Shira Greenberg's English Notes!! Good Luck E/o!

BALLADS
Ballads were written in the middle ages, they’re the link between periods of literature. Ballads were sung to sell a story. They were composed by uneducated people for entertainment and were passed down from generation to generation. Many ballads deal with themes like death and love. There are three types of ballads: folk ballad, minstrel ballad, and coronach. Folk ballads, the oldest type, were composed to commemorate an event of importance. Minstrel ballads use incremental repetition to build up to the climax. Coroaches were lamenting something that happened. They’re the most personal ballad because they show emotion.
A ballad stanza had four iambic lines with four accents in the first and third lines and three in the second and fourth.

Edward
-Folk ballad
Stanza 1: Why is your sword covered in blood Edward? Why are you walking so sadly? Edward’s mother asked him these questions and he replied that he had killed his hawk and had none but him.
Stanza 2: His mother replied: your hawk’s blood is not so red. So he said he killed his horse who was very beautiful.
Stanza 3: His mother said: your horse was old and you have more, something else must be bothering you.
Stanza 4: He said: I killed my father, woe to me.
Stanza 5: His mother asked: and what repentance will you do for that? He said he would put himself in exile.
Stanza 6: His mother asked what he would do with his castle, possessions, and property. He said he’d let them stand until they fall because he wouldn’t come back.
Stanza 7: His mother asked what he would do with his wife and children, he left them nothing. He said he’d let them beg and it didn’t matter because he wouldn’t see them again.
Stanza 8: His mother asked what he would do with her. He said that she should go to hell because she told him to kill his father in the first place.

Sir Patrick Spens
-Minstrel ballad
-No evidence in history but it is believed to actually commemorate a true event
Stanza 1: The king sat in Dunfermline, a town in Scotland, and drank wine. He wanted a good sailor to sail his ship.
Stanza 2: An experienced and important knight spoke up and said that Sir Patrick Spens was the best sailor.
Stanza 3: The king wrote a braid letter, a very long one, to Sir Patrick near the sea, which is where he’d be because he’s a sailor.
Stanza 4: Sir Patrick read the letter and laughed and as he read on he wasn’t so happy.
Stanza 5: He asked who had done something so horrible to send him out to sea at this time of year.
Stanza 6: Sir Patrick said to his crew and to hurry up and sail the ship but the crew said that a storm was coming.
Stanza 7: He said that he had had a dream with some superstition in it that meant that they would be harmed.
Stanza 8: They were reluctant to go out to see and before long more than just their shoes were wet, they drowned.
Stanza 9: The ladies waited for Sir Patrick to arrive.
Stanza 10: They were all dressed up waiting for him.
Stanza 11: Halfway home their ship sank and that’s where Sir Patrick lays.

The Wife of Usher’s Well
-Minstrel ballad
Stanza 1: A rich woman lived at Usher’s well and she had three sons who she sent overseas to make money.
Stanza 2: Less than a week after she sent them the old lady got word that her sons were missing.
Stanza 3: Three weeks after she sent them she got word that they were dead, they were missing long enough to deduce that.
Stanza 4: She said that she wanted storms to blow them back.
Stanza 5: Around Martinmas, November 11th, at night, the lady’s sons came back from the dead wearing hats made form birk, a tree that grows only in the next world.
Stanza 7: Birk doesn’t grow around here only in paradise.
Stanza 8: She asked for a fire to be set and water to be brought because she was celebrating that her sons were okay.
Stanza 9: She had a bed set up (a symbol that someone’s about to die) and she sat down. They had come to say goodbye.
Stanza 10: The rooster cried, it was morning, and the spirits had to go back, the oldest son that they had to go.
Stanza 11: The youngest said they should wait for their mother to wake up to say goodbye.
Stanza 12: It was morning and the oldest said they’d be punished if they didn’t return.
Stanza 13: The youngest said they should wait just a little bit longer because if their mother woke up and they left without saying goodbye she’d be very mad.
Stanza 14: They said goodbye to their mother and to this world.

The Battle of Otterbourne
-Minstrel ballad
-August 19, 1338
Stanza 1: it was about August 1st (Lammas tide) during the harvest time, when Douglas (Scottish) went to attack.
Stanza 2: Three clans, the Gordons, Graemes, and the Lindesays, came along but the Jardines didn’t come, but now they regret it.
Stanza 3: He burned valleys along the river of Tyne and parts of towns.
Stanza 4: He came right up to Newcastle, Percy’s (English) castle, and asked who the lord was or who was the lady of the castle.
Stanza 5: Percy spoke and said he was the lord of the castle.
Stanza 6: Douglas said that if Percy was the lord they should fight until one of them died.
Stanza 7: Percy took a spear in his hand and went to meet Douglas.
Stanza 8: But Percy’s wife was watching and she saw Douglas knock Percy off his horse.
Stanza 9: Douglas said that if they were meeting on the battlefield then he would have killed him, but since his wife was watching he’d take Percy’s sword.
Stanza 10: Percy wanted to win back his honor so he said that Douglas should go to Otterbourne and wait three days for him, and if he didn’t show up he was a false knight.
Stanza 11: Douglas said that Otterbourne was nice but didn’t have enough food to feed his people.
Stanza 12: Douglas said that there were animals but no bread or vegetables to feed his men.
Stanza 13: Douglas continued and said that if Percy was going to Otterbourne he’d go and fight there.
Stanza 14: Percy said that he would show up, swearing by St. Mary.
Stanza 15: Douglas’s group got to Otterbourne and set up camp.
Stanza 16: Those who had servants sent them out to feed the horses, but Douglas didn’t have one, he was his own servant.
Stanza 17: Early in the morning, a page came to him and said that Percy was coming.
Stanza 18: Douglas said that it was impossible because he didn’t have men last night and he couldn’t have gotten them so quickly.
Stanza 19: Douglas said that he had a sad dream of a dead man (foreshadowing) and he thought that he was that dead man.
Stanza 20: He got up quickly and grabbed his sword but he forgot his helmet.
Stanza 21: When Percy met Douglas he hit Douglas and Douglas was bleeding.
Stanza 22: Percy hit Douglas in the head until he fell down.
Stanza 23: Douglas called his page and said to call his nephew Sir High Montgomery.
Stanza 24: When Montgomery came Douglas realized that he was going to die and told him to go fight.
Stanza 25: Douglas told Montgomery to hide him behind the bush.
Stanza 26: Douglas said to burry him there but leave it unmarked because he was in English territory and they might desecrate his grave if they knew a Scotsman was buried there.
Stanza 27: Montgomery his Douglas so that his people wouldn’t see and despair.
Stanza 28: They say was almost over and the Scotsmen had killed many Englishmen.
Stanza 29: They had blood to their stockings.
Stanza 30: Both Percy and Montgomery were glad the battle had begun and they fought.
Stanza 31: Montgomery told Percy to surrender or he’d kill him. Percy asked who to yield to now that he saw it was necessary.
Stanza 32: Montgomery said to yield to (Douglas, buried by) the bush.
Stanza 33: Percy said he wouldn’t yield to a bush, only Douglas or Montgomery.
Stanza 34: When he realized it was Montgomery, he surrendered.
Stanza 35: Douglas died and Percy was taken captive.

Bonnie George Campbell
-Coronach
Stanza 1: Bonnie rode high and low that day.
Stanza 2: He rode of gallantly but he never came home.
Stanza 3: his mother came out crying when his horse returned without him.
Stanza 4: She realized he was never coming back.
Stanza 5: He rode out all prepared and dressed for battle.
Stanza 6: But his saddle came home empty and his horse came home but he never did.

Twa Corbies (page 194)
- In this poem one bird is talking to another
Stanza 1: As I was walking by myself, I saw two birds complaining. One asked the other what they would eat that day.
Stanza 2: The bird replied that behind the pile of earth he knew there was a dead body there and no one else knows he’s there besides the man’s dog and his wife who had killed him.
Stanza 3: His dog is gone. His bird is gone. His wife is gone; she went to another man. So we could eat him.
Stanza 4: You’ll eat his neck bone; I’ll eat his eyes. We’ll use his hair for our nest.
Stanza 5: People will mourn for him and no one will know when he’s gone and he will never be buried.

Get Up and Bar the Door (page 169)
Stanza 1: Around Martinmas, a woman was making pudding, boiling them in a pot.
Stanza 2: The wind blew into the house and the husband told the wife to close the door.
Stanza 3: The wife said she was busy with her household duties and she wouldn’t do it.
Stanza 4: They made a promise between them that the first to speak would close the door.
Stanza 5: Two men came in the middle of the night when it was dark in the house.
Stanza 6: They didn’t know if it was worth robbing, if it was a rich or poor house, and they asked but no one answered.
Stanza 7: First they ate the puddings and the wife was upset but didn’t say anything.
Stanza 8: Then they said one would cut off the husband’s beard and one would kiss the wife.
Stanza 9: The other said there was no water to cut the beard, so the first said to use the boiling water from the pudding.
Stanza 10: The husband was angry and said you’ll kiss my wife before me and then burn me with the water?
Stanza 11: The wife jumped up and said that the husband spoke first so he had to close the door.

Barbara Allan (page 199)
Stanza 1: around the Martinmas time, Sir John Graeme fell in love with Barbara Allan
Stanza 2: He sent someone to go get her quickly
Stanza 3: She got up slowly and went to him and told him she though he was dying.
Stanza 4: He agreed that he was sick, sick for Barbara Allan
Stanza 5: She said, don’t you remember when you were blessing everyone else and you slighted me?
Stanza 6: He turned and said goodbye everyone, take care of Barbara
Stanza 7: She left and he was dying
Stanza 8: She wasn’t so far when she heard the death bell ring, and it said woe to Barbara
Stanza 9: When she got home she told her mother to make her bed because he died for her today and she’d die for him tomorrow

Canterbury Tales: The Prologue (page 94)
- Written by Geoffrey Chaucer, who lived in the 14th century. He lived 60 years when the average age was 35. His father was a wine merchant, which placed him in the upper-middle class. He was a page to the daughter-in-law of the king from a very young age. He traveled a lot. He died before he finished the Canterbury Tales.
- Chaucer the narrator who was gullible and naive.
- Canterbury Tales criticizes the society that he lived in. He’s not bitter about life, so his criticism is gentle.
- They’re going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury where Thomas Becket was murdered. He stopped in the Tabard Inn and joined a group of people all going to Canterbury. Howard Bailey, the owner of the Tabard, says they’ll all tell two stories each way and the person who says the best story will win a dinner on the way back at the Tabard, so it’s really just a business opportunity.
- Rhyme scheme: aabb- couplet
- Rhythm- iambic pentameter
Lines 1-4: It’s April, nice weather for a pilgrimage
Lines 5-6: Zephyrus, the western wind, exhales- personification, meaning gentle wind
Line 13: palmers- pilgrim who has been to Jerusalem, another popular pilgrimage, wears palm leaves to show that he’s been to Jerusalem
Lines 15-16: If someone wanted to go on a pilgrimage without leaving England, then they went to Canterbury
Line 39: how he sees each person- in his naïve point of view
KNIGHT
The knight is highest in ranking. He was chivalrous. He had fought very well in his master’s war and in crusades, religious wars. He had more experience than anyone else. He led the front of the army. He was very modest. He never said anything bad. He had find horses because he needed them for war but he didn’t wear fine clothes, he wore his battle clothes, because he didn’t want to show off. He came with only one servant, the yeoman. He was going to give thanks for winning his last battle. He is the first PERFECT character.
Line 66: he led the van- the front of the army
Line 71: he was modest, a very good trait. Modest as a maid- alliteration.
SQUIRE
The squire, the knight’s son, came with him. He liked girls. He had perfect hair. He had less experience than his father, but when he fought he did it to win a lady rather than his father’s motive: for god and for his master. He wore fancy clothes. He sang and played an instrument, which didn’t help him in being a knight, but it helped him pick up girls. He slept very well. He had humility before his father. He may have been a flirt but he had potential to grow into a good knight.
Lines 81-82: He’s a knight-in-training
YEOMAN
The yeoman worked for the knight and he came along as well. He wore green to blend into the forest when hunting. His arrows had colorful feathers and were well sharpened. He took pride in how his feathers looked. His skin was brown and tough from being in the sun all the time. He wore a bracelet on his arm to protect himself from the arrows. He wore his dagger in a slanted way to look nicer. He wore silver, which needed to be shined, and obviously he did and he spent time making sure he looked good. He’s a little bit obsessive about how he looks. He’s vain like the squire but since they’re on different levels we see it in different ways.
Lines 103: Yeoman is an attendant and forester
Lines 113-114: he wore a brace (a bracelet) on his arm to protect him from the arrows
Line 116: jaunted dirk- his dagger was held at a slant
Lines 120: he was a baldric- a belt worm over one shoulder and across the chest to support a sword
PRIORESS
The nun lives in the convent and doesn’t get married. They wore all black and a wimple (a scarf covering most of their faces) with a veil on top of the wimple, basically a very modest dress. However this nun was dressed flirty. She was called Madam, which means she was married before and after her husband died she became a nun for security, food, and shelter. During the morning prayers she sang through her nose. She spoke high school French to try to impress people. She had very good manners- she didn’t drop her food on her clothes like everyone else. She was very interested in the royal court- maybe too interested. She wanted to impress others and act royal, but she wasn’t doing a good job. She was worried about a mouse being killed in a trap but not about the poor people who would be more than happy to eat the food that she served to her dogs. She dressed inappropriately for a nun. Her wimple was pushed back, she wore green prayer beads, and a pin that said love conquers all, probably from her husband. She cares too much about her image and her dogs.
Line 122: a prioress is a nun second in command in the abbey (under the abbess)
Line 124: her greatest curse was of St. Loy, the patron saint of goldsmiths and couriers
Line 126: services- morning prayers
Line 129: Stratford-atte-Bowe- school where she learned French
Line 143: counterfeit- she was faking the manners
Line 158: he saw her forehead meaning that her wimple was too far back
Line 163: gaudies- prayer beads
Line166: amor vincit omnia- love conquers all
MONK
This monk ignored the rules of monks and accepted the new modern world. He had fancy clothes. He ate a lot. He volunteered to be a monk so he should keep the rules, mainly separating from physical pleasures. When he ate his skin got greasy.
Line 169: he was the finest- sarcastic
Line 171: he was able to be the Abbot- but it a good thing he’s not because he’s corrupt
Lines 173-175: the bells he hears are on his bridle but he bells he should be hearing are the chapel bells
Line 177: St. Benet or St. Maur- creators of monastic rules- leave the rules to them, he wanted to party
Line 190: Austin- criticized lazy monks- he ignored it
Line 194: he had very expensive dogs and houses all coming from charity
Line 211: his palfrey (saddle) is brown, nice and new
FRIAR
Friar was a member of Roman Catholic order, usually living on charity. He was supposed to stay in the monastery, not go around the country. He was very jolly. Of all the Friars none was as easygoing, so fluent in formal speech. He had arranged many marriages of the girls he had relationships with and had given them whatever money he could. He was very friendly with the rich landowners who lived within his collecting area. He claimed to have permission from the Pope to hear confessions of the rich ladies in his area. He listened to everyone’s confessions, freeing him or her from his or her sin, in return for money. The Friar kept his hood filled with hairpins and pocketknives to impress the ladies. He sang and played a musical instrument. He was pale yet strong. He drank a lot and knew all the barmen well. He wouldn’t deal with the lower end of society, but whenever rich people, and particularly money for him, were involved he was very courteous. He took money from everyone, even widows. He settled fights for pay. He wore a thin cloak and he lisped. He wore fancy clothing on judging day so people would respect him but his ob has no respect and especially he doesn’t deserve it.
Line 213: wanton- jolly
Line 214: limiter- friar who is given an area to collect charity in
Line 215: four orders (groups) of friars
Line 220: county folk- rich land owners
Line 225: shrift- confessions
Line 230: shriven- absolved of his sons
Line 237: tippet- hood
Line 240: hurdy gurdy- instrument
Line 255: it’s a good thing we can’t find more like him
Line 270: semi-cope- cape
MERCHANT
He sells things in the market place or at the port. He’s tall and stands straight. He wears good clothes and boasts a lot. He didn’t tell anyone that he was in debt because then no one would buy from him and he’d go more into debt. Now that people know he’s in debt he won’t tell them his name.
Line 282: Flemish- from Flanders
Line 287: Harwich- Holland range- sea between England and Holland that he thought she be kept free
OXFORD CLERIC
The Oxford Cleric, a member of the clergy, was still in school. His horse was thin, had a hollow look in his eyes, and had a thin coat. He didn’t spend his money on his horse, but he didn’t spend it on himself either. He didn’t have a high-ranking position in the church, but he was too unworldly to work in a secular establishment. He was interested in Aristotle’s philosophy rather than fine clothing or music. Though he was a philosopher, he hadn’t found the stone that could turn metal into gold. Whatever money he could get, he spent on books. He prayed for those who gave him money in return for paying for his learning. He only cared about his studies and didn’t speak more than absolutely necessary. When he did speak, he spoke formally, respectfully, quickly, and about lofty ideas. He spoke of morals that he would gladly learn and teach. He’s unable to function in society.
Line 301: preferment- job
Lines 304-305: he had red and black books- leather bound
Line 306: psaltery- musical instrument
Line 308: he was a philosopher but he still hadn’t found a way to make money, hinting to the philosopher’s stone that could supposedly turn metal into gold
FRANKLIN
The Franklin, a wealthy landowner had a white beard. He was confident and kind. He ate a piece of cake in wine in the morning and lived for pleasure, as he always had. He believed that happiness was the most important goal in life, following in the path of the Greek philosopher, Epicures. He also made his house open to all, like St. Julian, the patron saint of hospitality. His food was of the best and none rivaled his wine. He was never short of meat or fish or any other delicacy that someone could think of. The food he served was according to the season that the food appeared. He kept birds in an enclosure and fish in his pond. He was very harsh to the cooks who did anything wrong to his food. In his dining room a table was set all day as a parliamentary representative for the country prepares for a court session. He wore a dagger and a white silk purse at his belt. He was a “perfect” example of a gentleman. He liked this world and was nice to his guests but not to his servants.
Line 343: high-colored- he drank
Line 344: he had a sop (piece) of cake each morning dipped in wine
Line 346: Epicures- philosopher who believed that happiness was the most important goal
Line 349: St. Julian- patron saint of hospitality- he had a lot of guests, which shows he’s upper class
Line 365: Justice at the Sessions- court sessions- he was the highest judge
Line 366: Member of the Shire- representative of the county in parliament
HARBERDASHER, DYER, CARPENTER, WEAVER, CARPET-MAKER
These guildsmen had nice clothes and tools. They wanted (or at least their wives wanted) them to be higher in the guild to have more respect.
Line 379: burgess- member of a legislative body
Line 386: madam= respect
COOK
He cooked very well. He had an open pussy soar.
Line 397: blancmange- creamy chicken
SKIPPER
The sea captain had a horse that wasn’t a fancy horse, just good for slow riding for someone who isn’t really used to it- like someone who is usually at sea. He has a dagger to protect himself from pirates. He stole wine from the person he was transporting it from. If he fought with another ship, all the prisoners had to walk the plank. He knows all the good places to wait for a storm to stop.
Line 402: he has a dagger hanging around his neck
Line 405: sarcastic that he’s an excellent fellow
Line 420: Maudelayne- sad
DOCTOR
He was a good doctor; he was good at astronomy. He had a deal with the apothecary so that all his patients went to that apothecary and he got a cut. He ate a healthy diet. He didn’t read the bible but there was medical stuff in there! He was very greedy.
Line 430: dry, cold, moist, hot- the four humors that resulted in diseases when disturbed (this was believed by doctors at this time)
Line 435: Aesculapius- Roman god of medicine and healing
Line 444: Hippocrates, Rufus, Dioscorides, Galen, Rhazes, Hali, Serapion, Acerroes, Acicenna, Constantine, Scotch Bernard, John of Gaddensden, Gilbertine- great doctors
Line 450: taffeta- fine material-fine clothes
LADY OF BATH
A married woman from Bath, an English resort city, was a little deaf. She was very talented in making clothes. She got very mad if someone went before her in church to give charity, and if anyone did she gave less money. Her kerchiefs were made of fine material. She drank. She had had five husbands. She had been to Jerusalem and other popular pilgrimage sites. She had a gap in her teeth. She rode her horse well. Her wimple covered appropriately. She liked to laugh and talk. She knew how to fix broken hearts.
Line 455: Bath was a resort city
Line 458: Ypres and Ghent were known for making clothing and she was better than them
PARSON
He was a known religious figure. He was poor, but rich in religious work. He was also a learned man; he was a clerk. He truly knew the gospel and taught it and preached it to the members of the church. He was diligent and patient. He didn’t like collecting the tithe. He would rather give his own money to the poor. He was satisfied with less. Nothing stopped him from visiting others. He practiced what he preached. He believed priests had to be good because if they weren’t who would be? He didn’t leave his people to make money, because he didn’t want anyone to take advantage of his people. He wasn’t resentful to those who sinned. He only rebuked extreme cases. He is the second PERFECT character.
PLOWMAN
He was the parson’s brother. He was an honest worker. He followed the gospel. He helped the poor by working for them. He paid the tithe when it was due. He wore a loose jacket and rode a mare.
Line 555: tabard- loose jacket
Line 555:mare- good for working
MILLER
He was a big guy and very dishonest. He was like an animal. He was ugly, which was believed to be a sign of sinfulness.
Line 561: sixteen stone- he weighed 224 pounds
Line 564: he could fight animals- he was like those animals
PARDONER
He was the most corrupt. He told people the greed was the root of all evil and to get rid of greed one had o give charity and he did this all because he was greedy and wanted their money. He showed them fake artifacts and people bought them from him, again, all for his gain.
Line 700: he didn’t wear a hood so he could show off his hair
Line 732: honey tongue- persuasiveness
THE TABARD
Those were all the pilgrims who were staying at The Tabard that night. Now this was what they did that night, but don’t think he was being rude if he simply states what others said or did, for if he didn’t the story would not be completely true. god did the same thing in the holy writings and there’s nothing bad there. He also asks for forgiveness if he left anything out.
HOST
The Host greeted everyone and began serving supper. He served very good food and wine. The Host was very impressive and could have been an officer in a hall. He had bright eyes and was fat. He claimed that there was no better business in Cheapside. He spoke boldly yet tactfully and was very manly. He was a jolly person. After the meal he began to talk about sport and many other things after we had settled down. He said he had never seen such an energetic group. He had an idea that on their way to Canterbury, where St. Thomas should answer their prayers, they would want to have a little fun. So, you can agree and go and do what I say, but you don’t have to. Everyone was excited to hear his idea and agreed to do what he would say. He said he’d explain it very simply, that each person would tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back. Than man who tells the best story will have supper in The Tabard, paid for by everyone else on the way back from Canterbury. He even volunteered to go along as a guide and judge the stories. And whoever doesn’t play along will pay for what we buy along the way. Everyone was very excited and agreed. He became the leader and the judge and set the price for the supper for the winner. Everyone drank more wine and went to sleep. The next morning the Host woke us up and we were on are way. We rode, faster than we would be going if we were walking, to a brook two mils away. When we got there the Host said if you all agree to what we said last night, let’s hear our first story and we’ll decide by pulling straws to see who would go first.