W. S. Gilbert wrote comic verse and libretti best known through his collaborations with composer Arthur Sullivan. The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore and Iolanthe use improbable plots, verbal precision and songs to satirise bureaucracy, class, politics, romantic convention and the rules of respectable society. Gilbert's Bab Ballads offer similar comic logic in verse, often beginning with an absurd premise and following it to an unexpectedly rigorous conclusion. His writing is witty, formal and highly dependent on rhythm, rhyme and theatrical timing, so collections work differently on the page from staged productions. His work fits Victorian comic opera, satirical verse and theatre classics, particularly for readers interested in wordplay, social parody and the development of British musical comedy. Read more Less
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