The Ballad of the White Horse is one of the last great epic poems in the English language. On the one hand it describes King Alfred's battle against the Danes in 878. On the other hand it is a timeless allegory about the ongoing battle between Christianity and the forces of nihilistic heathenism. Filled with colorful characters thrilling battles and mystical visions it is as lively as it is profound. Chesterton incorporates brilliant imagination atmosphere moral concern chronological continuity wisdom and fancy. He makes his stanzas reverberate with sound and hurries his readers into the heart of the battle.