Today's poem is a lovely one by Tennyson, who was retelling a medieval story about the Lady Elaine of Astolat, who dies of unrequited love for Lancelot. The poem is a significant variation from the original source material, in which Elaine meets and falls in love with Lancelot, who deigns to wear her token (and her brother's armor) in a jousting ( Read more... )

Today, a short selection from a much longer minstrel ballad, Robin Hood and the Monk, which exists in a manuscript dating from around 1450. The first three stanzas of the longer work are often entitled "May in the Green-Wood". I'm presenting it in the original Middle English, and in an updated translation that, I am sorry to say, loses the music ( Read more... )

For those long-time readers of my blog, this is not a reprise of Listening Day, which I spontaneously decreed on April 13th as part of my celebration of National Poetry Month. Today, I'm talking about the ballad. And for those who remember (or who just now read) by post extolling the virtues of Billy Joel's lyrics, please be aware that his Ballad ( Read more... )