Symbols, Imagery, Wordplay
Form and Meter
Being the considerate guy that he was, Thayer put the poem's form right there in the subtitle so that future generations of students wouldn't have to scour the internet trying to figure out what ki...
Speaker
In ballads, the speaker often takes on the storyteller role, and that's the case with "Casey at the Bat." The speaker is telling Casey's story. His job is simply to relate the events of the narrati...
Setting
No question about it, "Casey at the Bat" is set at the—you guessed it—ballpark. But remember, this poem was written in 1888 and ballparks and ballplayers looked quite a bit different than they...
Sound Check
"Casey at the Bat" sounds like what it is: a ballad. But there are also some subtler sound aspects at work in "Casey…" that we'll explore here. (If you want to know more about that ballad sound,...
What's Up With the Title?
This title, along with its slightly tongue-in-cheek subtitle, do a good job of answering some key who, what, when, and where questions.If you have any sports knowledge at all, the title "Casey at t...
Calling Card
Thayer was more of a journalist than a poet. During his time at the San Francisco Examiner, he wrote some other ballads that appeared in the paper, but "Casey at the Bat" is the one that made him f...
Tough-o-Meter
"Casey at the Bat" isn't going to throw you any curveballs. Just get yourself some peanuts and an ice-cold drink, sit back, and enjoy the game.
Trivia
Actor De Wolf Hopper's performance of "Casey at the Bat" helped to make the poem famous. By his own count, he recited the poem more than 10,000 times.(Source.)Ernest wasn't planning on getting famo...
Steaminess Rating
Someone does get to third base in this poem, but not that kind of third base—sorry. If you're looking for sex in "Casey at the Bat," well… you're going to strike out.