Laurel · Robert Bell

Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England

Robert Bell (1800–1867) · 1857

Mixed forms · 6,342 lines in 125 sections

The songs working people actually sang, gathered by Robert Bell.

Measured across the book

Across its 6,342 lines, 93% of stressed syllables fall on the beat (95% interval 92% to 93%). Alliteration runs at 1.06 times what shuffling the words would give (0.31 observed against 0.29 expected). 18% of the lines have a feminine ending.

Baselines and intervals are described in the methods.

Contents

The Plain-Dealing Mananapaestic trimeter · 144 lines The Vanities of Lifeiambic trimeter · ABABCDCD · 152 lines The Life and Age of Maniambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 66 lines The Young Man’s Wishiambic tetrameter · AABB · 36 lines Or, a Sudden Call from an Earthly Glory to the Cold Graveiambic pentameter · AABB · 161 lines A Dialogue Betwixt an Exciseman and Deathiambic pentameter · AABB · 188 lines Or the Pious Christian’s Speedy Call to Repentanceiambic pentameter · AABB · 108 lines Part Iiambic tetrameter · AABB · 25 lines Part IIiambic tetrameter · AABB · 25 lines The Masonic Hymniambic hexameter · AABB · 52 lines A Dialogue Between the Husbandman and Servingmanunrhymed · 132 lines The Catholickiambic pentameter · AABB · 12 lines The Three Knights (Traditional.)iambic tetrameter · AABB · 40 lines Part Ianapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 140 lines Part IIAABB · 116 lines The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hoodiambic tetrameter · 62 lines The Outlandish Knightiambic tetrameter · 72 lines Lord Delaware (Traditional.)iambic hexameter · AABB · 40 lines Lord Batemaniambic tetrameter · 84 lines Or, the Squire of Tamworthanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 48 lines King James I. and the Tinkler (Traditional.)anapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 64 lines The Keach I’ the Creeliambic tetrameter · 85 lines The Merry Broomfield; Or, the West Country Wageranapaestic common measure · ABAB · 76 lines Sir John Barleycorncommon measure · 48 lines Blow the Winds, I-Ho!common measure · 64 lines Part Ianapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 44 lines Part IIanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 56 lines Part IIIanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 44 lines Part IVanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 56 lines Part I: Showing Cupid’s Conquest Over a Coy Lady of Five Thousand a Yeartrochaic tetrameter · AABB · 48 lines Part IItrochaic tetrameter · AABB · 40 lines Part IIItrochaic tetrameter · AABB · 56 lines Part IVtrochaic tetrameter · AABB · 69 lines The Nobleman’s Generous Kindnessanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 68 lines In Three Partsiambic tetrameter · AABB · 56 lines Part IIiambic tetrameter · AABB · 64 lines Part IIIiambic tetrameter · AABB · 64 lines Tune of Queen Didoiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 138 lines Or, the Lawyer Outwittediambic tetrameter · 88 lines The Death of Queen Jane (Traditional.)anapaestic dimeter · 44 lines Part Ianapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 32 lines Part IIanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 36 lines Part IIIanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 76 lines Part IVanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 48 lines Part Vanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 32 lines The Brave Earl Brand and the King of England’s Daughter (Traditional.)iambic tetrameter · AABB · 71 lines Or, the Old Man and His Three Sons (Traditional.)iambic pentameter · ABAB · 63 lines Lady Aliceiambic tetrameter · 24 lines Fitte the Firsteiambic tetrameter · 130 lines Fitte the Secondeiambic tetrameter · 117 lines Arthur O’Bradley’s Weddinganapaestic trimeter · AABB · 148 lines The Painful Ploughalexandrines · 37 lines Or, the Plough’s Praiseiambic tetrameter · 37 lines The Farmer’s Soniambic tetrameter · 54 lines The Farmer’s Boyiambic trimeter · 40 lines Or, Dumble Dum Dearyiambic tetrameter · AABB · 47 lines Wooing Song of a Yeoman of Kent’s Sonneiambic tetrameter · 50 lines The Clown’s Courtshipiambic tetrameter · AABB · 21 lines Harry’s Courtshiptrochaic pentameter · AABB · 26 lines Harvest-Home Songtrochaic pentameter · AABB · 22 lines Harvest-Homeiambic trimeter · 26 lines A Harvest Home Songiambic tetrameter · 21 lines The Barley-Mow Songiambic tetrameter · 71 lines The Barley-Mow Song (Suffolk Version.)trochaic trimeter · 11 lines The Craven Churn-Supper Songiambic tetrameter · 41 lines The Rural Dance About the May-Poleiambic tetrameter · 64 lines The Hitchin May-Day Songcommon measure · 30 lines The Helstone Furry-Day Songiambic trimeter · 26 lines Cornish Midsummer Bonfire Songcommon measure · 24 lines Suffolk Harvest-Home Songiambic tetrameter · 27 lines The Haymaker’s Songiambic trimeter · 48 lines The Sword-Dancers’ Songiambic tetrameter · 56 lines As Now Performed at Christmas, in the County of Durhamshort measure · 99 lines The Maskers’ Songanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 39 lines Gloucestershire Wassailers’ Songtrochaic pentameter · AABB · 26 lines Or, the Poor Old Horseiambic trimeter · 54 lines Fragment of the Hagmena Song15 lines The Greenside Wakes SongAABB · 25 lines The Swearing-In Song or Rhymeiambic pentameter · ABAB · 46 lines Fairlop Fair Songiambic pentameter · AABB · 32 lines An Ancient Cornish Songiambic hexameter · AABB · 20 lines The Miller and His Sonsiambic tetrameter · AABB · 40 lines An Ould Border Dittie (Traditional.)iambic pentameter · AABB · 39 lines Joan’s Ale Was Newiambic tetrameter · 64 lines George Ridler’s Oveniambic tetrameter · 39 lines The Carrion Crowiambic tetrameter · AABB · 23 lines Somersetshire Versioniambic tetrameter · AABB · 32 lines A Sussex Whistling Songanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 22 lines Old Wichet and His WifeAABB · 55 lines The Jolly Waggoneriambic heptameter · 18 lines The Yorkshire Horse-DealerAABB · 32 lines The King and the Countrymaniambic pentameter · 41 lines Jone o’ Greenfield’s Rambleanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 48 lines A Celebrated Nottinghamshire Poacher’s Songiambic pentameter · AABB · 45 lines The Lincolnshire PoacherAABB · 16 lines Somersetshire Hunting Songiambic tetrameter · 19 lines The Trotting Horseiambic heptameter · AABB · 33 lines The Seeds of Love25 lines The Garden-Gateiambic tetrameter · AABB · 32 lines The New-Mown Hayiambic tetrameter · 32 lines The Praise of a Dairyanapaestic tetrameter · AABBBCC · 42 lines The Milk-Maid’s Lifeiambic tetrameter · 63 lines The Milking-Pailiambic tetrameter · 36 lines The Summer’s Morningiambic heptameter · AABB · 24 lines Old Adamanapaestic common measure · 40 lines Tobaccoiambic tetrameter · AABB · 30 lines The Spanish Ladiesanapaestic tetrameter · 24 lines Harry the Tailor (Traditional.)anapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 20 lines Sir Arthur and Charming Mollee (Traditional.)anapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 32 lines There Was an Old Man Came Over the Leaanapaestic dimeter · AABB · 27 lines Why Should We Quarrel for Richesanapaestic trimeter · 30 lines Or, He That Will Not Merry, Merry Beiambic tetrameter · 26 lines The Old Man’s Songanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 32 lines Robin Hood’s Hillanapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 32 lines Begone Dull Care (Traditional.)iambic trimeter · 24 lines Full Merrily Sings the Cuckooiambic tetrameter · ABABCDDC · 40 lines Jockey to the Fairiambic tetrameter · 50 lines Long Preston Peg (A Fragment.)AABB · 8 lines An Ancient Cornish Songiambic tetrameter · AABCCBDDBB · 50 lines The Old Man and His Three Sonsiambic tetrameter · 20 lines A Begging We Will Goiambic trimeter · 42 lines Hirediambic tetrameter · AABB · 13 lines Dicky of Ballymaniambic tetrameter · AABB · 70 lines Onlyiambic hexameter · AABB · 19 lines Peer—equaliambic tetrameter · ABCCAB · 6 lines

About this text

Public domain. Text from Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England, Project Gutenberg ebook #649. Free to read, print, copy and reuse.

More by Robert Bell