Poem analysis 1: Ballad of the Cool Fountain

Ballad of the Cool Fountain 

Anonymous Spanish poetess (15th century)

Fountain, coolest fountain,

Cool fountain of love,

Where all the sweet birds come

For comforting–but one,

A widow turtledove,

Sadly sorrowing.

At once the nightingale,

That wicked bird, came by,

And spoke these honied words:

"My lady, if you will,

I shall be your slave."

"You are my enemy:

Begone, you are not true!

Green boughs no longer rest me,

Nor any budding grove.

Clear springs, where there are such,

Turn muddy at my touch.

I want no spouse to love

Nor any children either.

I forego that pleasure

And their comfort too.

No, leave me; you are false

And wicked–vile, untrue!

I’ll never be your mistress!

I’ll never marry you!"

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              About

    The "Ballad of the cool fountain" is almost a metaphor in itself, comparing love to a fountain's water. What was once pure and clean became murky to match the false love of the man and the lady's unwilling heart. 

However, it is also unsure whether the man was a fraud, or just the woman's denial that is speaking.

              Theme

This poem's theme is how love seems pure and peaceful at until it comes time to marry, especially if it is someone you don't want.

However, as this poem is from the fifteenth century, the theme is likely much different considering the traditions of marriage at the time. It is probably more rational to think that this woman is being forced into a money based marriage that she does not want.

              Structure

It was stated in the page where this ballad was found that it was a variant of a classic ballad that the commoners of the time wrote. This causes it to be much easier to write but simultaneously turns it into more of a freeverse in terms of structure.

             Poetic devices

As stated earlier, the poem is basically a metaphor in it self, comparing love to the water in a fountain. Otherwise, this poem also uses a couple of birds as symbols. The Nightingale (line 7) represents her husband, who uses falsely sweet words to try and woo her. The turtledove (line 5), on the other hand, represents her loneliness and want for somebody she could truly love. These birds are also examples of personification, because birds cant talk (in the conventional sense, at least).