Reviews for The Poetical Works

The average rating for The Poetical Works based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-09-06 00:00:00 Peggy Brown The GR blurb for this book prepared me for both the last great epic poem in the English language and a timeless allegory about the ongoing battle between Christianity and the forces of nihilistic heathenism. I admit I was not too thrilled to read that last bit. Since I have my own opinions about organized religion and the way it has affected the people of the world, I was not sure I really wanted to read something that would try to say that Christianity is The Only Answer. But I could not pass this up: King Alfred The Great! The White Horse of Westbury! The Battle at Ethandune! I have only recently learned a bit about King Alfred, and I wanted to learn more, so in I jumped. Chesterton states in his preface that: This ballad needs no historical notes, for the simple reason that it does not profess to be historical. All of it that is not frankly fictitious, as in any prose romance about the past, is meant to emphasize tradition rather than history. King Alfred is not a legend in the sense that King Arthur may be a legend; that is, in the sense that he may possibly be a lie. But King Alfred is a legend in this broader and more human sense, that the legends are the most important things about him. Chesterton took what was known as fact, added three beloved legends, tossed in the symbolism which creates the allegory, stirred in a healthy dose of his amazing skill with language, and the result is a prose poem full of excitement, deep thinking, humor, and wonderful images.Surprisingly easy to read, with character portrayals that make each man come to vivid life, The Ballad Of The White Horse is a poem I plan to enjoy again in the future.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-02-16 00:00:00 Jim Casimiro ENGLISH: Described as "one of the last epic poems in the English language," it tells the story of King Alfred's battle against the Danes (on the year 878). This poem is in the same category as "The homecoming of Beorhtnoth" by Tolkien, which describes a different battle, the battle of Maldon, on the year 991, 113 years later, when the Danes had been replaced by the Viking (probably Norwegians). It is written in stanzas of 4 to 6 verses, with a very interesting rhythm, and a rime structured like this: A-B-C[-C[-C]]-B that gives the poem a unique special sound. I really liked the scene where King Alfred asks for hospitality from an old woman who lives alone in a hut, who makes him watch the food she was cooking, and when the king fails in that simple job, the woman, who does not recognize him, slaps him. The king's reaction to this "outrage" is perfect. ESPAÑOL: Descrito como "uno de los últimos poemas épicos en lengua inglesa", cuenta la batalla del rey Alfredo contra los daneses (en el año 878). Este poema está en la misma categoría que "El regreso de Beorhtnoth" de Tolkien, que describe una batalla diferente, la de Maldon, en el año 991, 113 años más tarde, cuando los daneses habían sido reemplazados por los vikingos (probablemente noruegos). Está escrito en estrofas de 4 a 6 versos, con un ritmo muy interesante y una rima estructurada así: A-B-C[-C[-C]]-B que le da al poema un sonido especial único y original. Me gustó mucho la escena en la que el rey Alfredo pide hospitalidad a una anciana que vive sola en una cabaña, que le pone a vigilar la comida que estaba cocinando, y cuando el rey fracasa en ese trabajo tan simple, la mujer, que no le conoce, le da una bofetada. La reacción del rey ante este "ultraje" es perfecta.