Ambiguity in Ballad Discourse. Coventry Patmore: “The Woodman’s Daughter”
Ambiguity in Ballad Discourse. Coventry Patmore: “The Woodman’s Daughter”

Summary/Abstract: Ambiguity as a literary term refers to the effect of uncertainty of choice between differing meanings which are equally tenable in a given linguistic context. Ambiguity is design in poetry; it appeals to the human capacity of enduring uncertainty, and as this paper argues, its function may be further specified by examining the non-linguistic contexts. The semantic ambiguities in Coventry Patmore’s ballad generate an air of mystery, which beyond being a genre characteristic, shapes the reader’s interpretation of the fallen woman theme. The paper compares the ballad with its textual antecedent as well as with contemporary treatments of its subject, and concludes by considering the reader’s responses to the polyvalent image of the central character that thus represents typical outcomes of the fallen woman conflict.

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