A Night At Dago Toms

By John Masefield

Ballad
Oh yesterday, I t'ink it was, while cruisin' down the street, I met with Bill. "Hullo," he says, "let's give the girls a treat." We'd red bandanas round our necks 'n' our shrouds new rattled down, So we filled a couple of Santy Cruz and cleared for Sailor Town. We scooted south with a press of sail till we fetched to a caboose, The "Sailor's Rest," by Dago Tom, alongside "Paddy's Goose." Red curtains to the windies, ay, 'n' white sand to the floor, And an old blind fiddler liltin' the tune of "Lowlands No More." He played the "Shaking of the Sheets" 'n' the couples did advance, Bowing, stamping, curtsying, in the shuffling of the dance; The old floor rocked and quivered, so it struck beholders dumb, 'N' afterwards there was sweet songs 'n' good Jamaikey rum. 'N' there was many a merry yarn of many a merry spree Aboard the ships with royals set a-sailing on the sea, Yarns of the hooker Spindrift, her as had the clipper-bow, "There ain't no ships," says Bill to me, "like that there hooker now." When the old blind fiddler played the tune of "Pipe the Watch Below," The skew-eyed landlord dowsed the glim and bade us "stamp 'n' go," 'N' we linked it home, did Bill 'n' I, adown the scattered streets, Until we fetched to Land o' Nod atween the linen sheets.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem presents a nostalgic and humorous account of a night spent in a sailors' tavern, where the narrator and Bill engage in revelry and storytelling. The poem's structure, with its irregular meter and lineation, contributes to its playful and carefree atmosphere. The use of dialect and colloquialisms, such as cruisin' down the street and shrouds new rattled down, adds to the poem's sense of authenticity and camaraderie. The inclusion of nautical imagery, such as the Sailor's Rest and the hooker Spindrift, grounds the poem in a specific cultural and historical context. A notable structural turn occurs when the blind fiddler plays the tune of Pipe the Watch Below, signaling the end of the night's festivities. The sudden shift from the lively dance and music to the landlord's curt instructions to stamp 'n' go creates a sense of abruptness and finality, underscoring the fleeting nature of the night's revelry. This tonal shift is reinforced by the final line, Until we fetched to Land o' Nod atween the linen sheets, which evokes a sense of exhaustion and the return to a state of dormancy.

Understanding Ballads

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music, that has been a cornerstone of storytelling across various cultures. Traditionally passed down orally, ballads are known for their rhythmic structure and often tell tales of love, adventure, and heroism.

Ballads are characterized by their strong rhythm and repetition, making them both memorable and engaging. Here are some defining features:

  • Narrative Structure: Ballads typically tell a story, often a dramatic or emotional tale that unfolds in a straightforward, chronological order.
  • Quatrain Stanzas: Most ballads are composed of quatrains (four-line stanzas) with a rhyme scheme of ABAB or ABCB, which adds to the musicality of the verse.
  • Repetition: Refrains or repeated lines are common in ballads, helping to emphasize key themes or emotions and making the ballad easier to remember.
  • Oral Tradition: Many ballads originated from oral traditions, which means they were passed down through generations by word of mouth before being written down.

From medieval minstrels to contemporary songwriters, ballads have continued to evolve, remaining a beloved form of expression that captures the human experience in a way that is both poetic and accessible.