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The Ballad of the White Horse

by G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936)

  • Free to read
  • 1 hour to read
  • 9 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"The Ballad of the White Horse" by G. K. Chesterton is a poem published in 1911. Written in traditional epic ballad form, it tells the story of Saxon King Alfred the Great's struggle against invading Danes. Hiding on a river island after near-defeat, Alfred receives a vision from the Virgin Mary. He gathers Catholic chieftains, infiltrates the enemy camp disguised as a minstrel, and leads his outnumbered forces to the climactic Battle of Ethandun, where faith and valor collide.

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  • White Horse, Vale of (England)
  • Epic poetry
  • Alfred, King of England, 849-899
  • Great Britain · History · Alfred, 871-899
  • Historical poetry
  • Christian poetry

Read the opening

Book I: The Vision of the King

Before the gods that made the gods
Had seen their sunrise pass,
The White Horse of the White Horse Vale
Was cut out of the grass.

Before the gods that made the gods
Had drunk at dawn their fill,
The White Horse of the White Horse Vale
Was hoary on the hill.

Age beyond age on British land,
Aeons on aeons gone,
Was peace and war in western hills,
And the White Horse looked on.

For the White Horse knew England
When there was none to know;
He saw the first oar break or bend,
He saw heaven fall and the world end,
O God, how long ago.

For the end of the world was long ago,
And all we dwell to-day
As children of some second birth,
Like a strange people left on earth
After a judgment day.

Keep reading The Ballad of the White Horse →

Contents

  1. Front Matter
  2. Book I: The Vision of the King
  3. Book II: The Gathering of the Chiefs
  4. Book III: The Harp of Alfred
  5. Book IV: The Woman in the Forest
  6. Book V: Ethandune: The First Stroke
  7. Book VI: Ethandune: The Slaying of the Chiefs
  8. Book VII: Ethandune: The Last Charge
  9. Book VIII: The Scouring of the Horse

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About this edition

This free edition of The Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #1719, released 1999-04-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Poetry, Mythology, Legends & Folklore, British Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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