The Ballad of the White Horse

Although much of the emphasis in the ballad is on the male world of war and battles, the feminine element is also important. The Virgin Mary appears twice to Alfred at crucial moments in his life, and the Dedication is addressed to Chesterton’s wife, Frances. In both cases, it is the female figure who reveals the deeper aspects of life and enables the male figure—Chesterton himself, and then Alfred—to move forward along his spiritual path with better understanding. 

The first eight stanzas of the Dedication present the difficulty Chesterton is facing: How to understand Alfred, who lived so long ago and is now shrouded in the mists of history. When Chesterton contemplates the crucifix Frances wears around her neck (Lines 49-50), however, he realizes that Christianity is the perspective from which he can grasp the truth about Alfred, whose faith was the most salient thing about him. Chesterton’s wife thus acts as a channel through which deeper knowledge flows. It was also Frances who first led Chesterton to Christianity. Chesterton saw the crucifix she wore as a “sign” (Line 50), and it had the same transformative effect on him that happened to the Danish king Guthrum, which led that king to his conversion.