G. K. Chesterton 
The Ballad of the White Horse 

First published in 1911, ‘The Ballad of the White Horse’ is a poem by G. K. Chesterton about the idealised exploits of the Saxon King Alfred the Great. 

Written in ballad form, the work has been described as one of the last great traditional epic poems ever written in the English language. 

The epic ballad tells the story of how the King defeated the invading Danes at the Battle of Ethandun in the Valley of the White Horse, beneath an ancient equine image on the Berkshire hills.