Old English Ballads [Athenæum Press Series] by Francis B Gummere ➤ Ginn & Company 1894

Old English Ballads by Francis B Gummere Ginn & Company 1894

Title: Old English Ballads

Author: Francis B Gummere

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Ginn & Company 1894

Size: 5 X 7.4 * 380 pages

Synopsis: AI Overview: Old English Ballads by Francis B. Gummere is a scholarly anthology published in 1896 that compiles and edits a selection of traditional folk ballads. Rather than providing a narrative summary, the book's purpose is to preserve and analyze the works themselves, with Gummere adding an extensive introduction and notes on the ballads' origins, themes, and stylistic elements.

Main aspects of the book's content:

*A collection of traditional ballads: Gummere's book is an edited collection of popular ballads, drawing from the influential and exhaustive work of his colleague Francis James Child. These are folk songs and poems passed down through oral tradition rather than composed by a single, known author.

*Focus on communal origins: As a proponent of the "communal composition" theory of balladry, Gummere uses his introduction and notes to argue that these traditional songs emerged from the collective singing and dancing of early primitive societies. This distinguishes his work from those who argue for individual authorship.

*Detailed textual analysis: The text includes extensive notes on the subject matter, language, and technique of the included ballads. Gummere dissects the verse form, rhyme schemes, and linguistic features to explain how they function within the oral tradition.

*Emphasis on literary significance: While acknowledging their folk origins, Gummere also highlights the literary value of the ballads, describing their simple, objective, and powerful narratives. The ballads, in his view, capture fundamental human truths about fate, love, and tragedy in their most elemental form.

*Historical and cultural context: The book places the ballads within their historical and cultural setting, often contrasting them with more modern, individualized forms of poetry. He portrays the ballads as a vital link to the earliest expressions of community identity and human imagination.

Overall Condition: Acceptable: The book has obvious wear. It has some wear to the cover, but its integrity is intact. There is writing in the margins, some underlining but no highlighting of text, and there are no missing pages or anything that would compromise the legibility or understanding of the text. See images.

Secure shipping bubble-wrapped in a new box.

2026--U.S. shipping for this (Two Pounds Media Mail) is $5.22 with tracking.

Multiple items will be combined for the lowest shipping price.

International Shipping cost is based on the destination so inquire before buying. Mobile users must scroll to the bottom and click on 'use desktop site' to bring up the Ask a Question link which sends me an email.

(PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE MAKING ANY PAYMENT FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S.)

==========================================================================================================================
Just about all the books are USED books. Some have been used more gently than others. Some have been in libraries and have typical library extras. Some are so old and/or interesting that they are being offered for the sake of preservation regardless of the condition they are in. If the condition of the book is very important to you, please feel free to click the 'Ask seller a question' link and I will tell you more.
=========================================================================================