Ballad: Bob Polter

Bob Polter was a hardworking navvy of thirty-two, known for his coarse hands and sun-tanned, rough face. Without a wife, he lived simply among his working peers, embodying the characteristics of a decent, albeit imperfect, English working man. Despite his modest indulgence in smoking and a daily pot of beer—which occasionally increased in quantity or led to convivial nights and even fights on Saturdays—Bob was fundamentally a sober, responsible laborer.

One day, while at the Nelson’s Head, a transformative encounter occurred when a “holy man” reproached him, dramatically pouring Bob’s beer on the floor and introducing a moral crossroads. The man emphasized the presence of good and evil spirits—Total Abstinence and Inebriety—vying for influence over Bob’s life. This moment of reckoning was visually punctuated by the appearance of a grotesque, intoxicated specter, embodying the ruinous path of alcohol. This being, marked by the signs of severe alcohol abuse and neglect, tempted Bob to indulge further into his vices, asserting that a working man’s life demanded the numbing relief of excessive drinking.

Bob, however, was profoundly affected by this confrontation. He experienced a visceral rejection of the monstrous figure’s proposition. His immediate reaction—an utter dismissal of the fiend—reflected his intrinsic resolve and decency. He recognized the creature as an embodiment of a life he refused to lead, declaring his unwillingness to succumb to such a detrimental existence. In this moment, Bob Polter affirmed his identity not just as a laborer but as a man of principle, resistant to the ruin that alcohol could bring into his life. This ballad, marked by its vivid imagery and moral conflict, encapsulates the trials and choices that define the human condition, highlighting the importance of integrity and self-awareness in the face of temptation.