Andrew Lang
The world revolves around currency, in reality we all use money in our everyday life we are making it, spending it or saving it. Andrew Lang wrote “Ballade of Wordly Wealth,” through repetition in this poem we learn about the people in the 1800s and 1900s and what they thought about money. What money can buy a person is the idea of the first six lines of each stanza. But the thought of what money cannot buy is always revisited. At the end of each stanza a refrain is made “Youth, and health, and Paradise” The theme of this poem is money, so of course the word money is on repeat.
The tone is didactic, “Money moves the merchants all” and “Money maketh Evil show” saying money is the start is a parallel construction. Pattern of sound is found also because there are a lot of words that end with the “th” sound examples of these words: taketh, maketh, truth, youth, health and gaineth. “Money taketh town and wall, Fort and ramp without a blow” says that with a little trickery a war could be won. “Money moves the merchants all, While the tides shall ebb and flow” because airplanes were not invented at this time the only way of travel for people was by boats.
This line is saying that money will convince merchants to explore the sea because there is more money out there. “Money maketh Evil show Like the good, and truth like lies” this line is saying that to be wealthy people do evil things but think they are good. In reality people are just being greedy. “These alone can ne’er bestow Youth, and health, and paradise” this line is saying that money doesn’t last forever and won’t help you always: example: when you go to heaven. Money maketh festival, Wine she buys, and beds can strow” this line is saying that “she” (money) can buy important things or not so important things. “Marches Soldiers to and fro” refer to the military saying how love can be bought with money.
“Gaineth ladies with sweet eyes: These alone can ne’er bestow” this line is stating that any man with money can get any woman he wanted if he had money that there love could be bought. ”Money wins the priest his stall, Money mitres buys, I trow” this line is saying that with money any man can buy power. Red hats for the Cardinal, Abbeys for the novice low” this line is saying that without experience you can have the title for anything you want with money. “Money maketh sin as snow, Place of penitence supplies” this line is saying that even churches use money for the wrong things. Andrew Lang’s poem is a ballad a three stanza, eight line poem. Full of descriptive words to create tone, mood and feeling about how money has taken over and could be evil, instead of good.
