Transcript Ballads

Ballads
English 12
Mrs. Kinney
What is a Ballad?
• A ballad is a short narrative poem which is
written to be sung and has a simple but
dramatic theme. Ballads can be of love,
death, the supernatural or even a
combination of the three. Many ballads
also contain a moral which is expressed
(most often) in the final stanza.
Two Main Characteristics
• incremental repetition-- the repeating of one or
more lines, with slight but significant changes
which advance the action
• ballad stanza--made of four lines; most
commonly the first and third lines contain four
feet (stresses), while the second and fourth lines
contain three feet.
• Ballads most often have abrupt openings, brief
descriptions and economical, although frequent,
dialogue.
Types of Ballads
• Broadsheet Ballads
• (also known as street ballads)
• Cheaply printed, topical, humorous, mildly
subversive.
• Sub-genres
– Murder ballads
• Usually told from the killers point of view. The
ballad recounts the crime and ends with him
getting caught or escaping. Occasionally ends with
a moral. Most of the murderers are men and the
victims female.
Types of Ballads
• Folk Ballads
• Usually anonymous and presented
impersonal
• Sub-genres
– Border ballads (includes fairy ballads)
• Popular along the Anglo-Scottish border in the 15th
and 16th centuries; dealing with raids, feuds,
seductions and elopements between the two sides.
Types of Ballads
• Literary Ballads
• Composed and written formally, usually of
folk ballad style; became popular during
the Romantic era.
Types of Ballads
• Opera Ballads
• an English form, usually alternate between
iambic tetrameter and iambic pentameter
(but not always)
Types of Ballads
• Jazz Ballads
• Sentimental narrative adagio. Although
many modern rock, pop and country songs
label any slow song as a jazz ballad, this
is not the case. The song must be in
ballad form to be a ballad.
Checklist for Ballads
• Plot:
– • a single episode of highly dramatic nature is
presented
– • the supernatural is likely to play an important part
– • the incidents are usually such as happen to common
people (as opposed to nobility) and often have to do
with domestic episodes
– • physical courage and love are frequent themes
• Structure:
– • incremental repetition is common
– • transitions are abrupt
– • often the ballad is brought to a close with
some sort of summary stanza
• Narration:
– • slight attention is paid to characterization or
description in a detached narration
• Dialogue:
– • action is largely developed through dialogue
with little clue as to who is speaking
• Language:
– • tragic situations and sudden disasters are
presented with the utmost simplicity using
plain, simple language