Poetry Blog No 125 The King Who Believed Everything

         

THE KING WHO BELIEVED EVERYTHING

The following ballad is based on a folk-tale from Austria. It concerns a king who is so gullible that he believes everything... well, nearly everything. The ballad in the tradition of poetic form is usually composed of stanzas or verses of four lines with some rhyming scheme. It is usually some form of narrative that can be historical, tragic, romantic or comic. The commonest line is a four-footed eight syllable in iambic (iambic tetrameter) Now once there was a foolish king.

Ballads were often set to music ( as in folk songs from many places) and this led to the use of the term for sentimental narrative songs, some blues songs and slower popular songs usually romantic in nature. The ballad form was also used by 18th and 19th century poets for more literary or lyrical effect- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Coleridge) and La Belle Dame Sans Merci (Keats) are two famous examples. Ballads have also been popular in Australia as the main form of "Bush" poetry.

The King Who Believed Everything was published in a slightly modified form (no hemp) in the NSW School Magazine. 

 

Jakob Jordaens The King Drinks

                  THE KING WHO BELIEVED EVERYTHING

Now once there was a foolish king

Who would believe most anything.

He searched for any who could weave

A tale that he would not believe.

With castle, gold, and lands, for lure,

So many tried to find a cure,

So many liars tried and lost

And in deep dungeon paid the cost.

A farm lad came with his attempt,

"One day I sowed a field of hemp:

Before I'd finished, my first seed

Had sprung up higher than all the trees."

"Soon it was higher than any tower.

I left it for a few days now,

Until it rose right out of view."

"Yes," said the king, "that sounds quite true."

"And so I thought that I might try

To climb up through the sunny sky

Until I came to heaven's sphere;

The climb took me a weary year."

"In heaven angels flew most fair,

Through perfumed, light-filled, singing air;

And beauty shone from everything."

"Yes, I believe you," said the king.

"I saw my mother and father both

A-riding in a silver coach;

In golden robes they took their ease."

"Yes," said the king, "that I'll believe."

"Then I went onward, wondering,

And then I saw your parents, king,

All dressed in rags, with filth and slime,

And caring for a herd of swine."

"You lie," the king roared out this time,

"My parents can't be handling swine!

Deceiving rogue, I'll have your head!"

"I'll have your prize," the farm lad said.

Mark Scrivener Poetry Blog No 100 Foolish Boasting

FOOLISH BOASTING

This is a short anapestic ballad based on fable from Aesop. It has alternating lines of four and three feet.

It is better by far not to brag and to boast,

You might say it’s a very good rule.

For the one who must boast is the one who is most

In great danger of looking a fool.

The anapest is often suitable for a light and slightly comic touch. Dr Seuss, for example, often used it.

An anapaest (also spelled anapæst or anapest, also called antidactylus) is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. In classical quantitative meters it consists of two short syllables followed by a long one; in accentual stress meters it consists of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable. Wikipedia.

The ballad is a poem that is typically arranged in quatrains with the rhyme scheme ABAB. Ballads are usually narrative, which means they tell a story - study.com

                    FOOLISH BOASTING

It is better by far not to brag and to boast,

You might say it’s a very good rule.

For the one who must boast is the one who is most

In great danger of looking a fool.

Once a man who was planning a friendly surprise

Looked around for a suitable light.

Then he found some wax candles of varying size

To arrange for a party at night.

So he took them and stood them outside with great care,

Out in every safe spot that he could.

And while darkness descended he lit them all there

So they’d give out soft light where they stood.

Now one candle was largest, it was highest by far.

It was wide; it was tall; it was bright.

And when it was lit it shone out like a star

That’s ablaze in the dark depths of night.

Now this candle was bright but it also was proud

For it felt it had something to show.

So it sang to the rest with a song that was loud,

“ Don’t you see my magnificent glow!”

“I’m delightful! I dazzle! See me flame; see me flower!”

The proud candle proclaimed to the rest.

But one old, half-burnt candle replied, “All your power

Is one flame, that is all, at it’s best.”

“Oh, what nonsense, old smoky!” the proud candle flared.

“I am brighter, much brighter by far!

If you checked you would find- if you did, if you dared-

I’m outshining the moon and each star!”

And now just as it boasted a sudden, brief gust,

A short rush of quick wind, went on through…

And it blew where the candles stood, scattering dust,

And it blew out the proud candle too!

Now the others just flickered but it went right out.

In a moment its glory was gone.

And the old candle laughed, “When I look all about

I just wonder how true was your song!”

“I’m inclined to believe that the moon and each star

Are a little more powerful than you.

Yes, their light shines forever, forever from far,

And each night they are raying anew!”

“ So you see, foolish friend, that to brag is bad form

For you know that no wind passing by-

No, not even the terrible rage of wild storm,

Ever blows out the lights in the sky!”