View source for A Ballade of Detection

''A Ballade of Detection'' is a poem written by [[Carolyn Wells]] published in [[The Evening Times (Washington)]] on 29 april 1902, then in [[The Bookman (US)|The Bookman]] (US version) in may 1902. 

Carolyn Wells wrote another similar poem in 1908 : [[Ballade of Baker Street]].

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== Editions ==

* in ''[[The Evening Times (Washington)]]'' (29 april 1902 [US])
* in ''[[The Bookman (US)|The Bookman]]'' (may 1902 [US])
* in ''[[The Minneapolis Journal]]'' (10 may 1902 [US]) ''3 last stanzas''
* in ''[[Santa Cruz Morning Sentinel]]'' (13 may 1902 [US])
* in ''[[Santa Cruz Evening Sentinel]]'' (13 may 1902 [US])
* in ''[[The Buffalo Commercial]]'' (17 may 1902 [US])
* in ''[[The Brooklyn Daily Times]]'' (31 may 1902 [US]) as ''The Ballade of Detection''


== Poem ==
[[File:the-bookman-us-1902-05-p231-a-ballade-of-detection.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[The Bookman (US)|The Bookman]] (may 1902, p. 231)]]

<poem>
Savants there be who joy to read
Of lofty themes in words that glow ;
Others prefer the poet's screed
Where liquid numbers softly flow.
Others in Balzac interest show,
Or by Dumas are much impressed ;
Some seek grim novels full of woe—
I like Detective Stories best. 

To my mind nothing can exceed
The tales of Edgar Allan Poe ;
Of Anna Katharine Green I've need,
Du Boisgobey, Gaboriau ;
I've [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Conan Doyle]]'s works all a-row,
And Ottolengui and the rest ;
How other books seem tame and slow !
I like Detective Stories best.

The dim, elusive clues mislead,
Hiding the mystery below ;
To fearful pitch my mind is keyed,
Opinion shuttles to and fro!
Sucessive shocks I undergo
Ere the solution may be guessed ;
Arguments and discussions grow—
I like Detective Stories best. 

ENVOY:
[[Sherlock Holmes|Sherlock]], thy subtle powers I know,
Spirit of search, incarnate quest,
To thee the laurel wreath I throw—
I like Detective Stories best.
</poem>

: —Carolyn Wells. 






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