Analysis of Ballad Of Tailor Nils (From Arne)

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson 1832 ( Kvikne) – 1910 (Paris)



If you were born before yesterday,
Surely you've heard about Tailor Nils, who flaunts him so gay.

If it's more than a week that you've been here,
Surely you've heard how Knut Storedragen got a lesson severe.

Up on the barn of Ola-Per Kviste after a punchin':
"When Nils heaves you again, take with you some luncheon."

Hans Bugge, he was a man so renowned,
Haunting ghosts of his name spread alarm all around.

"Tailor Nils, where you wish to lie, now declare!
On that spot will I spit and lay your head right there." -

"Oh, just come up so near, that I know you by the scent!
Think not that by your jaw to earth I shall be bent!"

When first they met, 't was scarce a bout at all,
Neither man was ready yet to try to get a fall.

The second time Hans Bugge slipped his hold.
"Are you tired now, Hans Bugge? The dance will soon be bold."

The third time Hans fell headlong, and forth the blood did spurt.
"Why spit you now so much, man?" - "Oh my, that fall did hurt!" -

Saw you a tree casting shadows on new-fallen snow?
Saw you Nils on a maiden smiling glances bestow?

Have you seen Tailor Nils when the dance he commences?
Are you a maiden, then go! - It's too late, when you've lost your senses.


Scheme AA XX BB CC DD EE FF GG HH BX XX
Poetic Form
Metre 11010110 10110110111111 1111011111 1011111101001 1101110111001 111101111110 111101101 101111101101 10111111101 111111011111 1111111111101 111111111111 11111110111 1011101111101 010111111 1110111011111 011111010111 1111111111111 110110111101 1111010101001 1111011011010 1101011111111110
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,208
Words 250
Sentences 21
Stanzas 11
Stanza Lengths 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
Lines Amount 22
Letters per line (avg) 41
Words per line (avg) 11
Letters per stanza (avg) 82
Words per stanza (avg) 21
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:15 min read
8

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( BYURN-sən, Norwegian: [ˈbjø̂ːɳstjæːɳə ˈbjø̂ːɳsɔn]; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit", becoming the first Norwegian Nobel laureate. Bjørnson is considered to be one of The Four Greats (De Fire Store) among Norwegian writers, the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland. Bjørnson is also celebrated for his lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet".  more…

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