History Literature / Casabianca

"Casabianca", also known as "[[TitleConfusion The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck]]", is a British narrative poem by Felicia Dorothea Hemans that was first published in the ''Monthly Magazine'' issue for August of 1826. It concerns itself with the final moments of Giocante Casabianca, the [[PluckyMiddie young son]] of Captain Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca, [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen aboard the]] ''[[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Orient]]'' [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen during the Battle of the Nile]]. Because the poem has been militantly [[UsefulNotes/SchoolStudyMedia pushed to generations of children in English classes]] and because its composition is nothing short of melodramatic, "Casabianca" is well-known but regarded with derision. As such, there are countless parodies and some of those, notably "Casabazonka" by Creator/SpikeMilligan, are [[ParodyDisplacement better known than the poem itself]].

* {{Parody}}: The poem of the same name by Creator/ElizabethBishop is a brief and clever homage to the original, equating the boy's love with loyalty and sacrifice.

* AdultFear: The commander's death means his young son is left dutybound on a fiery hellscape of a ship where everyone else is already dead.

"Casabianca", also known as "[[TitleConfusion The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck]]", is a British narrative poem by Felicia Dorothea Hemans that was first published in the ''Monthly Magazine'' issue for August of 1826. It concerns itself with the final moments of Giocante Casabianca, the [[PluckyMiddie young son]] of Captain Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca, [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen aboard the]] ''[[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Orient]]'' [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen during the Battle of the Nile]]. Because the poem has been militantly [[SchoolStudyMedia pushed to generations of children in English classes]] and because its composition is nothing short of melodramatic, "Casabianca" is well-known but regarded with derision. As such, there are countless parodies and some of those, notably "Casabazonka" by Creator/SpikeMilligan, are [[ParodyDisplacement better known than the poem itself]].

"Casabianca", also known as "[[TitleConfusion The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck]]", is a British narrative poem by Felicia Dorothea Hemans that was first published in the ''Monthly Magazine'' issue for August of 1826. It concerns itself with the final moments of Giocante Casabianca, the [[PluckyMiddie young son]] of Captain Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca, [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen aboard the]] ''[[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Orient]]'' [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen during the Battle of the Nile]]. Because the poem has been militantly [[SchoolStudyMedia pushed to generations of children in English classes]] and because its composition is nothing short of melodramatic, "Casabianca" is well-known but regarded with derision. As such, there are countless parodies and some of those, notably "Casabazonka" by Creator/SpikeMilligan, are [[WeirdAlEffect better known than the poem itself]].

* WorthyOpponent: The poem is about a French boy bravely standing tall in combat with the English fleet, when the author herself and the people who spread the story she based the poem on are English. Many generations of romantic young Englishmen were then taught to admire the heroic young Casabianca and seek to emulate him.

Not to be confused with ''Film/{{Casablanca}}''.

* PluckyMiddie: Giocante is Commander Casabianca's sonand has come along on the ''Orient'' to learn the ins-and-outs himself. He shows tremendous bravery when faced with the prospect of burning to death as he refuses to leave his post unless he is given permission. That permission never comes because his father is already dead, and so Giocante dies, though mercifully in an explosion rather than fire.

"Casabianca", also known as "[[TitleConfusion The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck]]", is a British narrative poem by Felicia Dorothea Hemans that was first published in the ''Monthly Magazine'' issue for August of 1826. It concerns itself with the final moments of Giocante Casabianca, the [[PluckyMiddie young son]] of Captain Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca, [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen aboard the ''Orient'' during the Battle of the Nile]]. Because the poem has been militantly pushed to generations of children in English classes and because its composition is nothing short of melodramatic, "Casabianca" is well-known but regarded with derision. As such, there are countless parodies of the first stanza, notably "Casabazonka" by Creator/SpikeMilligan.

The Battle of the Nile is a historical confrontation between the French Navy, led by François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers, and the British Navy, led by UsefulNotes/HoratioNelson, that took place from the 1st to the 3rd of August 1798 at Aboukir Bay in Egypt. In short, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte sent out ships to get a foothold in Egypt. The British got wind of that and sent their own ships to be a bother. The British managed to miss the French, thereby giving the latter time to instigate the Battle of Embabeh and come up with a counter plan. While Aboukir Bay was not ideal for naval combat, as it left the French with minimal manoeuvrability, the plan was to form an impenetrable line in order to ensure protection to the troops on land. However, not only was there enough space at the end of the line for a British ship to sneak past, measures to prevent the British from passing ''between'' the French ships were not carried out. Because the French had only prepared the starboard sides for combat, they were sitting ducks when attacked on the other side. Add to that food shortage and Bedouin hostility on shore, and things weren't looking good for the French.

A good question to ask about "Casabianca" is why the English were so taken with a poem about a French boy that died by their doing. It's because the poem is a PropagandaPiece.

[[caption-width-right:350:]]

"Casabianca", also known as "[[TitleConfusion The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck]]", is a British narrative poem by Felicia Dorothea Hemans that was first published in the ''Monthly Magazine'' issue for August of 1826. It concerns itself with the final moments of Giocante Casabianca, the son of Captain Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca, aboard the ''Orient'' during the Battle of the Nile. Because the poem has been militantly pushed to generations of children in English classes and because its composition is nothing short of melodramatic, "Casabianca" is well-known but regarded with derision. There are countless parodies of the first stanza, notably "Casabazonka" by Creator/SpikeMilligan.

The ''Orient'' was the flagship of the fleet and under command of Brueys and Casabianca. Mere hours into the battle, the ''Orient'' caught fire. British gunfire prevented the crew from extinguishing the flames until, eventually, it reached the ammunition supplies and the ''Orient'' exploded, possibly twice. The crew had counted more than a thousand men, but fewer than a hundred survived the gunfire, the fire, the explosion, and the waves. Brueys, Casabianca, and Casabianca's son Giocante, aged between ten and thirteen, weren't among the survivors. For one reason or another, various rumors emerged regarding the exact circumstances of Giocante's death and they usually ascribed a heroic element to the boy's final moments, such as that he was last seen trying to save his father.

These rumors formed the inspiration for Hemans's poem, but "Casabianca" doesn't match any of them and is Hemans's own invention. After all, the second line assures the reader that Giocante is alone and if he was, who would've relayed his story? The poem, despite being ten stanzas long, is uneventful and owes its length to the tragedy whipped up around the end of a young and admirable life.
%%The poem is a PropagandaPiece

Whence all but he had fled --\\
Twit.''
-->--'''Creator/SpikeMilligan''', ''Casabazonka''

%% Note to editors: The above is the poem as it appears in Milligan's books. The version on Wikipedia (as of this edit) is wrong.

"Casabianca" is a poem by British poet Felicia Dorothea Hemans and was first published in the ''Monthly Magazine'' for August 1826. The full text can be read (amongst many other places) [[http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hemans/works/hf-burning.html at the "Celebration of Women Writers" site]].

Like "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Casabianca" is an narrative poem about a historical event; in this case, the Battle of the Nile and the French ship ''Orient'' catching fire. Its commander was Louis Casabianca and his son Giocante, aged between ten and thirteen, refused to desert his post without being ordered to do so by his father (who, unknown to the boy, was already dead). The ship subsequently exploded in one of the largest fireballs of the pre-dynamite age. It is famously parodied by Creator/SpikeMilligan in the above quotation, although the word "twit" [[GeneralFailure could describe Louis de Casabianca's entire strategy in that battle]].

Its being force-fed to generations of children in English classes has ensured its longevity as one of the best bad poems in English, along with ''The Charge of the Light Brigade'' and the entire work of William [=McGonagall=].

* AdultFear: The commander's death means his young son is left dutybound on a fiery hellscape of a ship where pretty much everyone else is already dead.

Like "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Casabianca" is an epic poem about a historical event; in this case, the Battle of the Nile and the French ship ''Orient'' catching fire. Its commander was Louis Casabianca and his son Giocante, aged between ten and thirteen, refused to desert his post without being ordered to do so by his father (who, unknown to the boy, was already dead). The ship subsequently exploded in one of the largest fireballs of the pre-dynamite age. It is famously parodied by Creator/SpikeMilligan in the above quotation, although the word "twit" [[GeneralFailure could describe Louis de Casabianca's entire strategy in that battle]].

[[UsefulNotes/BritishEnglish Twit]].''

No, not that [[Film/{{Casablanca}} very quotable film]], "Casabianca" is a poem by British poet Felicia Dorothea Hemans and was first published in the ''Monthly Magazine'' for August 1826. The full text can be read (amongst many other places) [[http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hemans/works/hf-burning.html at the "Celebration of Women Writers" site]].

Like "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Casabianca" is an epic poem about a historical event; in this case, the Battle of the Nile and the French ship ''Orient'' catching fire. Its commander was Louis Casabianca and his son Giocante ,aged between ten and thirteen, refused to desert his post without being ordered to do so by his father (who, unknown to the boy, was already dead). The ship subsequently exploded in one of the largest fireballs of the pre-dynamite age. It is famously parodied by Creator/SpikeMilligan in the above quotation, although the word "twit" [[GeneralFailure could describe Louis de Casabianca's entire strategy in that battle]].

Like "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Casabianca" is an epic poem about a historical event; in this case, the Battle of the Nile and the French ship ''Orient'' catching fire. Its commander was Louis de Casabianca and his son Giocante,aged between ten and thirteen, refused to desert his post without being ordered to do so by his father (who, unknown to the boy, was already dead). The ship subsequently exploded in one of the largest fireballs of the pre-dynamite age. It is famously parodied by Creator/SpikeMilligan in the above quotation, although the word "twit" [[GeneralFailure could describe Louis de Casabianca's entire strategy in that battle]].

* HonorBeforeReason: Casabianca refuses to dishonor his father by deserting his post despite the evident danger and the fact that everyone else is either dead or already has abandoned ship.
* PurpleProse: even for a poem, it gets quite violet:
-->They wrapt the ship in splendour wild,\\
They caught the flag on high,\\
And streamed above the gallant child,\\
Like banners in the sky.

* AffectionateParody: Whole books could be filled with them. This trope (especially ''Casabazonka'', see top of page) is the main reason why this poem is [[WeirdAlEffect still remembered at all]].
* HonorBeforeReason: Casabianca refuses to abandon his post (or disobey his father) despite the evident danger and the fact that everyone else has [[AbandonShip Abandoned Ship]].

Its being force-fed to generations of children in English classes has ensured its longevity as one of the best bad poems in English, along with ''The Charge of the Light Brigade'' and the entire work of William McGonagall.

No, not that [[Film/{{Casablanca}} very quotable film]], ''Casabianca'' is a poem by British poet Felicia Dorothea Hemans and was first published in the ''Monthly Magazine'' for August 1826. The full text can be read (amongst many other places) [[http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hemans/works/hf-burning.html at the "Celebration of Women Writers" site]].

Like ''The Charge of the Light Brigade'', ''Casabianca'' is an epic poem about a historical event; in this case, the Battle of the Nile and the French ship ''Orient'' (commanded by Louis de Casabianca) catching fire, and his son Giocante (aged between ten and thirteen) refusing to desert his post without being ordered to do so by his father (who, unknown to the boy, was already dead). The ship subsequently exploded in one of the largest fireballs of the pre-dynamite age. It is famously parodied by Spike Milligan in the above quotation, although the word "twit" [[GeneralFailure could describe Louis de Casabianca's entire strategy in that battle]].

Its being force-fed to generations of children in English classes has ensured its longevity as one of the best bad poems in English, along with ''The Charge of the Light Brigade'' and the entire works of {{Creator/William McGonagall}}.

!!''Casabianca'' contains examples of:

->The boy stood on the burning deck\\

[[UsefulNotes/BritishEnglish Twit]].
-->Creator/SpikeMilligan, ''Casabazonka''

--> ''They wrapt the ship in splendour wild,\\

Like banners in the sky.''

Like ''The Charge of the Light Brigade'', ''Casabianca'' is an epic poem about a historical event; in this case, the Battle of the Nile and the French ship ''Orient'' (commanded by Louis de Casabianca) catching fire, and his son Giocante (aged between ten and thirteen) refusing to desert his post without being ordered to do so by his father (who, unknown to the boy, was already dead). The ship subsequently exploded in one of the largest fireballs of the pre-dynamite age. It is famously parodied by Spike Milligan in the above quotation, although the word "twit" [[GeneralFailure could describe Louis de Casabianca's entire strategy in that battle]]

Its being force-fed to generations of children in English classes has ensured its longevity as one of the best bad poems in English, along with ''The Charge of the Light Brigade'' and the entire works of {{William McGonagall}}.

* AffectionateParody: Whole books could be filled with them. This trope (especially ''Casabazonka'', see top of page) is the main reason why this poem is still remembered at all.