Ballad of the Fortune Teller
I . THE POEM
1941 /1950 part of « lament over love » , series of « ballads »
II. TITLE
lament : a passionate expression of grief and sorrow ,a song, pièce of music or poem expressing such emotion,expression of regret, disappointment, a complaint.
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. The form was often used by poets and composers from the 18th century onwards to produce lyrical ballads. In the later 19th century it took on the meaning of a slow form of popular love song and the term is now often used as synonymous with any love song.
Fortune teller : Fortune-telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. Methods : include astromancy, horary astrology, pendulum reading, spirit board reading, tasseography (reading tea leaves in a cup), cartomancy (fortune telling with cards), tarot reading, crystallomancy (reading of a crystal sphere), lithomancy (reading of stones or gems), and chiromancy (palmistry, reading of the palms) : « look in your hands »
The scope of fortune-telling is in principle identical with the practice of divination. The difference is that divination is the term used for predictions considered part of a religious ritual, invoking deities or spirits, while the term fortune-telling implies a less serious or formal setting, even one of popular culture, where belief in occult workings behind the prediction is less prominent than the concept of suggestion, spiritual or practical advisory or affirmation. Historically, fortune-telling grows out of folkloristic reception of Renaissance magic, specifically associated with gypsies.
III . TIME AND SETTING
No precise date nor setting: universal and intemporal yet we can suppose the scene is set at the Fortune teller's house.
IV. SPEAKER
3rd person narrator talking to « you » about a woman, the fortune teller and her lover, dave. »he »
V. Structure
8 quatrains
Most, but not all, northern and west European ballads are written in ballad stanzas or quatrains (four-line stanzas) .Usually, only the second and fourth line of a quatrain are rhymed (in the scheme a, b, c, b),here it's the case except the 1st quatrain: abac
In all traditions most ballads are narrative in nature, with a self contained story, : her how a fortune teller can see the others future but becomes blind when it comes to her future !
often concise and relying on imagery : rather than description, which can be tragic, historical, romantic or comic. : here the story of a fortune teller who fell in love but couldn’t « foresee » the tragic ending of it !
the rhyme scheme : line 2 and 4 rhyme
repetitions : and / madam/could/ would/tell/look
and word choices are extremely appropriate in conveying the overall tone of each poem and truly made each poem a joy to read. For instance, the rhyme scheme of “Ballad of a Fortune Teller” forces the reader to recite the lines slower and in a less sing-song manner, adding to its aloof tone.(distant, cold)
VI . THEMES
an underlying theme of of a search for identity. Confusion of identity
Irony is something that writers use to tell their stories. Irony is when something happens that is the opposite of what you would expect.
Whenyou reach the last stanza of this poem (the last four lines) you become aware of the irony in this poem.
Opposition “your” future, her future she couldn’t see…
women's suffering as in Lover's return