The Ballad of Fisher's Boarding-House

Name: The Ballad of Fisher's Boarding-House
Author: Rudyard Kipling

The narrative unfolds in a boarding house frequented by sailors from various ports, where they share exaggerated tales of their maritime exploits, often fueled by alcohol. The setting is a microcosm of the seafaring world, filled with diverse characters, including a blue-eyed Dane named Hans, who is depicted as strong and charming, and Anne of Austria, a woman of dubious reputation who captivates the men around her. The sailors boast of their adventures, recounting stories of shipwrecks, betrayal, and the harsh realities of life at sea. Their camaraderie is punctuated by bravado and oaths, revealing a culture steeped in machismo and the harshness of their existence. Among them, Hans stands out, not only for his physicality but also for his connection to Ultruda, a woman whose charm he carries as a protective talisman. Anne, who has captured the attention of many sailors, finds herself entangled in a rivalry with Hans, leading to a confrontation with Salem Hardieker, another resident of the boarding house. The tension escalates into violence, resulting in Hans's death, which is marked by a chaotic struggle. Anne, in a moment of opportunism, seizes Hans's protective charm after his demise, highlighting the themes of betrayal and the fleeting nature of life and love. The work explores the darker aspects of human relationships, the transient nature of affection in a world governed by survival, and the inevitable violence that arises from jealousy and desire. The boarding house serves as a backdrop for these themes, encapsulating the struggles and moral ambiguities faced by those who live by the sea. The narrative concludes with a sense of loss and the cyclical nature of life, as the characters continue to navigate their tumultuous existence.

By Rudyard Kipling · First published 1902 · Genre: Poetry, Narrative, Ballad · 986 words

First lines

That night, when through the mooring-chains The wide-eyed corpse rolled free, To blunder down by Garden Reach And rot at Kedgeree, The tale the Hughli told the shoal The lean shoal told to me.

'T was Fultah Fisher's boarding-house, Where sailor-men reside, And there were men of all the ports From Mississip to Clyde, And regally they spat and smoked, And fearsomely they lied.

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The Ballad of Fisher's Boarding-House is listed on Textopian as a short story by Rudyard Kipling, dated 1902 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Rudyard Kipling
Date: 1902 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Narrative, Ballad, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Length: 986 words
Structure: 1 section, 20 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing rhyme and meter typical of poetry.
Narrative — The poem tells a story with characters, a setting, and a plot, characteristic of narrative forms.
Ballad — The title indicates it is a ballad, a form of narrative verse that often deals with themes of love and tragedy.
Literary Fiction — The themes of human experience, relationships, and moral complexity align with literary fiction.