The Ballad of the White Horse
G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton
1874 – 1936
ENPublic Domain
Summary
"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. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Subjects
- Alfred, King of England, 849-899 — Poetry
- Christian poetry
- Epic poetry
- Great Britain — History — Alfred, 871-899 — Poetry
- Historical poetry
- White Horse, Vale of (England) — Poetry