Christian Optimism vs. Pagan Pessimism
Perhaps one of the most revisited messages of Chesterton's, The Ballad of the White Horse, is the need for hopeless optimism in the face of insurmountable odds. Through this message, the epic poem presents the theme of idle pessimism versus loving, patient activism. Chesterton brings out this theme by drawing from the spiritual experiences of both the English and Danish peoples. Although the Danes possess the military prowess to conquer England, their mission remains sad and their fury unmitigated. Meanwhile, the suffering Christian armies find nothing short of spiritual fulfillment and purpose in the midst of defeat. Take, for example, Alfred's song, performed for the Danes when he enters their camp, unrecognizable in his peasant's disguise:
"That though we scatter and though we fly/
And you hang over us like the sky/
You are more tired of victory/
Than we are tired of shame." [Book III: The Harp of Alfred]
The Christians don't fight because their losses are few and they are encouraged by victories. Ironically, it is in the moments when Alfred's focus is on the hope of victory that he feels the most despair. Instead, the Christians' attitude toward battle goes hand in hand with their purpose: a fight for a heavenly cause, in which they are fully grounded in the reality of the unknown. Guided by an overall sense of trusting optimism in the face of certain defeat, the Christians battle the pagans Danes, despite the seemingly futility of their efforts. Fully affixed to their corporeal mission, their physical bodies remain as unbroken as their spirits.
Meanwhile, the pagans watch the stars for signs of their fate. In the same chapter, Elf, the sorrowful Danish chieftain, gives us a good example of the Danes' pessimistic outlook on life. As he strums the harp around the Danes' campfire, he sings:
-There is always a thing forgotten/
When all the world goes well; A thing forgotten, as long ago/
When the gods forgot the mistletoe/
And soundless as an arrow of snow/
The arrow of anguish fell."
These sentiments nicely summarize the mournful attitude of the Danes, even in the midst of their victories. Elf, a romantic individual, laments the loss of earthly beauty that comes with the destructive forces of war. Even when the world is "perfect," by their standards, all things are ultimately forgotten. When material reality is devoid of any lasting spiritual meaning, there is no need for preservation.Thus, all the songs of the pagans, even when they are victorious in battle, are tinged with a pessimism that renders them completely morose.
Gurthrum, the king of the Danes, sings a similar song:
-The soul is like a lost bird, The body a broken shell. . .and a man hopes, being ignorant. . .may still lift up his head. . .But never more his heart.
Like Elf, Guthrum is plagued by thoughts of hopelessness. His song, perhaps, is the saddest any of the Danes will sing. The leader of a vast, conquering people, his hope cannot even be found on the edge of a sword. Despite his victories in battle, he still feels "broken," unfulfilled by the supposed desires of his heart. For Guthrum, the soul can never be tethered to one, divine purpose. Forever lost and alone, the relentless spirit of pessimism in the face of sorrowful reality continues.
Thus, Chesterton's Wessex soldier not only challenges the imperialistic message of the Viking Nation, but absolutely personifies the necessary virtue of fortitude: the courage to embrace one's mission in the midst of tremendous suffering, regardless of obvious obstacles or outcomes.
Christian Activism: A Theme Presented Through Imagery
In his Ballad, Chesterton utilizes several highly effective and descriptive images to convey the need for patient, persistent activism on the part of the English nation. The White Horse Vale(a popular British landmark which requires constant care to maintain its appearance)is in a forlorn state from the beginning of the poem. In Book I, it is described as eons old: an omnipotent, watchful figure that "looks on" its men through the ages-even before England exists as a nation. In Book III, Alfred describes the Vale's appearance, which has been devastated by the destructive forces of foreign powers:
- "The White Horse of the White Horse Vale/
That you have left to darken and fail/
Was cut out of the grass." [Book III: The Harp of Alfred]
Chesterton doesn't propose any grandiose or impractical efforts in his description of Christian activism; on the contrary, the profundity of his simple message is reinforced in the image of a small child, who appears just moments before Alfred's final battle at Ethandune: an "idle child alone," who "patiently pluck[s] the grass," and "push[es] the stone" on the shores of the beach, in order to build his childish creation. However, Chesterton doesn't paint the image of an individual too innocent or naive to understand events conspiring around him. Instead, the child, seeing the destructive effects that external forces have on his empire, rebuilds the structure, without the mental prickings of pessimism or despair. Despite the fact that waves continue to return and ruin his progress, the child maintains his straightforward approach with laborious patience.
Feminine Intervention: Moving the Protagonist to Action
Chesterton's fascination with the Catholic religion(as a convert himself)in part led to the creation of the epic masterpiece that is The Ballad of the White Horse. In the author's dedicational note, which Chesterton pens to his beloved wife, Francis, he writes:
-"Therefore I bring these rhymes to you/
Who brought the cross to me/
Since on you flaming without flaw/
I saw the sign that Guthrum saw/
When he let break his ships of awe/
And laid peace on the sea." [Dedication]
Through the virtuous example of his wife, Chesterton first saw the light of the Christian faith. His devotion to Mary's prominent role in his poem could, in fact, have stemmed from his loving spouse's role as his own, pseudo-Marian vision. It was Mary, after all, who rekindled Alfred's desire to battle the Danes-not just because of the wreckage they imposed on the English nation, but on the souls of English men. Thus, Chesterton demonstrates-through his own personal experience, as well as his literary endeavors-that feminine intervention can provide a necessary catalyst for positive action on the part of the protagonist, as well as profoundly affecting his spiritual state.
Alfred's transformation from inner despair to hopeful integrity demonstrates this theme impeccably. Alone on the Isle of Athelney - a vast wasteland of marshes where Alfred hides from enemy forces - the fallen king faces perhaps one of his greatest inner battles yet. Conquered in both mind and body by his losses, Alfred can do little more than focus on the horrific circumstances surrounding his defeat: the loss of his kingdom at the hands of the Danes, the many sufferings of his people, and the inevitable personal pain he has yet to face at the hands of the enemy. As he cries, "shameful tears of rage," Alfred seems to recall an image from his childhood. Distant and faint, he remembers a beautifully penned image of Mary, the Mother of God, who appears before him in the surrounding beauty of Athelney. Alfred utilizes this moment to reveal the very depth of his despair to Mary: will the Wessex men go forth victorious, or are they to be slaughtered by the strength of the Danes?Mary, however, tells him nought, save that the:
"Sky grows darker yet/And the sea rises higher."
Mary disappears as suddenly as she arrived, but Alfred's attention is suddenly shifted to the sounds of the Danes,
"Breaking down the wood/Like a high tide from the sea."
The Marian image has recalled Alfred from thoughts of hopelessness to the true cause for which fights: not for promise of victory, but because the very groundwork of civilization is at stake. Thus, Alfred's call to action has been effectively ignited by a womanly vision.
Social Classes: Working Alongside the Proletariat
Chesterton uses the actions of a simple peasant woman to bring Alfred to a more profound reality of the sufferings of the lower class. Alfred journeys to gather the individuals necessary to battle King Guthrum's army. Upon his return, he approaches a humble peasant home in the forest, and finds a woman with:
"Scarred face/And strong and humbled eyes." [Book IV: The Woman in the Forest]
The woman, like Alfred, is weathered in appearance; however, her image has been acquired from years of humble existence. She takes pity on Alfred, and in exchange for a filling victual, gives him the simple task of watching her cakes. However, Alfred's mind wanders as his focus shifts from the fire to the poor woman's circumstances. He remarks that,
"No kind thing shall come to her/
Till God shall turn the world over/
And all the last are first."
Alfred mentally compares Christ's sorrows on earth to those of the woman, and in fact, the entire struggling class. For these, Alfred anticipates nothing but earthly suffering until there be a "little door in heaven," for them to pass through. However, Alfred's thoughts distract him from the simple task of watching the cakes, and his inner musings are brought to a halt by the peasant woman. She returns in a fit when she sees that the distracted king has diverted his attention from his duty, and counters his folly with a strike across the face with one of her singed pastries. Completely unaware that she has just attacked her king, the woman stands alarmed at King Alfred, who laughs outright at his own, simple mistake. Should Alfred have allowed his mind to wander to the larger problem of overall poverty, when one of those impoverished person's meals was at stake?The woman's lesson, which has taught Alfred the misplacement of his own pride, moves him to a deeper understanding of the value of humility. Not only did Alfred's pride cause his mind to wander, it hardly contributed to the resolution of the poor woman's problems. If Alfred cannot be tasked with the minding of simple cakes, how can he properly address the sufferings of the proletariat?In fact, true commitment to the poor requires a sharing in their burdens, which should be attended to with the same care and attention as larger, more prideful tasks. In fact, Alfred notes:
"By my sword; For he that is struck for an ill servant/
Should be a kind lord."
And that:
"He that hath failed in a little thing/
Hath a sign upon the brow."
Scarred with a physical sign of his own pride, Alfred leaves the woman's yard with yet another strain of renewed consciousness, and is recalled to a deeper understanding of his earthly mission.