- Literal Meaning of the ballad
An Owl and a Pussycat venture out into the sea on a boat, taking honey and plenty of money along with them. During his trip, the owl whobeautify serenaded the Pussycat. Who becomes ever so impressed and asks the owl to be joined together in marriage. A proposition answered by the Owl will to sail in search of a ring. This quest would take “a year and a day”, ending with the couple landing on the land where “Bong-Tree grow” and spotting a pig with “a ring at the end of his nose”. A ring that the couple would buy off the pig for “one shilling”. The next day they were married by the turkey on the hill and “dined on mince, and slices of quince before dancing by the “light of the moon”.
- 3 examples of imagery from the ballad and how imagery contribute to the literal meaning of the ballad.
- “In a beautiful pea-green boat”This line of imagery contributes to the literal meaning of the ballad by giving a visual of the vessel in which the couple expressed their love and travel great distances in order to find a ring and get married.
- “They ate with a runcible spoon” is a line which contributes to the literal meaning of the ballad by displaying how versatile and resourceful the couple has been on their “year and a day” journey.
- “They danced by the light of the moon” this example of imagery contributes to the literal meaning of the ballad by explicitly stating the activity the newly married couple is taking part in.
- 2 examples of the Lyric qualities (onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme, rhyme, alliteration, consonance, assonance, cacophony, euphony) and how they contribute to the literal meaning of the ballad.
An example of a lyrical quality found in the ballad is the rhyme scheme, the ballad hold a scheme which differs with each stanza
The rhyme scheme found in the first stanza is ABCBDEDEEEE
The rhyme scheme found in the second stanza is FGHGIJKJJJJ
The rhyme scheme found in the third stanza is GLILMKNOOOO
There is also an internal rhyme in parts of the ballad as well
Located in the second line of the first stanza
“They took some honey, and plenty of money,”
Honey and money are the rhyming words
Located in the first line of the second stanza
Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!
Owl and Fowl are the Rhyming words
Located in the third line of the second stanza
“O let us be married! too long we have tarried”
Married and tarried being the rhyming words
Located in the fifth line of the second stanza
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
With the word away and day rhyming
Located in the seventh line of the second stanza
“And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood”
Wood and stood being the rhyming words
Located in the first line of the third stanza
“Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling”
Willing and shilling being the rhyming words
The fifth line of the third stanza
“They dined on mince, and slices of quince”
Mince and quince being the rhyming words
Located in the seventh line of the third stanza
“And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,”
Hand and sand being the rhyming words
- 3 examples of the figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, metonymy, synecdoche, oxymoron, paradox) and how they contribute to the literal meaning of the ballad.
An example of figurative language is when “the Owl looked up to the stars above and sang to a small guitar” this is personification as an owl cannot perform the human skill of sing or playing the guitar. This line of poetry has contributed to the literal meaning of the poem by becoming a key part of the stories rising action.
Another example of personifications is found when the Pussycat and Owl “ate with a runcible spoon” the author has given the characters human the human quality of knowing how and having the set skills to utilizes utensils to eat a meal. This line of poetry contributes to the literal meaning of the ballad by being a key event in the stories falling action.
The third example of literal language is found in the last line of the ballad and is also personification, as the author has given the Owl and the Pussycat the human ability to dance. This is shown by the last line of the ballad which states “they danced by the light of the moon”. This line contributes to the literal meaning of the poem by being an integral part of the story’s conclusion.
- Theme of the ballad.
I believe that this ballad carries the theme of love. This simple ballad shows how love can truly conquer all. What supports this reasoning in the ballad is the fact that both the Pussycat and Owl fall in love despite having very distinct characteristics. The reason being that their love has overcome have the stereotypes that would usually keep them apart.