Ballad: My Dream

In the imaginative ballad “My Dream” from “The Bab Ballads,” the poet recounts a fascinating dream where societal norms are completely inverted in a place called Topsy-Turveydom. Here, the conventional understandings of virtue and vice are flipped, as are perceptions of value and morality. In this realm, black is white, and right is wrong, challenging the reader’s preconceptions and inviting them to question societal norms.

Babies born in Topsy-Turveydom are astonishingly wise, familiar with advanced sciences and arts from birth. However, as they grow, they must unlearn this knowledge to be considered adults, illustrating a reversal where folly is wisdom, and ignorance is lauded for progression. This world values the opposite of our knowledge and wisdom, suggesting a critique of how we prioritize knowledge and learning.

The legal and social systems of Topsy-Turveydom are equally paradoxical. Magistrates commit the crimes they would punish in our world, judges gain insights into crime through personal mischief, and policemen penalize those who exhibit virtue as understood in our society. This reversal extends to the essence of personal identity and roles, where gender norms are subverted, and societal roles are swapped, leading to a conclusion where the men are women, women are men, and children are wise beyond years, only to intentionally forget it all.

This cleverly devised ballad plays with the ideas of relative morality and the societal construct of norms. By presenting a world turned on its head, the poet invites readers to reflect on the arbitrary nature of what we consider right and wrong, virtuous and viceful, culminating in a whimsical yet thought-provoking reflection on the fluidity and construct of societal norms and roles.