A Ballad of the French Fleet
In October 1746, Thomas Prince recounts a French fleet sailing from Brest with orders to ravage Boston. As fear spreads, he prays in the Old South for a tempest to scatter or sink the fleet; a storm rises during his prayer and wrecks the ships, which he attributes to divine intervention.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Ballad, Historical Poetry, Maritime Literature · 517 words
First lines
October, 1746
MR. THOMAS PRINCE loquitur.
Genres
- Ballad — Rhymed stanzas tell a continuous story of a threatened attack, a public prayer, and a fleet's destruction.
- Historical Poetry — The verse places Thomas Prince's account in October 1746 and names Brest, Boston, and Admiral D'Anville.
- Maritime Literature — The fleet's voyage ends in a gale that overwhelms decks, breaks warships, and sinks vessels.
Tags
naval warfare · Boston · prayer · storms · shipwrecks · divine intervention
What this Textopian page supports
A Ballad of the French Fleet is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Ballad, Historical Poetry, Maritime Literature
- Length: 517 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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