Interpreting Poetry Essay Example for Free

Interpreting Poetry EssayBallads turn over been a popular invention of troubadours since the inception of poetry. A ballad is a folksong typically with a tragic ending or a lovers getting married ending. This paper allow break down the ballad of Bonnie Barbara Allen in a stanza by stanza presentation, as sanitary as present how the ballads horizontal surface pertains to modernity through folk singing. Ballads ar an interpretation of a common emotion. In Barbara Allen the main characters are Barbara and Sir whoremonger Graeme. Sometimes the ballad shifts in the mans name in other versions of this same ballad the man is called Willie Grove, kind Willie Graeme, Sweet William, Jemmye Grove (journal of Pepys separate 4). With such differences in names to describe the man in this ballad, and by use of the adjective sweet to describe him, it may be surmised that the sympathies of the ballad-singer as well as the audience, lie with the man in the reputation and not with Barbara Allen. It is no doubt that in this ballad, the female is given the characteristic of creation cruel.This is shown as her in conclusion leaving Sir lavatory Graeme on his deathbed without returning his love. She spurns him because he slighted her in a public tavern (some versions are different) and it is this slight which makes her maintain her rigor. Sir John Graeme dies, and Barbara Allen is so stricken with grief that she too dies (in some versions of the ballad, either lovers overweight grows a rose and a thorn and they intertwine, and in another version Sir John Graeme dances on Barbara Allens grave). The theme of the ballad is quite perceptibly about forgiveness.In essence, as with most ballads, Barbara Allen tries to moralize the story under the cruelest conditions. In analysis the creativity of the ballad through use of word choice, setting and report, the ref is bombarded with Old English (for the ballad was created in the 12th century when it was written into Pepys D iary of Ballads, but had been traveling through England, Scotland and Ireland via oral tradition hundreds of years prior to it being written down). The first stanza places the listener or commentator in a timeframe (Martinmas time, or November 11th (Wollstadt 315)).In the setting of the scene the singer goes on to describe that the green leaves were a fall (Pepys paragraph 1). Although the first stanza tells of Johns love for Barbara, in that location is an immediate swift change of scene from love to death between the 1st and 2nd stanza (Oliver 10-11). Barbara is supply ship to come to the my master dear (Pepys paragraph 1). The symbolism of the green leaves falling and of Johns physical structure being so close to death represents a great use of metaphor by the writer. What should besides be noted is that typically when a leaf falls, it is not in fact green, but of unlike colours including red, yellow, orange.This is because the chlorophyll has been sucked back into the tr ee for the winter (its like the tree harvesting wellness for the upcoming colder months). Thus, for the green leaves to be falling would suggest that the tree has suffered some plight instead of them falling simply because of the season. This allusion of the ballad mirrors Johns broken heart (Oliver 11-12). He is a young man, in the prime of his days, but he dies of a broken heart. What is of further interest is that a tree go a air keep the green in its leaves, even when the tree is death of what is called heart rot.Thus, the reader is active for the upcoming scene of sorrow for both John and Barbara. The 3rd stanza reveals a somewhat cold Barbara Allen. She does go to Johns side, on his bequest, and when she arrives, all the ballad says, she says, new man, I think youre dying (Pepys paragraph 1). The motions with which she uses to go to Johns deathbed are very revealing to the reader. The stanza relays that she slowly (hooly) got up upon being requested to Johns side. We must assume she knew he was dying, or that she was reluctant to see him, because of the style she feels he slighted her.However, upon the true revelation of Johns state of death, all she can say is Young man, I think youre dying (Pepys paragraph 1). It is in the fourth stanza that the reader is revealed to Johns state Hes dying of a broken heart. This is an actual medical c oncern cognize as of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome. It may safely assumed that this is indeed what is the death of Sir John Graeme, for, upon Barbara Allen leaving him, without returning his love, the death toll rings. In turn then, Barbara Allen may also have died from takotsubo cardiomyopathy.Sir Johns statement further supports this notion as in the 4th stanza he states, Im sick/And tis a for Barbara Allan (Pepys paragraph 1). If Johns heart truly is breaking, it does so in the fifth stanza as Barbara states that she doesnt love him (or hides it because shes angry with him) because of the in justice she feels she suffered at the tavern when John slighted her. The 4th and the 5th stanzas are full of dialogue and not much narrative. This is d champion in direct to get the back story of these two people and to know the emotional reasoning for Barbaras actions.The narrative of the 6th stanza reveals more the dialogue between the couple as revealed in their actions. John turns his face to the way when Barbara tells of why she doesnt love him. This action may be interpreted as being bewilder on Johns part for what he did time drinking at a tavern. The ideal 6th stanza in fact reads like a domestic dispute reconciliation (or what may be a reconciliation). What is interesting to note is that John doesnt petition for forgiveness from Barbara for what he may or may not have done while he may or may not have been drunk.Thus, in turn, Barbara doesnt forgive him. Thus, the theme of forgiveness comes back into play meaning, if either one had forgiven the other, perhaps their hea rts would not have broken. However, both characters have too much pride to ask for forgiveness and thus they inevitably befall a tragic ending. It is interesting to not however that while John is dying his last request is for people to be kind to Barbara Allen, which signifies his fault as well as her stubbornness. (i. e.because she wouldnt grant a dying man his last wish). The repetition in the seventh stanza of Barbara moving slowly leaving John was seen early in the ballad when she slowly came to see him. Thus, once she was slow to see him and now she is reluctant to leave him. It is in the 7th stanza that the reader begins to see the homosexual side of Barbara Allen appear. It is with this movement and her statement in the 9th stanza of dying tomorrow, that the reader may begin to sympathize with the woman.Her cruelty can only be redeemed through her dying as well, and it is in her death that the reader realizes that she did love John, but could not forgive a man who did not as k for forgiveness. Works Cited Diary of Samuel Pepys. Barbara Allen. (2009). Online. 29 March 2009. http//www. pepysdiary. com/p/9570. php Oliver, Mary. Poetry Handbook. (1994). Harvest Books. New York. Wollstadt, Lynn. Controlling Women Reading Gender in the Ballads Scottish Women Sang Western Folklore, vol. 61, no. ? (Autumn 2002). Pp. 295-317.