A Ballad

by Geoffrey Chaucer — a poem card from Justes Mots

A tragic ballad of a maiden waiting for her lover's return from the sea, only to discover his drowned body and die of grief. The poem emphasizes the devastating power of loss and the futility of human longing against nature's indifference. It provides emotional catharsis for those grieving sudden, tragic death.

'Twas when the seas were roaring
With hollow blasts of wind;
A damsel lay deploring,
All on a rock reclined.
Wide o'er the foaming billows
She casts a wistful look;
Her head was crown'd with willows,
That trembled o'er the brook.…

Themes: sympathy · grief · love · reflection