Fair Charlotte
Encyclopedia
Fair Charlotte is an American
folk ballad.
concerning a young girl called Charlotte who refused to wrap up warmly to go on a sleigh ride to a New Year's
ball
, and froze to death during the journey.
that was first published in The Rover, a Maine newspaper, on December 28, 1843 under the title A Corpse Going To A Ball. A version of Smith's poem was subsequently set to music, leading to the creation of the ballad.
During the 20th century, a version of the ballad was sung by Almeda Riddle
under the title Young Carlotta.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk ballad.
Story
The story is a cautionary taleCautionary tale
A cautionary tale is a tale told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger. There are three essential parts to a cautionary tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. First, a taboo or prohibition is stated: some act, location, or thing is said to be dangerous. Then, the...
concerning a young girl called Charlotte who refused to wrap up warmly to go on a sleigh ride to a New Year's
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
ball
Ball (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
, and froze to death during the journey.
Origins
The story of Fair Charlotte is based on a poem by Seba SmithSeba Smith
Seba Smith was an American humorist and writer. He was married to Elizabeth Oakes Smith, also a major writer and feminist....
that was first published in The Rover, a Maine newspaper, on December 28, 1843 under the title A Corpse Going To A Ball. A version of Smith's poem was subsequently set to music, leading to the creation of the ballad.
During the 20th century, a version of the ballad was sung by Almeda Riddle
Almeda Riddle
Almeda Riddle was an American folk singer.Born and raised in Cleburne County, Arkansas, she learned music from her father, a fiddler and singing teacher. She collected and sang traditional ballads throughout her life, usually unaccompanied...
under the title Young Carlotta.