There Where the Land of Love
A pastoral vision unfolds of a serene, hidden valley — the land of love — nestled among fragrant bushes, caressed by clear winds, alive with shifting shadows, lowing cattle, tinkling sheep bells, and the musical song of linnets. This idyllic landscape exists suspended between two great darknesses: the infinite past and the infinite future, between which human life briefly flickers before being extinguished.
By Robert Louis Stevenson · First published 1896 · Genre: Romance, Literary Fiction, Adventure · 102 words
First lines
There where the land of love, / Grown about by fragrant bushes, / Sunken in a winding valley, / Where the clear winds blow / And the shadows come and go, / And the cattle stand and low / And the sheep bells and the linnets / Sing and tinkle musically.
Between the past and the future, / Those two black infinities / Between which our brief life / Flashes a moment and goes out.
What this Textopian page supports
There Where the Land of Love is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, dated 1896 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Date: 1896 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romance, Literary Fiction, Adventure, Philosophical Fiction, Poetry
- Length: 102 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for There Where the Land of Love by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Genres
- Romance — The title explicitly references 'Land of Love,' suggesting romance as a central theme, consistent with Stevenson's exploration of emotional and romantic relationships.
- Literary Fiction — Stevenson's sophisticated prose style and character development align with literary fiction conventions rather than genre-specific storytelling.
- Adventure — Stevenson is renowned for adventure narratives with geographical and emotional journeys, likely present in this work's exploration of landscape and love.
- Philosophical Fiction — The metaphorical 'Land of Love' suggests exploration of abstract concepts and human condition, themes Stevenson frequently examined.
Tags
poetry · lyricism · romance · love · longing · nostalgia · nature · landscape · dreams · memory · beauty · melancholy
More by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Treasure Island (1883)
- The Pavilion on the Links (1909)
- Olalla (1885)
- A Child's Garden of Verses (1885)
- Father Damien, An Open Letter To The Reverend Doctor Hyde Of Honolulu (1914)
- A Lowden Sabbath Morn (1916)
- Songs of Travel and Other Verses (1908)
- Prayers Written At Vailima (1916)
- All works by Robert Louis Stevenson