spacer 68
Poem of the Day | Top 30 | Poets | Shopping | Forums | Search | Comments
Today, on March 21st, 2010, the site contains 196 poets, 8,692 poems and 8,388 comments.
Hilaire Belloc - Talking (and Singing) of the Nordic Man

I

Behold, my child, the Nordic man,
And be as like him, as you can;
His legs are long, his mind is slow,
His hair is lank and made of tow.


II

And here we have the Alpine Race:
Oh! What a broad and foolish face!
His skin is of a dirty yellow.
He is a most unpleasant fellow.


III

The most degraded of them all
Mediterranean we call.
His hair is crisp, and even curls,
And he is saucy with the girls.

Added: on August 25th, 2005 at 2:53 AM | Viewed: 797 times | Comments (1)


Talking (and Singing) of the Nordic Man - Comments and Information

Poet: Hilaire Belloc
Poem: Talking (and Singing) of the Nordic Man

Comment 1 of 1, added on August 25th, 2005 at 2:53 AM.

Belloc's timeless attitudes on nationality and English class have a relevance
in Australia, with its 1950-70s immigration of Europeans. thus, on race :
"Behold my child the Nordic man
And be as like him as you can"
encapsulates the respect held by the earlier colonists, largely English,
though leavened by Irish peasantry of convict stock.

Progressing southwsrds, the Germans and "Balts" are dismissed as dull, and
finally
"The most degraded of them all
Mediterranean we call
His hair is dark and even curls
And he is saucy with the girls"
Veiled respect for Italian sexual prowess.



jack palmer from Australia

Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Talking (and Singing) of the Nordic Man, has received one comment so far. Click here to read it, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Hilaire Belloc with others on the Poetry Connection poetry forum!

Poem Info

Belloc Info
Copyright © 2003-2009 Gunnar Bengtsson, Poetry Connection. All Rights Reserved.
Property Management Software