Tuesday Poem: “Tarantella” by Hilaire Belloc
Tarantella
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 veranda)?
Do you remember an Inn, Miranda,
Do you remember an Inn?
And the cheers and the jeers of the young muleteers
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 swirl and the twirl
Of the girl gone chancing,
Glancing,
Dancing,
Backing and advancing,
Snapping of the 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.
Hilaire Belloc, 1870-1953
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I was first introduced to this poem at High School by a teacher who not only loved it, but read it aloud with great energy and enthusiasm—and I believe that it is a poem that repays being read aloud, to see the way in which the effect of the rhyme and rhythm, and the use of onomatopoeia, work together to imitate the sense and sound of the dance and the whole frenetic energy of the evening in the inn. The repetiton of words and phrases also reinforces the energy and the way action, whether of the dance or the young muleteers cheering and jeering, tends to repeat in that kind of scene.
Although this was not a poem that we ‘learned by heart’, key phrases have always stayed with me from that one reading:
“And the cheers and the jeers of the young muleteers
Who hadn’t got a penny,
And who weren’t paying any …”
What Year 9 student wouldn’t love that concept?
And the more elegaic lines such as:
“And Aragon a torrent at the door”—what a powerful image (she shouts, joyfully!); possibly the reason that it has stayed with me for so many years.
I adored this poem as a child! It definitely bears reciting aloud – whooping aloud, in fact.
Perhaps it is a child’s poem, but I also think it speaks to emotions we don’t want to lose as adults, least of all in our poetry–enthusiasm, fun, and joy.
Thanks, Helen, for retrieving a poem I discovered as a girl too–it begs to be read out loud, to be danced to in my ‘swirly skirt’ of felt my mother had made which spun out like a saucer from my waist and what fun it was to leap around shouting and singing and twirling as only the young can. Thanks for remembering for me, Helen.
I think that feeling of ‘delight’ that at least three of us remember ‘says something’ important about the poem–that it speaks to the ‘universal’, perhaps, through the overall image created, and the sensuality of the language juxtaposed with that concluding sense of loss and regret
Completely new for me:)
Nice use of fast and slow
A very Tarantella feel that is enhanced by the ending. Goes with the old mythology – except wasn’t the dancing supposed to work?
I think there is no ‘sure’ proof that the dancing worked against a poisonous spider bite—and the end always seemed a bit ‘larger’ than that scenario, especially as the High Pyrenees between France and Spain and the ‘tarantella’ dance folklore hails from southern Italy. But the dance has evolved from that as a standard dance form, such as the ‘samba’, ‘polka’, ‘waltz’ etc
I was introduced to this poem in senior school by Miss Ponder our music teacher. She was a passionate person in her music and her energy inspired me. I have never forgotten her and I thank her for this poem I think it is wonderful and expressive.
Doreen, It’s definitely a classic–I love the way it catches the movement of the dance, while also finishing with the elegaic mood of transition andloss.
At school we had an annual verse speaking festival with competition between the four houses and one year(1940’s)Tarantella was the piece chosen for the verse speaking choir. I had forgotten the words but never forgot the rhythm and tempo. I shall read it at our next U3A Poetry group meeting which requires poems under the heading of Memory.
A great choice, Peggy — and clearly a poem that stands the test of time. 🙂
I recited this poem at school, I am now 67 years old but I remember it as being very exciting. I don’t know if I understood it! I just switched on the telly and there was no sound, and the poem came to me!! Strange! I remember the teacher/headmaster who taught it to us, I didn’t like him!! BUT this remains.
I think the intense rhythm is part of what makes the poem “stick”, memory-wise