Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Fabulous Ballad" by Elinor Wylie, the poem weaves a rich narrative that contrasts two women from vastly different social strata: a noble lady of grace and beauty, and a gypsy woman suffering from the loss of her precious beads. The story explores themes of class, material wealth, spiritual purity, and the unequal exchange of values between these two women. Through vivid imagery and subtle commentary on social dynamics, Wylie examines the relationship between material possessions and the deeper, more spiritual qualities of the soul.

The poem begins with the image of a gypsy woman, “who had lost a chain of beads,” a simple and humble item described as “blue glass, threaded on a shoe-string.” The gypsy, in mourning weeds, goes around weeping and begging for a new string, highlighting her destitution and grief. Her loss of the beads, while trivial in the eyes of others, is deeply significant to her, suggesting that even seemingly insignificant possessions can hold great value in certain lives, particularly for those with little else. The beads, simple and ordinary, represent an important connection to her identity and her history.

In contrast, the lady described in the next stanza represents wealth, nobility, and purity. She is “clad in azure” and is depicted as a paragon of virtue: “In gentleness and chastity and honour.” The lady is not just admired by the common folk but also by kings and potentates, showing her high status in society. Her possession of a “delicate celestial chain of sapphires” is a clear marker of her wealth, sophistication, and the esteem in which she is held by others. This celestial chain of sapphires, unlike the gypsy’s simple beads, is symbolic of the lady’s elevated position and her connection to the divine or the heavens.

Wylie contrasts the two women even further in the description of their appearance and status. The gypsy’s hair is described as “rusty like a rake / And crowned with straw,” symbolizing her lowly, transient life. Her sorrow is physically marked by a “plaited coronal of weeping-willow,” which connects her suffering to nature, particularly the willow tree, often associated with mourning and sorrow. The lady, on the other hand, is “like God’s own mother,” clad in purity and dignity, a vision of celestial grace.

The pivotal moment occurs when the gypsy, overcome by her grief, “crawled like a weasel through the privet hedge,” a metaphor that further highlights her low social standing. Yet she is drawn to the lady’s sapphires and kisses their “heaven-colour,” suggesting a longing for something higher, more transcendent. The gypsy, in her desperation, contrasts the lady’s wealth with her own lack, noting the difference in the clasp of the chain—her own was gold, while the lady’s is silver. Despite this, she praises the beauty of the chain, calling it “lighter than a leaf / And fitly wrought to hold its proper jewel.” This moment of praise reflects the gypsy’s admiration for beauty, even if it is beyond her reach.

The lady’s response to the gypsy’s mourning is telling: rather than offer material help or sympathy, she merely remarks that “the moon is up; the weather clears.” This cool detachment, while polite, contrasts sharply with the gypsy’s earnest emotional engagement with the world. The lady does not offer assistance, but instead, a philosophical statement. She tells the gypsy that she should serve the gem, polishing it and keeping it beautiful. This, in turn, reflects her belief in the importance of the material over the emotional: the chain, rather than the gypsy’s pain, is what demands attention. The lady’s notion of service is focused on external beauty and order rather than on the gypsy’s emotional need.

The interaction reaches a climax when the lady's husband, described as “superior and slightly snobbish,” returns to the scene. He expresses disbelief and disapproval at his wife’s interaction with the gypsy, assuming that all gypsies are “dishonest and malicious.” His response highlights the deep social divide between the two women and underscores the class prejudices that inform his worldview. The lady, however, responds calmly and with conviction, quoting from Corinthians to suggest that love and spiritual worth are more valuable than material wealth or social class. By doing so, she elevates the conversation from the realm of material possessions to one of spiritual and moral integrity, implying that the value of the gypsy's suffering and the chain’s beauty are both transcendent, and that they do not rely on class distinctions.

“Fabulous Ballad” is a complex meditation on class, virtue, and the interaction between material and spiritual values. The gypsy’s humble loss of her beads represents a deep personal grief that is not understood by the noble lady, who is focused on external beauty and order. The poem critiques the superficiality of societal values and suggests that true worth lies not in material wealth but in the deeper, more spiritual connections that transcend social distinctions. The lady’s final act of defending the gypsy’s worth with a quotation from Corinthians serves as a subtle critique of her own society’s values, placing emphasis on the importance of love, humility, and inner worth over wealth and status. Through the characters of the gypsy and the lady, Wylie explores the tension between materialism and spirituality, and the complexities of human connection across social divides.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...