Analysis of Ballade 2

Eustache Deschamps 1346 (Champagne) – 1406



In Antwerp, Bruges, Ostend and Ghent
                 I used to order food with flair,
                 But in every inn to which I went
                 They always brought me, with my fare,
                 With every roast and mutton dish,
                 With boar, with rabbit, pigeon, bustard,
                 With fresh and with salt-water fish,
                 Always, never asking, mustard.

I ordered herring, said I'd like
                 Carp for supper at the bar,
                 And called for simple boiled pike,
                 And two large sole, when I ate at Spa.
                 I ordered green sauce when in Brussels;
                 The waiter stared and looked disgusted;
                 The bus boy brought in with my mussels
                 As always, never asking, mustard.

I couldn't eat or drink without it.
                 They add it to the water they
                 Boil the fish in and-don't doubt it-
                 The drippings from the roast each day
                 Are tossed into a mustard vat
                 In which they're mixed, and then entrusted
                 To those who bring-they're trained at that-
                 Always, never asking, mustard.

Prince, it's clear a spice like clove
                 can drop its guard. It won't be busted.
                 There's just one thing these people serve:
                 Always, never asking, mustard.


Scheme ababcdcD exexfxfd ghghijiD kjkD
Poetic Form
Metre 01010101 11110111 1010011111 1111111 110010101 111101010 11011101 1101010 11010111 1110101 0111011 011111111 110111010 010101010 011101110 11101010 110111011 11110101 10100111 0110111 11010101 011101010 11111111 1101010 1110111 111111110 11111101 1101010
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,468
Words 183
Sentences 9
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 4
Lines Amount 28
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 196
Words per stanza (avg) 45
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

57 sec read
132

Eustache Deschamps

Eustache Deschamps was a medieval French poet, also known as Eustache Morel. more…

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