Medieval Ballads its Intensity and Blank Spaces for Imagination

Sir Patrick Spence, Edward & Barbara Allen in different versions

Ballads: Definition & Origin

Definition: a narrative song. Origins: Usually in primitive societies such as that of American frontier in the 18th and 19th centuries and that of the English-Scottish border region in the later Middle Ages. Revised and passed down orally during the 500 period from 1200 to 1700 One of the first recorded versions in 18th century: Thomas Percy Reliques of Ancient English Poetry Francis. J. Childs The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882)

Ballads: Characteristics and Form

Characteristics as an oral form of art: Spareness of plot in media res (or even climaxes of the story), through monologue or dialogue, no narratorial comments ( how less suggests more) Use of repetition and refrain ( repetition with variation) Simplicity of tune and rhythm (four stresses in one line; rhymes ) One ballad stanza -- with four lines, alternating between tetrameter--four iambic beats (da-DUM, daDUM, da-DUM, da-DUM), and trimeter--three beats (da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM) per line. (source) variation Archetypal symbols e.g. green/yellow leaves, sea, etc.

Ballads: Kinds
Historical Sir Patrick Spens Outlaw Robin Hood Romantic Barbara Allen Supernatural --? Ancient Mariner Tragic Edward Ref: http://www.skell.org/explore/balladsF.htm

Ballads: Influences on the 19th-century poetry

Some 19th-c poems in Ballad form: William Blake's "The Tyger (six quatrains in rhymed couplets. Trochee--hammering beat forging the tiger in the smithy. 7 or 8 syllables each line); Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner (sometimes 6 lines, sometimes with internal rhymes); John Keats's "La Belle Dame Sans Merci."

Sir Patrick Spens

Possible Historical Connections: 1. In 1281, Scottish King Alexander III's daughter Margaret was married to Norway's King Eric, but on her voyage home, the ship sank and all perished. (see another version) 2. Eric and Margaret were survived by a daughter, also named Margaret. She was to be married to a son of England's King Edward I, but died while sailing from Norway. 3. a famous shipwreck off the coast of Aberdour near Papa Stronsay Island, which claims to be the burial place of Sir Patrick Spens. Dangerous journeys

Variation

After the stanza on the Kings sending a letter. "To Noroway, to Noroway, To Noroway o'er the foam; The King's daughter of Noroway, 'Tis thou must fetch her home."

Sir Patrick Spens--Questions

Intensity (1): Contrast between Sir Patrick Spens, the King and the old knight? Intensity (2): Irony The knights suggestion: "Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor That ever sailed the sea." Intensity (3): Responses Sir Patrick Spenss response when getting the Kings order?

The first line that Sir Patrick read, A loud laugh laughed he; The next line that Sir Patrick read, The tear blinded his ee.

Any impressive images? What lines are repeated to create some ironies or other effects? Spaces for Imagination: Whats left untold

Sir Patrick Spens vs. the King and the Knight

Sir Patrick Spenswalk on the sand; the king sits and drinks the blood-red wine; the old knight sits by the kings right knee Ironic contrast to Sir Patrick Spens with the sounds of s Sir Patrick Spenss response

Laugha joke, ridiculous; happy for being praised? Cry tears blind him, but he is not blind to his fate. Question suspects conspiracy Obedience make haste, make haste, my merry men all

Sir Patrick Spens vs. Fate

Image -- the new moon with the old moon in her arm = , the dark shape of the old moon and only the hint of a crescent of the new moon. an evil omen that predicts bad weather Rime of the Ancient Mariner He follows the order despite his awareness of death

Sir Patrick Spens vs. the Nobles and Ladies

The trivial concerns of the Scots nobles and their immediate deaths (suggested by the wetting of their hats) insignificance of lives: 2. The play? at the court? Or the trick of life? O laith, laith were our guid Scots lords, To weet their cork-heel'd shoon; But lang or a' the play was play'd, They wat their hats aboon. 2. The ladies well decorated, helpless. Repetition of lang, lang may the maidens sit/stand (inactive) With their gold combs in their hair and fans in their hands
1.

Final Tribute Paid to Spens

It's forty miles frae Aberdeen, And fifty fathoms deep, And there lies guid Sir Patrick Spence, Wi' the Sects lords at his feet!

1.

2.

A contrast to the King, who has the old knight and his people at his feet. Repetition of the word guid

Spaces for Imagination: Whats left untold

The whole journey to death

What actually happens in the ship; how they fought against the storm. Burial, monument set for them, etc. The reasons for the trip.

Compared with

Similarities: noble death by nature and womens passive role. Use of repetition Sir Patrick Spens -- More reasons for his death are given; more people set in contrast with Spens.

Barbara Allen Questions

Contrast 1) Barbara vs. John vs. the others; 2) Barabars responses at different moments A. story-1) why Barbara Allen refuses to be kind to the dying young man; slowly, slowly her matter-of-fact response to his death 2) the young mans response to Barbara Allens unkindness; 3) the other peoples responses and the church bell; 4) Barbara Allens final response laugh, or cry, or die 5) ending repentance or resolution and union (The red rose and the briar.)

B. singing style C. narrative

1) how the story is toldby a narrator or not;

D. ballad/poetic elements: the plot, symbol, repetition, contrast, rhyme and rhythm

Version (1)

-- Childs 84B (song Dan Tates)

Bonny Barbara AllenHer HardHeartedness and Repentance

A story of a hard-hearted woman and a young man obsessed by love Young man-- Come pitty me, As on my death-bed I am lying. Bs response 1. Then little better shall he be/For bonny Barbara Allen. So slowly slowly she got up. 2. I cannot keep you from [your] death; So farewell, 3. on seeing the corpse laugh 4. repent For his death hath quite undone me. A hard-hearted creature that I was,/To slight one that lovd me so dearly; I wish I had been more kinder to him, The time of his life when he was near me. Social Condemnation The bell and Her friends: Unworthy Barbara Allen!

Version (2) (song Gilbert, Art Garfunkel) Irony of Fate

Barbara Allen -- cannot forget being slighted. -- Went to William by herself. 1. "Young man, I think you're dying." Irony of fate: Barbara Allen feeling slighted Young man--I toasted all the ladies there, /Gave my love to Barbara Allen." --* sound effects: feminine rhymes;
William ready to die -- He turned his pale face to the wall,/Be nice to Barbara Allen -- * sound: In this stanza, alliteration is used, with a "d" sound occurring in the words "death," "dealing," "adieu," and "dear."

Version (2) (song Gilbert, Art Garfunkel) Irony of Fate

Bs responses
2. feels guilty herself -- psychological And every toll they seemed to say, "Hard-hearted Barbara Allen." 3. Actively searches for the coffin: She looked east, she looked west,/She saw his corpse a-comin'. 4. Actively welcome death: make me a bed long and narrow; I'll die for him tomorrow

Version (3): (song Sarah Makem)

stopped by her parents

Social pressures: parents urge her to go (Get up, get up, her mother says,Get up and go and see him); later when she bursts out laughing, she is condemned by his weary friends. Reason the parents stopped her from going near him. Barbara Allen very stubborn and realistic: One word from me you never will get,Nor any young man breathin',For the better of me you never will be,Though your heart's blood was a-spillin'. John die more dramatically. Bloody sheets and bloody shirtsI sweat them for you, Allen my gold watch and my gold chain I bestow them to you, Allen

Barbara Allen: The Four Versions

Social influences stronger in versions 1 & 3 e.g. 1. the narrator, social condemnation of a cruel woman 2. the parents role, social condemnation of an obedient girl

Fate and miscommunication: Versions 2 & 4 Common points: setting in May, BA hard-hearted for different reasons.

Edward the breaking of kinship

The dialogue between a mother and her son, Edward. --incremental repetition+ suspense

Blood: hawks steeds (other versions: dogs, my brother John) fathers To avoid penance he has to leave behind his property and his family (let them beg through life) Curses his mother, who suggests the idea of killing his father.

The mothers intention in her questions to see if her goal is reached, to pretend innocence, etc.. Oedipus complex? Music: http://www.contemplator.com/child/edwrdbrl.html

Love Stories we have read so far

1. Love and Social Conditioning (esp. of women) (manners, class, place and money)
A Rose for Emily A&P Araby Pygmalion, The Glass Menagerie

2. Love, Courtship and Praising the Lady

"To His Coy Mistress" The Flea the Courting Sonnet in Romeo and Juliet

3. Love, Poetry and Life/Mortality

A Valediction Forbidding Mourning" That time of year thou mayst in me behold" Shall I compare thee to a summer's day

4. Love and Death

My Last Duchess Porphyrias Lover Vs. "The Lady of Shalott" Song & Barbara Allen