Language

Style of writing and choice of words

The language of the fairy tale “The Well of the World’s End”, collected by Joseph Jacobs, is generally simple and straightforward. However, the author occasionally uses words and phrases that are not commonly encountered nowadays, such as “woe betide you” (l. 8) or “spake” (l. 56), which reflect the age of the story. Note that, although the story was collected in 1890, the time when it was created is unknown, which also suggests that some old-fashioned formulations might have been added or modified in time. It is likely that Joseph Jacobs (who wrote down and edited the tale he heard) added these old-fashioned details to evoke the world and magical atmosphere of the fairy tale, pointing to the long heritage behind the story.

The fairy tale also uses verse to convey the frog’s speech. This can frequently be observed in fairy tales that include speaking animals. Note that the frog speaks normally at first: “‘What’s the matter, dearie?’” (l. 20); “‘Well,’ said the frog, ‘if you promise me to do whatever I bid you for a whole night long, I’ll tell you how to fill it.’” (ll. 24-25).

However, once the girl makes the promise, the frog begins to speak in verse:

Open the door, my hinny, my heart,
Open the door, my own darling;
Mind you the words that you and I spoke,
Down in the meadow, at the World's End Well. (ll. 43-46)

The use of verse enables the narrator to convey the human behaviour of the frog and simultaneously set it apart from the human world. In this way, its speech is both limited and enhanced, emphasising the fact that the frog is an enchanted creature. Moreover, the fact that it starts speaking in verse once the promise is made, repeating the same idea over and over, suggests that the frog is now engaged in a process in which he must repeat his requirements until they are fulfilled and the curse is lifted.

Furthermore, the narrator also engages the readers by addressing them directly: “nor in your time” (l. 2).

Imagery

Imagery is used in the fairy tale to describe the setting, the characters, and the events.

Imagery is at first suggested by the stepmother’s actions and attitude towards the protagonist: “She used to make her do all the servant’s work, and never let her have any peace.” (ll. 4-5). This helps the reader imagine the girl’s difficult life with her stepmother.

Then, imagery is used to give readers a sense of the absurdity of the stepmother’s request, as they are compelled to imagine the impossibility of filling a sieve with water: “how could she bring home a sieve full of water?” (ll. 9-10).

The girl is guided to the well by a woman whose appearance is also conveyed through imagery: “a queer little old woman all bent double” (l. 13).

The sense of touch and sound are expl...