Bab Ballads

The Bab Ballads are a collection of comic verse written by W.S. Gilbert and first published in 1869. These verses, originally appearing in the magazine Fun, were later collected and published, forming the basis for many of Gilbert's famous comic operas created in collaboration with Arthur Sullivan.

Gilbert's style in The Bab Ballads is characterized by witty wordplay, puns, and a unique form of burlesque that satirized contemporary Victorian society and its conventions. While some of the specific targets of his satire are no longer topical, the cleverness and artistry of his writing give the pieces enduring appeal. The collections of The Bab Ballads and More Bab Ballads were later combined with Songs of a Savoyard.1