More Bab Ballads

Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), 1836-1911Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 129K words
Chapters: 13

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.More Bab Ballads by W. S. GilbertAuthor: Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), 1836-1911,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jun 1, 1997

Editor's review

More Bab Ballads is a collection of humorous and satirical verse by W. S. Gilbert (librettist of operettas such as The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado), a sequel in the Bab Ballads series. These short poems, with their light rhymes, absurd plots, and dry mockery, draw on Victorian daily life, social customs, and human foibles, often puncturing respectability and hypocrisy within seemingly nonsensical stories. Gilbert's humor is one of the sources of the British operetta tradition; its reversals, black comedy, and wordplay are helpful for understanding the later lineage of British humor. This is a public-domain English e-book, short in length, suitable as an introduction to or casual reading in poetry and satire. It is best read as short pieces before bed or on a commute, two or three poems at a time, savoring the fun of rhythm and rhyme; it can also be read alongside Gilbert and Sullivan opera lyrics to feel the vitality of its language on stage.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy British humor and satirical poetry
Fans who want to understand the roots of Gilbert and Sullivan operas
English learners who need short English reading material to practice language feel
Readers interested in the social life of the Victorian era

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting serious lyric poetry or deep philosophical thought
Readers unfamiliar with English verse who need translation notes
Readers who prefer long narratives and continuous plots

Reading tips

Read two or three poems at a time, aloud, to enjoy the fun of rhyme and rhythm.
When encountering unfamiliar period expressions, skip them first and review the context after finishing the poem.
Read alongside Gilbert and Sullivan opera lyrics to feel the stage language.
Jot down the most memorable absurd reversals as clues to understanding British humor.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a poetry collection or an opera script?

This is Gilbert's collection of humorous and satirical verse, a sequel in the Bab Ballads series, not an opera script. However, its absurd plots and wordplay are closely related in style to the lyrics he later wrote for Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.

How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for English learners?

The poetry is rhymed with short sentences and is not long overall, but it contains Victorian expressions and allusions. English learners can treat it as advanced short reading material and read aloud with a dictionary; it is easier to sustain than long prose.

Does the e-book include notes or an introduction?

This is a public-domain e-book provided by Project Gutenberg, mainly the original text, usually without modern editorial notes or an introduction. Readers who need background knowledge can consult materials on Gilbert and Victorian humorous literature themselves.

Comments

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About the author

Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), 1836-1911 Author

W. S. Gilbert (William Schwenck Gilbert, 1836–1911) was an English playwright and poet. Public information about him is limited; the library holds eight of his works, chiefly humorous verse and plays. Representative works include The Bab Ballads and its expanded collection The Bab Ballads, with Which Are Included Songs of a Savoyard, Fifty Bab Ballads: Much Sound and Little Sense, Bab Ballads and Savoy Songs, More Bab Ballads, Original Plays, Original Plays, Second Series, and Songs of a Savoyard. These works show his gift for light, nimble rhyme and witty narrative poetry, often with absurd situations and ironic touches. The Bab Ballads first appeared in magazines with his own illustrations and were later collected; their ballads and motifs also fed into his stage writing. His plays and Savoy opera lyrics are closely linked, marked by playful language and neat construction, and have had a lasting influence on English light opera and comic verse.