The Ballad of the White Horse - Softcover

Chesterton, G. K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 148189563X ISBN 13: 9781481895637

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013

Synopsis

Ballad of the White Horse, by G. K. Chesterton, is both typical and unusual. It's typical in paradox, romantic Christianity, and the deft use of chalk to boldly sketch a few simple strokes that define a figure, without too much concern for detail. Chesterton's philosophy of white chalk, as described in an essay on the subject, (where he also talks about drawing "the soul of a cow") may help explain this poem: "But as I sat scrawling these silly figures on the brown paper, it began to dawn on me, to my great disgust, that I had left one chalk, and that a most exquisite and essential chalk, behind. I searched all my pockets, but I could not find any white chalk. Now, those who are acquainted with all the philosophy (nay, religion) which is typified in the art of drawing on brown paper, know that white is positive and essential. I cannot avoid remarking here upon a moral significance. One of the wise and awful truths which this brown-paper art reveals, is this, that white is a color. It is not a mere absence of color; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black. When, so to speak, your pencil grows red-hot, it draws roses; when it grows white-hot, it draws stars. And one of the two or three defiant verities of the best religious morality, of real Christianity, for example, is exactly this same thing; the chief assertion of religious morality is that white is a color. Virtue is not the absence of vices or the avoidance of moral dangers; virtue is a vivid and separate thing, like pain or a particular smell. Mercy does not mean not being cruel, or sparing people revenge or punishment; it means a plain and positive thing like the sun, which one has either seen or not seen." The Ballad of the White Horse is atypical in its style, and to some extent subject, which was actually a relief; the paradox is worn more lightly here, the story and dialogue come first. This is a poem about people who fought and died and won because they had nothing to lose. There is no glory here or boasting or honor. The Vikings fight well and cleverly and the Saxons only win because they fight to the end and the Vikings don't have to. Chesterton has writen a dark poem of strife and despair, of humility and bleak courage before the end. Of the wisdom of Alfred who saved what could be saved and held the line for civilization and Christianity until the times were less dark. It is a poem worth reading and remembering. For it tells of a king who lost it all and won it back and knew the true value of things.

About this title

About the Author:

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936) was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, play writing, journalism, public lecturing and debating, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction. Chesterton has been called the "prince of paradox". Time magazine, in a review of a biography of Chesterton, observed of his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out." For example, Chesterton wrote "Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it." Chesterton is well known for his reasoned apologetics and even some of those who disagree with him have recognized the universal appeal of such works as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man. Chesterton, as a political thinker, cast aspersions on both liberalism and conservatism, saying, "The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected." Chesterton routinely referred to himself as an "orthodox" Christian, and came to identify such a position with Catholicism more and more, eventually converting to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism. George Bernard Shaw, Chesterton's "friendly enemy" according to Time, said of him, "He was a man of colossal genius".

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 148189563X
• ISBN 13: 9781481895637
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 100