Christopher Yousofi06/12/2017

Flodden Field

At Flodden Field the Scots came in,
Which made our English men faine;
At Bramstone Greene this battaile was seene,
There was King Jamie slaine.

His bodie never could be found,
When he was over throwne,
And he that wore faire Scotland's crowne
That day could not be knowne.

Then presently the Scot did flie,
Their cannons they left behind;
Their ensignes gay were won all away,
Our souldiers did beate them blinde.

To tell you plaine, twelve thousand were slaine,
That to the fight did stand,
And many prisoners tooke that day,
The best in all Scotland.

That day made many [a] fatherlesse child,
And many a widow poore,
And many a Scottish gay lady
Sate weeping in her bower.

Jack with a feather was lapt all in leather,
His boastings were all in vaine;
He had such a chance, with a new morrice-dance
He never went home againe.

Now heaven we laude that never more
Such biding shall come to hand;
Our King, by othe, is King of both
England and faire Scotland.

Analysis

  1. Literally, this ballad is about a battle, and this poem also tells its effects.
  1. 3 examples of imagery:
  2. Line 4, “At Bramstone Greene this Battaile was seene”, states there is a battle.
  3. Line 12 of the ballad “Our souldiers did beate them blinde.”contribute to the literal meaning by telling the reader that soldiers were combatting, and thus proving there was a battle.
  4. Line 13, “To tell you plaine, twelve thousand were slaine” supports the literal meaning.
  5. 2 examples of lyric qualities:
  6. The end of lines 2 and 4, “faine;” and “slaine”, is an example of end rhyme. These two lines display the effect of battle.
  7. “At Flodden Field the Scots came in,
    Which made our English men faine;” (line 1 and 2) Alliteration with “f” makes the beginning of the ballad flow nicely and puts a soft, sad tone on the poem, contributing to the literal meaning.
  8. Figurative Language:
  9. “Then presently the Scot did flie”(line 9)Metonymy, Scottish soldiers being replaced with “Scot”. This example displays the effects of the battle – the literal meaning.
  10. “That day made many [a] fatherlesse child,” (line 17) At first “fatherlesse child” may sound impossible, however it has some truth. It is a paradox. This connects to the literal meaning, as it shows the battle’s effects.
  11. “Their ensignes gay were won all away,”(line 11)The poet gives personification to a flag, and with this line displays the battle taking place.
  12. The theme of this ballad is that everyone fights for a cause they believe in.