Studies in Folk-Song and Popular Poetry

Name: Studies in Folk-Song and Popular Poetry
Author: Williams, Alfred M. (Alfred Mason)

Williams, Alfred M. (Alfred Mason)

Folk songs -- History and criticism

expression than he who has had a regular training," and a language may
often lose in strength what it gains in ornament and flexibility.
This strength of expression is written large over all the English and
Scottish ballads, and specimens are merely arbitrary and may be taken
almost at random:--

     Aye she waukened at the dead man,

          And aye she waukened him to and fro.

                    (Clerk Saunders.)

     And when she came out of the Kirk,

          She shimmered like the sun.

                    (Lord Thomas and Fair Annet.)

     The Lindsays flew like fire about,

          Till all the fray was done.

                    (The Battle of Otterbourne.)

     One spak slow, and another whispered out,

          She's gone wi' Gipsy Davy.

                    (The Gipsy Laddy.)

     Twice it lifted its bonnie blue ee,

     Thae looks gae through the saul o' me.

                    (The Cruel Mother.)

     There was no maen made for that lady,

          In bower where she lay dead,

     But a' was for the bonnie babe,

          That lay blabbering in her bleed.

                    (Lord Ingram and Child Wyett.)

     O, then she stood and better she stood,

          And never did shed a tear,

     Till once she saw lier seven brethren slain,

          And her father she loved sae dear.

                    (The Douglas Tragedy.)

     And when he came to her bower she was pale and wan,

     But she grew red and ruddy, when Glenlogie came in.

                    (Glenlogie.)

The dramatic power of expression, that which illumines it with a touch
of action, is not less remarkable than that of direct phraseology:--

     "Hold up, hold up, Lord William," she says,

          "I fear that you are slain."

     "It's nothing but the shadow of my scarlet cloak,

          That shines in the water sae plain."

                    (Earl Brand.)

     And aye she served the lang table,

          With white bread and with brown,

     And aye she turned her round about,

          Sae fast the tears fell down.

                    (Fair Annie.)

     She turned her head ou her left shoulder,

          Saw her girdle hang on a tree,

     O, God bless those that gave me that,

          They 'll never give more to me.

                    (Lary Maissy.)

     When I rose up in the morn,

          My goodly palace for to lea,

     I knocked at my lord's chamber door,

          But never a word wad he speak to me.

                    (Jamie Douglass.)

     The King looked over his left shoulder,

          And a grim look looked he,

     Earl Martial an' 't were na for my oath

          Or hanged thou shouldst be.

                    (Queen Elinor's Confession.)

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Studies in Folk-Song and Popular Poetry

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