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Definition & Origin • Definition: A ballad is a type of poem that is sometimes set to music. Ballads have a long history and are found in many cultures. The ballad actually began as a folk song and continues today in popular music. Many love songs today can be considered ballads. • A typical ballad consists of stanzas that contain a quatrain, or four poetic lines. The meter or rhythm of each line is usually iambic, which means it has one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. In ballads, there are usually eight or six syllables in a line. Like any poem, some ballads follow this form and some don't, but almost all ballads are narrative, which means they tell a story. • Because the ballad was originally set to music, some ballads have a refrain, or a repeated chorus, just like a song does. Similarly, the rhyme scheme is often ABAB because of the musical quality of this rhyme pattern. • While ballads have always been popular, it was during the Romantic movement of poetry in the late 18th century that the ballad had a resurgence and became a popular form. Many famous romantic poets, like William Wordsworth, wrote in the ballad form.
Centuries-old in practice, the composition of ballads began in the European folk tradition, in many cases accompanied by musical instruments. Ballads were not originally transcribed, but rather preserved orally for generations, passed along through recitation. Their subject matter dealt with religious themes, love, tragedy, domestic crimes, and sometimes even political propaganda.
Sir Patrick Spens, Get Up and Bar the Door, The TwaCorbies, Barbara Allan. By the end of the lesson students will show their understanding of the poems by discussing and expressing their opinions, showing interest for the class.
Warm up:Directions: For each urban legend, identify the common fear that’s expressed indirectly through the story. (Another way to approach it is to complete this thought: “People who came up with and shared this story were afraid of ______________.”) Then, extend that fear into what you think are the likely warnings implied in the story about what people should or shouldn’t do. This approach will also help us better understand why and how people created the folk ballads hundreds of years ago!
Folk ballad A folk ballad ususally represents a single episode. It is told impersonally, through action and dialogue, with very little characterization, description, or motivation.
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” BACKGROUND • possible (though never verified) historical allusion • 1281 marriage: • of Margaret, daughter of Alexander III of Scotland to King Eric of Norway in 1281 • on the return voyage, many of her noble escorts were drowned • 1290 succession: • the death of Margaret's daughter, "the Maid of Norway," • while she was being brought back to Scotland in 1290 • to succeed her grandfather, who died in 1286.
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • Dumferling: • Dumferline, a town in Fife, on the Firth of Forth • an early residence of the Scottish kings • “sits”: • reigns, rules AND is stationary • seated BUT will make others move • “blood red”: • mighty power, power over life & death, foreshadowing
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • “wine”: • party (Eros in “Love Armed”) • suggests the ease with which he wields such power • suggests that the question (sailing mission) = not well-thought, casual • that the one who takes this mission will die • “The Lottery” • win BUT lose by winning • typically an honor to be chosen by the king • BUT this is an impossible, dangerous “suicide mission”
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • “good” sailor: • skillful sailor • brave • decent human • loyal, obedient to king
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • Elder Knight: • elder = respected • (“respect your elders”) • favored, respected by king, yields political power • (sits at king’s right knee) • line 14: • suggests Elder Knight = enemy of Sir Patrick Spence (“ill deid”)
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • alliteration & stanza #3: • repetition of sound • “s” • sounds like snake, waves crashing on beach • foreshadows SPS’ death • Long Letter to SPS: • written, signed, sealed by king • = royal decree • MUST be obeyed • SPS must sail the royal ship
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • Sir Patrick Spence: • 1st meeting = reading king’s letter, walking on the beach • at leisure • his 1st reaction, 1st line = laugh • modest: laughs at praise • humor: thinks the mission is a practical joke • his 2nd reaction = cry • realizes this mission will be his death • but he cannot refuse the king’s command • feels set up/betrayed by someone • “O who is this who has done this deed / This ill deed done to me” • (repetition = for emphasis in Oral Tradition - foreshadowing)
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • “done deed” to “deed done”: • repetition • certainty of death • Mirror World: • Court vs. Ordinary, appearance vs. reality • true friends • court politics, stab in the back, set up for death • Blinded by tears: • tears = water = waves, storm,…his death • blind seers of old – see the future, his future is death
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • merry men: • good men on leave • at leisure, as SPS was on the beach • at leisure – yet dutiful to SPS • from merriment to death (Contrast) • bad signs: • bad moon rising – omens, harbinger • new moon with the old moon in its arms • dangerous weather = bad sailing, danger, death
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • repetition: • “I fear, I fear” • stresses the danger • stresses the switch from “merry” to “fear”
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • nobles: • Nobles don’t want to ruin their expensive shoes • IRONY • b/c SPS knows they will drown anyway • CONTRAST • Nobles’ nobility • (b/c of family inheritance) • SPS’ nobility • (brave, loyal, follows orders on suicide mission)
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • Shipwreck = play: • play = game (“like flies to wanton boys, they kill us for sport”) • humans = at the mercy of fate, the fates, the gods • play = drama, to be watched by nobles • IRONY: • their hats swim while they drown • their hats are symbols of their wealth BUT all the money won’t save them from death • perhaps drowned by the weight of their opulent attire
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • Hands: • CAUSE-EFFECT – • King signs letter w/hand, sending them to their deaths • Women hold fans in their hands, awaiting in vain the men to return
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • Fans: • used to control the weather (when it’s too hot) • BUT • cannot control the weather at sea • CONTRAST: • women = hot • men = drenched • women stand for their men’s return (tension) • king sits to send them to their death (ease)
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • Gold Combs: • symbols of opulence, richness • misplaced focus b/c worldliness/materialism = meaningless to Death • their hair will turn gray as the combs stay gold – • IRONY • Danse Macabre • Their own dear lords: • not “theirs” any more – belong to Death, the Sea • they wait to see them again (alive) BUT don’t • reader sees them again (dead)
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • Mirror World: • ironic twist of social class – IRONY • the lords sit at SPS’ feet • he knew they were going to die • had no illusions • they had vanity, materialism • Will he go to heaven before them?
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” • Aberdour: • “half over to Aberdour” • half-way from Norway to Aberdour • two villages of Aberdour on the east coast of Scotland – • one in Aberdeenshire • the other in Fife, on the north shore of the Firth of Forth. • Either may be meant.
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” THEMES • anti-materialism • anti-worldliness • power: • abuse of power (knight) • reckless or indifferent wielding of power (king) • anti-monarchy? • Fate, Death: • cannot escape, control (like seas) • must obey (like king’s command) • SPS accepts his fate & gets his crew to, too • nobles are ignorant of their fate
“SIR PATRICK SPENS” THEMES • duty: • to king • to men/sailors • to wives • Why do men serve those they serve? • in court – for political favor, power • on ship – allegiance, respect, honor • criticism of court life: • pettiness • spitefulness • luxury • materialism
" “Get Up and Bar the Door” • Setting • Around Martinmas time (the feast of Saint Martin of Tours) • November 11 • Usually celebrated with a big feast • Much like our modern holidays • A lot of work needs to be done around the house
Conflict • The door needs to be barred • The husband wants the wife to do it • The wife wants the husband to do it
Conflict: Conclusion • “They made a paction tween them twa, They made it firm and sure,That the first word whaeer should speak, Should rise and bar the door.” • The first person to speak has to go and lock the door
Characterization • Stubborn • Silly • Battle of the sexes
Plot • Two men come into the house and eat all the food • Neither the husband nor the wife say anything because they do not want to lose the wager • The two intruders then decide to cut off the man’s ‘beard’ and ‘kiss’ the wife • The man finally responds: • “Will ye kiss my wife before my een And scad me wi pudding-bree?”
" Plot • The woman responds after the man: • “Goodman, you’ve spoken the foremost word, Get up and bar the door.” • Humorous ending • Her priority is winning the bet.
Barbara Allan: the conflict • In Barbara Allan, the conflict is when William becomes very ill and is wanting to see his truelove, Barbara Allan. When she comes to see him, she believes that he is sick. William’s last words to her was “Hardhearted Barbara Allan.” Barbara Allan begins to feel guilty because all around her she hears “Hardhearted Barbara Allan,” from the bells and the birds, anything that surrounds her. When she sees William again she is in despair and decides to do a deed for William in return by dying for him. In the end they are buried together and a rose from William's grave starts to grow around their graves in a true love knot as forgiveness from William. • Guilt and forgiveness makes humans weak through conflict. • In the poem Barbara Allan is feeling guilty from how she acted when William die
