[238] Romance
The title says it all...
When I was but thirteen or so
I went into a golden land,
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi
Took me by the hand.
My father died, my brother too,
They passed like fleeting dreams,
I stood where Popocatapetl
In the sunlight gleams.
I dimly heard the master's voice
And boys far-off at play, ---
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi
Had stolen me away.
I walked in a great golden dream
To and fro from school ---
Shining Popocatapetl
The dusty streets did rule.
I walked home with a gold dark boy
And never a word I'd say,
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi
Had taken my speech away.
I gazed entranced upon his face
Fairer than any flower ---
O shining Popocatapetl
It was thy magic hour:
The houses, people, traffic seemed
Thin fading dreams by day;
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi,
They had stolen my soul away!
-- W. J. Turner
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An unabashedly romantic poem (don't say you weren't warned!), and not a very
good one - the imagery is uninspired, the prosody unremarkable, the theme
ordinary. And yet... for some reason (no doubt measureless to man) it's one of
those poems which stick in the memory. I remember reading it when I was very
young; I rediscovered it last year, and the magic still remains.
The key ingredient of the spell is, of course, the evocativeness [1] of the
place names. The poem is carried by the effect of the simple yet beautiful
refrain - 'Chimborazo, Cotopaxi'. (and the equally nice counterpoint
'Popocatapetl'). And indeed, place names in general do tend to conjure up
wonderful images - think of Samarkand and Byzantium, Troy and Carthage, Timbuktu
and Tokyo, the Khyber Pass and the Oregon Trail, the Silk Road and the Sahara...
Turner was merely the first poet to make explicit use of this particular form of
magic in such a direct fashion.
thomas.
[1] There it is, that word again. If I had a penny for every time I've used it
on the Minstrels...
[Links]
A similar poem is Joyce Kilmer's 'Trees' - nothing remarkable, but it sticks in
your mind. You can read it at poem #146
From: LesGdd@
I disagree. I think there is far more to this poem than exotic place names.
True, it is not the deeepest poem ever written but I think its power and
memorability is in its simplicity. It is warm and evocative and like the
volcanos mentioned posseses a deep, smoldering, hidden power. That is why it
sticks in the mind.
From: "Neil Coward" <Neil.Coward1@>
And old fella I know, who is just over 70 years old and not at all into
the internet quoted a line from this poem. He had learnt it at school
and wanted to find the poem.
(This is getting like the J. R. Hatley yellow pages ads..)
Thanks to your site I managed to track the poem down quite easily with a
search on 'Chimborazo Cotopaxi' so many thanks!.
As to the poem itself, well it makes your arm hurt if you try and write
it down quickly....
From: "Ru Freeman" <rufreeman@>
I feel the same way. It isn't the greatest poem on earth, but there is
more to this than the mere repition of place names. A sense of wonder
and otherworldliness and a childlike hypnotism associated with the
references to family and to the volcanoes. I learned this poem as a
small child and it has never left me, even though I remembered only
whisps and fragmants. So much so that I call my new baby Chimborazo! and
my older daughter has a Popercaterpetl and a my younger, a Cotapaxi
among their menagerie of stuffed animals!
From: "Stuart Coulter" <stuartcoulter77@>
I have just found an old exercise book from my school days in 1970 with
this much loved poem in it but unfortunately eaten by bugs and mice! I
could JUST make out some of the lines and vaguely remembered a few but
only had to type in "Cotopaxi poem" to find it again on your site-many
thanks.I have always adored it and as others have said just adored the
romantic place names and childish images of handsome boys!! I see you
have many other poems on your page and will have a good look at the
Tennyson ones in particular as he is an ancestor of mine-something like
my great great Grandfather was his brother Frederick-always have to look
at the family tree to get the number of greats right!Any other Tennysons
out there?My mother was Phyllis Tennyson before she married.thank you
for supplying such a great site.
From: "Stuart Coulter" <stuartcoulter77@>
I would like to add to our comments on the above E mail.For some reason
my son's E mail address defaulted onto MY message;I would like to point
out that I am female! Alison Coulter-no doubt the same will happen
again!
From: MHalferty@
When I was 18 I worked giving measles vaccinations in Guanujo, a tiny
village on the shoulder of Chimborazo. As I hiked the foothills each day
the verses of this poem resonated in my mind. My experience was that
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi had stolen me away. As a result of this experience I
have become an avid mountain climber and am planning to return to Ecuador
next year to summit both Mt Chimborazo and Mt. Cotopaxi. I believe the
magic and the unforgettable quality of this poem is a reflection of the
power and majesty of these peaks.
From: "Forester, Andy" <andy_forester@>
I've wandered in the shadow of all three of these volcanoes wishing I could
remember that poem ... Before Eastern Airlines failed, one of their flights
out of Lima flew took me over the craters of both Chimborazo and Cotapaxi,
clearing them by only 7000 feet--a stunning sight and the only decent thing
I can remember about this awful airline. My camera jammed-up wouldn't ya
know it?
A word of caution: most people pronounce the Mexican volcano as a string of
three, double syllables whereas it is really two words of three syallables.
The name translates from the Nahautl as Smoking Mountain "Popoca" [=smoking]
and "Tepetl" [=mountain] so it's
"Pop-oca-tep-etl" not, as most people say, "Popa-Cata-Petal". Consider the
Aztec deity Chimalpopoca [= Smoking Mirror] which is similarly pronounded
"Chimal - popoca"...
Finally, in my anthology the volcano is mispelled as Popocatapetl [i.e.,
with an "a" rather than an "e"] which makes me think that Turner also
incorrectly pronounced the name. No Mexican would ever say "Popa-Cata-Petal"
...
Andrew Forester
From: "deaneille dean" <reenadean@>
Hi there,
It is so amazing that I have a similar story to those who commented on
this poem. I did this in secondary school in Trinidad and Tobago, and
presently I'm in college in the US; I studied literature for both O's
and A levels, but I had read 'Romance' when I was about 12 and I only
remembered a few phrases.
Anyway, I resurrected it because for my college lit class, I need to
present a poem, and I passed over Elliot , Shakespeare and Hughes for
this one. What is the appeal? I believe it's the imagery, simple
phrasing and rhyme along with juxtaposing of these exotic mountains with
everyday life, with the mystiscm of them transcending the ordinary.
A poem doesn't have to be complex, and written in the 19th cen to be
good. When it appeals to our simple emotions, that's even better.
Thanks
Deaneille
From: "William Illing" <william@>
I too remember this from school. A unforgettable resonation in my the
mind. A beautiful mystic of far off places. But I wonder about its
implied sexuality. There are the words that imply that the romance is
not for the dusty streets, but for the gold dark boy. Substitute golden
dark girl and you may appreciate my meaning. That said, and please don't
confuse me with someone who is homophobic, it does not detract from the
beauty of the poem
Roy Illing
From: Ed <homeguy135@>
W.J Turner, the poet, though born in Australia, was much better known later
on as a music critic in London and wrote a well-known essay on Mozart (His
opinions in this seem rather strange to me.) and two other books: one on
English music and the other on Hector Berlioz which is probably his best
work.
Ed
From: "Jane Brunton" <ejbrunton@>
My former mother-in-law quoted this poem to me when I met my own "gold
dark boy", my second husband, who is from Ecuador. We subsequently went
to live there for ten years and I saw Chimborazo and Cotopaxi regularly,
from trains, buses and planes.
Mysterious Chimborazo is often cloud covered and one counts oneself
lucky when she reveals herself to you for a moment or two.
I wonder why Turner mixed in the image of Mexico's Popocatapetl? Maybe
he just liked the sound of it.
I agree with those who say it is the imagery of these far away places
and interesting names that seem to haunt the mind.
Glad I found the poem. Great site.
J
From: Orbra Bliss <obliss@>
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It is incredible, reading these comments, that so many have had the same experience as I. I could relate to almost all of them, except perhaps the comment by that kid named Neil Coward and his comment about the "old fella" who was over 70 and not into the Internet. That's really sad. I couldn't really relate to that. ;o) (I say this with a smile, as I know his perspective will change eventually.)
In 1943, when I was in third grade, the teacher would read poetry to us during our, so called, rest period. She read them with much expression and I enjoyed listening, but most were soon forgotten. All except for a phrase from one of the poems which got stuck in my brain. For years afterward, the whispered phrase "Chimborazo Cotopaxi" would pop out and start running around in my head. I didn't know the name of the poem, nor much else about it. I knew those were the names of two mountains in South America, but otherwise didn't give it much significance. After schooling was finished, I went to live and work in Africa for a number of years. But, then came the day, 37 years after those third grade rest periods, when I was on a plane arriving in Quito, Ecuador. Over the western ridge and heading up the valley toward the Quito airport and right off to the side, for the first time, I saw the Cotopaxi that might steal my heart away. For the next six years, Cotopaxi, with her "eyebrow", was an almost daily sight, except when veiled with clouds. Frequent trips south, over the paramo on a clear day, gave a majestic view of Chimborazo, with her three lomas glistening in the sun. Yes, you can leave them, but they never leave you. I now have the images to go with the phrase I heard so long ago and I am sure they will never go away.
Five years ago, I was again able to return to Ecuador for six months. This time to Pifo, on the eastern side of the valley. The window of the dining room framed a view of Cotopaxi. Almost every morning, I ate my breakfast as I watched the sun come over the eastern ridge and start illuminating her snowcap in an orange pink light, often against a deep blue sky. Cotopaxi changes from day to day and month to month. Sometimes she wears a bonnet of clouds, sometimes it's just a wreath or maybe a scarf of clouds trailing out in the wind. At one time, I had pictures of that scene posted on a website. It's gone now, but when I can get some time, I want to get another one set up. I would recommend to anyone that, if at all possible, they travel to see Chimborazo, Cotopaxi and all their many beautiful siblings. Ecuadorians are very gracious people and it is an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Orbra Bliss
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It is incredible, reading these comments, that so many have had the same
experience as I. I could relate to almost all of them, except
perhaps the comment by that <i>kid </i>named Neil Coward and his comment
about the "old fella" who was over 70 and not into the
Internet. That's really sad. I couldn't really relate to that.
;o) (I say this with a smile, as I know his perspective will change
eventually.)<br><br>
In 1943, when I was in third grade, the teacher would read poetry to us
during our, so called, <i>rest </i>period. She read them with much
expression and I enjoyed listening, but most were soon forgotten. All
except for a phrase from one of the poems which got stuck in my brain.
For years afterward, the whispered phrase "Chimborazo Cotopaxi"
would pop out and start running around in my head. I didn't know the name
of the poem, nor much else about it. I knew those were the names of two
mountains in South America, but otherwise didn't give it much
significance. After schooling was finished, I went to live and work in
Africa for a number of years. But, then came the day, 37 years after
those third grade <i>rest </i>periods, when I was on a plane arriving in
Quito, Ecuador. Over the western ridge and heading up the valley toward
the Quito airport and right off to the side, for the first time, I saw
the Cotopaxi that might steal my heart away. For the next six
years, Cotopaxi, with her "eyebrow", was an almost daily sight,
except when veiled with clouds. Frequent trips south, over the
paramo on a clear day, gave a majestic view of Chimborazo, with her three
<i>lomas </i>glistening in the sun. Yes, you can leave them, but they
never leave you. I now have the images to go with the phrase I heard so
long ago and I am sure they will never go away. <br><br>
Five years ago, I was again able to return to Ecuador for six months.
This time to Pifo, on the eastern side of the valley. The window of the
dining room framed a view of Cotopaxi. Almost every morning, I ate my
breakfast as I watched the sun come over the eastern ridge and start
illuminating her snowcap in an orange pink light, often against a deep
blue sky. Cotopaxi changes from day to day and month to month. Sometimes
she wears a bonnet of clouds, sometimes it's just a wreath or maybe a
scarf of clouds trailing out in the wind. At one time, I had pictures of
that scene posted on a website. It's gone now, but when I can get some
time, I want to get another one set up. I would recommend to anyone
that, if at all possible, they travel to see Chimborazo, Cotopaxi and all
their many beautiful siblings. Ecuadorians are very gracious people and
it is an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. <br><br>
Orbra Bliss</body>
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From: "Carolyn Bunch" <cbunch@>
Thank you
From: "Carolyn Bunch" <cbunch@>
Thank you
From: "Carolyn Bunch" <cbunch@>
Many thanks for helping me track down this poem.
Through the years I have been giving Wallace Stevens
credit for it in my mind. Clearly, it doesn't sound like
him, but that's the way it was embedded.
True, this poem is not profound - but to me it embodies
the particular detachment of a creative person who
contructs a world of his/her own. There is a self-isolating
and comforting beauty in such a world. Not too socially
praiseworthy perhaps, but very satisfying.
You have given me new destination. Ecuador it is.
Carolyn Bunch
From: "Carolyn Bunch" <cbunch@>
Many thanks for helping me track down this poem.
Through the years I have been giving Wallace Stevens
credit for it in my mind. Clearly, it doesn't sound like
him, but that's the way it was embedded.
True, this poem is not profound - but to me it embodies
the particular detachment of a creative person who
contructs a world of his/her own. There is a self-isolating
and comforting beauty in such a world. Not too socially
praiseworthy perhaps, but very satisfying.
You have given me new destination. Ecuador it is.
Carolyn Bunch