A Ballade of Detection - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 15:04, 19 April 2026

2026-04-19T15:04:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:04, 19 April 2026
Line 34:		Line 34:
	Of Anna Katharine Green I've need,		Of Anna Katharine Green I've need,
	Du Boisgobey, Gaboriau ;		Du Boisgobey, Gaboriau ;
	I've Conan Doyle's works all a-row,		I've [[Arthur Conan Doyle\|Conan Doyle]]'s works all a-row,
	And Ottolengui and the rest ;		And Ottolengui and the rest ;
	How other books seem tame and slow !		How other books seem tame and slow !
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	ENVOY:		ENVOY:
	Sherlock, thy subtle powers I know,		[[Sherlock Holmes\|Sherlock]], thy subtle powers I know,
	Spirit of search, incarnate quest,		Spirit of search, incarnate quest,
	To thee the laurel wreath I throw—		To thee the laurel wreath I throw—
Line 60:		Line 60:


	~~----~~
	* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works\|Back to Complete Works]]
	* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Back to Conan Doyle]]		{{footer_periodicals}}

TCDE-Team at 15:02, 19 April 2026

2026-04-19T15:02:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:02, 19 April 2026
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	[[File:the-bookman-us-1902-05-p231-a-ballade-of-detection.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[The Bookman (US)\|The Bookman]] (may 1902, p. 231)]]		[[File:the-bookman-us-1902-05-p231-a-ballade-of-detection.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[The Bookman (US)\|The Bookman]] (may 1902, p. 231)]]

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

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

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

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

	: —Carolyn Wells.		: —Carolyn Wells.

TCDE-Team at 12:43, 26 May 2023

2023-05-26T12:43:11Z

New page

''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]].

__TOC__

== 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)]]

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 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, thy subtle powers I know, 
Spirit of search, incarnate quest, 
To thee the laurel wreath I throw— 
I like Detective Stories best.

: —Carolyn Wells.

----
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]