The Book of Ballads / Eleventh Edition, 1870

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

44798

Title

The Book of Ballads / Eleventh Edition, 1870

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This whimsical collection of ballads and poems, edited by Bon Gaultier, offers a satirical and humorous take on classic literary tropes. Blending parody with traditional verse, the book features absurd tales of chivalry, romantic mishaps, and domestic comedy. With illustrations by Doyle, Leech, and Cromquill, it provides a lighthearted, entertaining read that pokes fun at historical epics, romantic ideals, and everyday life through a lens of playful exaggeration and wit.

Summary up to 500 words

The Book of Ballads, a satirical anthology edited by Bon Gaultier, reimagines famous literary themes through a lens of absurdity and humor. The collection opens with "The Broken Pitcher," a parody of Moorish romance where a valiant knight is comically rejected by a maiden who drowns him in a well. "Don Fernando Gomersalez" transforms a tragic Spanish captivity tale into a circus act, where the hero fights Moors in a ring, defeats them with slapstick violence, and ultimately kills the king to escape. "The Courtship of Our CID" parodies Scottish and French courtship, featuring a queen who prefers roast beef to puddock-pies and a harper who sings of absurd historical events. Other pieces include "The Massacre of Macpherson," a Gaelic parody where a clan leader is defeated by a man claiming to be from six hundred years in the past; "The Young Stockbroker's Bride," a tale of a suitor ruined by a steamship delay and a bride who elopes with the butler; and "The Laureates' Tourney," a mock-heroic poem where poets fight for the laureateship in a Spitalfields arena. The volume also includes parodies of "Paris and Helen," where Paris steals a casket of soap and roses; "Song of the Ennuye," a poet's desire to flee Britain for a tropical paradise; "Caroline," a playful poem about a teasing cousin; "To a Forget-Me-Not," a sentimental piece on memory; "The Mishap," a domestic squabble over a ruined roast; "Comfort in Affliction," a husband complaining of a toothache; "The Invocation," a brother urging his weary sibling to clean up for a lavish dinner; and "The Husband's Petition," a lover asking for a boiled sheep's head. The collection concludes with "Sonnet to Britain," a militaristic poem celebrating British military prowess. Throughout, the tone is consistently humorous, blending high literary references with low comedy, creating a unique and entertaining reading experience.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44798.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg44798.epub

Removed after upload

Downloaded at

2026-07-02 15:50 UTC

Categories

• Parodies