Cromwell's Panegyrick facts for kids

Cromwell's Panegyrick is an old English song, printed on a single sheet of paper, from 1647. Copies of this song are kept in important places like the British Library and The National Archives. You can even find digital copies of it online to read.

The song's title, "Cromwell's Panegyrick," makes it sound like it's a panegyric. A panegyric is a special poem or speech that praises someone a lot, usually for their great achievements. In this case, it would be praising Oliver Cromwell, who was a very important military and political leader in England.

However, this song quickly turns into a "mock-panegyric." This means it pretends to praise Cromwell but actually makes fun of him. It's a type of satire, which uses humor and exaggeration to criticize someone or something.

For example, the song talks about Cromwell's part in the Second English Civil War, which started in 1648. But it also mentions his nose, saying it was "large and bulbous." The song makes fun of all of Cromwell's military successes. It even suggests that Cromwell was only interested in gaining power and becoming king. This made him seem like a cunning and power-hungry person to many people at the time.

What is a Mock-Panegyrick?

This song is a great example of a mock-panegyric. It takes ideas of praise and twists them into insults. The first line of the song seems to praise Cromwell, asking, "Shall Presbyterian bells ring Cromwels praise?" But by the end, the song describes Cromwell as dead. It even says he was buried without a headstone.

In early modern England, not having a headstone meant a person was either very poor or not respected. It showed they were not considered worthy of a special marker after they died. The song ends with the line: "And on his Grave since there must be no Stone, / Shall stand this Epitaph; That he has none." This clearly shows the song's true, mocking message.

How the Ballad is Written

This old song is made up of two long parts, called stanzas. Each stanza has lines that rhyme in pairs, which are called couplets. Most of the song is written in a rhythm called iambic pentameter. This means each line has ten syllables, with a pattern of unstressed and stressed sounds. This gives the song a flowing, poetic feel, even though its message is quite critical.