"The Ballad of Father Gilligan". "The Fiddler of Dooney". "Burial Party" (from "Salt Water Ballads") "Bill" (from "Salt Water Ballads")... "Harbour Bar" (from "Salt Water Ballads")... "The Turn of the Tide" (from "Salt Water Ballads") "Cape Horn Gospel I" (from "Salt Water Ballads") "The Cremation of Sam McGee", "Ballad of Manila Bay". "Soldier, Soldier” "Ballad of Lieutenant Miles". "Langemarck at Ypres". Whittier ..C. C. Moore .Lanier Mackay .Kipling .Kipling .Kipling Kipling . Kipling Wm. Butler Yeats · Wm. Butler Yeats .Masefield Masefield . Masefield .Masefield . Masefield C. G. D. Roberts REVIEW 1. Sum up what you have learned regarding the ballad. 2. What special interest have you found in ballads? Have you caught something of their charm? Can you make yourselves look sympathetically at life through the eyes of the ballad singers? 3. Do you see why it is hard to write successful imitation ballads? What authors, have you found, wrote them with the nearest approach to success? CHAPTER IV THE METRICAL TALE Characteristics of the Metrical Tale. The metrical tale is a narrative poem, usually so short that it can be read easily at one sitting. It leaves a single impression with the reader. It is not so long as the metrical romance, and not so fanciful, and it deals with any emotion or phase of life. It makes no attempt to handle extraordinary situations, but to tell a simple, straightforward story in as realistic a manner as possible. The characters are common every-day people and not those of a special class. The metrical tale is to poetry what the short-story is to prose. Many of the modern or imitation ballads may really be classified as metrical tales. The only reason for placing them with the ballads is because of the swing, spirit, and rapidity of the story. Chaucer. The first great writer of the metrical tale in England, as regards both order of time and rank, was Chaucer. 66 Note. Since the metrical tale is to be emphasized here as a literary type, it seems wise to omit the thorough study of the Prologue to the "Canterbury Tales," inasmuch as it forms only the introduction, and is not a tale in itself. A brief account of the Canterbury Tales" as a whole is given here, however, so that the student may get an idea of the general plan and spirit of the work. If it is desired, of course, the Prologue may be taken up at this point, using one of the texts found in any of the regular series of classics. The Canterbury Tales.-Chaucer's masterpiece, "The Canterbury Tales," is a large collection of otherwise isolated stories, which are welded into one unified work by means of the prologue and the interludes, or links between the tales. In this Prologue the author introduces twenty-nine pilgrims who are going on a pilgrimage to the shrine of the martyred Archbishop, Thomas à Becket, at Canterbury. They meet by chance at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, and, as they discover that they are all bound on the same errand, they decide to travel together. Chaucer represents himself as one of the number, and takes occasion to give us vivid pictures of the other members of the party before they set out upon their journey. He not only gives us an idea of their rank and position in life, but their characteristics, personal appearance, and dress, as well. Nowhere else in literature is there to be found such a set of full-length portraits as here. In this art gallery we see all ranks and conditions found in fourteenth century English society. First we are shown the dignified, earnest Christian knight who loves "chivalry, truth, honor, freedom and courtesy"; his son, the gay young squire, and his one servant, the yeoman, clad in coat and hood of green. Next we see the dainty, tender-hearted prioress, Madame Eglentyne, and her companions, the second nun and the three priests; besides these there are the worldly monk; the selfish, corrupt, begging friar; the shrewd, careful merchant; the earnest student of Oxford; the lawyer, who knew all the cases and their decisions which had come down from the time of King William; the pleasure-loving, hospitable frankelyn, or country squire; the guildmen; the cook; the shipman; the doctor of medicine, who cured his patients by his natural magic; the wife of Bath, who had had five husbands; the gentle parish priest, a true example to his flock; the plowman, who loved his neighbor as himself; the miller who stole corn and took toll three times; the maunciple or steward of a law school; the reve, a tricky overseer of a gentleman's estate; and the two corrupt ecclesiasts,-the summoner to the ecclesiastical courts, and the seller of indulgences. These are the people whose pictures Chaucer has painted for us, and who become the tellers of the "Canterbury Tales." After describing the party of pilgrims, Chaucer gives the circumstances under which they tell the stories. The genial host of the Tabard, Harry Bailey, in order to make the journey to Canterbury more pleasant for his guests, proposes that they each tell four stories, two on the way to the shrine, and two more on their return journey. He volunteers to go with them to Canterbury and to act as judge of the stories told. He suggests that the one who tells the best tale shall be given a dinner at the expense of the rest of the party, on the return from their pilgrimage. The Prologue ends with the drawing of cuts to determine which one shall tell the first story. Since the cut falls to the Knight, the "Knight's Tale "1 is the first of the series given. By means of the interludes, or links between the tales, the reader is kept in touch with the pilgrims as they ride; he hears their com 1 As has been said before, "The Knight's Tale" is really a metrical romance rather than a tale. ments on the stories told; sees how the coarser characters thrust themselves upon the notice of the others; notes the skillful manner in which the host arranges the story-telling so that there will be the right proportion of merry as well as moral tales; hears the querulous retorts of the miller and reve, and the summoner and friar, who delight in saying disparaging things about each other;while, over all, he finds the humor of Chaucer, enlivening what is dull, and pointing out with kindly satire the follies and failings of men. Although Chaucer's original plan was to have each of the twenty |