for big girls blouses.
3. Adrian
Did I not sufficent establish over the weekend that I was a big girl’s blouse?
Anyway it’s a good poem.
And you lyric blog all the time.
4. Gordon
That’s crap. Seriously… you sure McGonagall didn’t write that??
Did the green cover of the book have Mickey Mouse on it??
5. Adrian
Who’s McGonagall?
It was one of those cool looking really worn books. Something that would look good in a movie.
6. Destructor
McGonagall’s that hard-ass detective from the Simpsons:
“You busted up that crack house pretty bad, McGonagall. Did you really have to break so much furniture?”
“You tell me, Chief. You had a pretty good view from behind your desk.”
Ah, McGonagall: eases the pain.
7. Sara
It seems to me to have the same rhythm as “The Bells” by Poe.
8. Dad
If memory serves me correctly I was given that book in Standard 8 at school and never returned it. I think it finally got donated to one of those second hand charity book sales. It also had one of my favorite poems which started “When young Ethelred was only 3 or somewhere there abouts” It was about a kid who thought he was a car not sure his name was Ethelred but was something like that. I so liked that poem that I never gave the book back.
9. Gordon
William McGonagall - worst poet ever - Scottish, lived in Dundee - his most famous poem was about the Tay Bridge Disaster.
10. Green Fairy
I hate Hilaire Belloc too. Some nice Simon Armitage, that’s what you want.
11. Adrian
What’s with all the Belloc hating? I haven’t even heard of her except for this poem.
And it’s a good poem people. It has a rhythm.
Seeesh.
12. Rob
Wow, rough crowd. Trample his childhood memories why don’t you…
13. Des
her?
14. Adrian
With a name like “Hilaire” I just assumed it was like Hilary and hence a “her”.
15. Chris Hunt
Belloc was French by birth, hence the unusual name. Very definitely a man though. An interesting guy - poet, biographer, MP, essayist. Lots more to find out if you start from here.
Personally I’ve always liked his cautionary tales for children, like this excerpt from “Lord Lundy”:
I also like this line attributed to him: “When I am dead, I hope it may be said: His sins were scarlet, but his books were read.”
Hopefully, once he gets out of copyright, sombody will do a web site about him as thorough as my McGonagall one.
Oh, and Hilary can be a boy’s name too…
16. charmain
i remembered that poem from school. i googled the words miranda and pyrenees to find it. was glad to read it again. it sure has that rhythm. most enjoyable
17. Kidrobot Simpsons
I severely love the vinyl Kidrobot Simpson’s mini statistics - Most of Springfield’s most recognizable characters are discovered in this established, though you’ll find some notable omissions (I was hoping for an Otto and Ralph) . In any event, I suspect there will be a series 2 at some point.