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Terms / Themes

Ballad

Etymology: medieval Italian ballata, Spanish ballade, Middle French balade

1. a. A light, simple song of any kind; (now) spec. a sentimental or romantic composition, typically consisting of two or more verses sung to the same melody with only light musical accompaniment.
(Oxford English Dictionary)

b. A popular, usually narrative, song, spec. one celebrating or scurrilously attacking persons or institutions.

c. A narrative poem in short stanzas, esp. one that tells a popular story.
 

d. In jazz and popular music: a slow song or piece of music, esp. one of a sentimental or romantic nature.

 

Ballad form--examples from undergraduate Creative Writing

Robin Stone, "The Little Traveler"

"True Love" by Miranda Allen

"On Top of Spaghetti"

100 Greatest Rock Ballads

 

Historical examples of Ballads

 

 

"Ballad" is the rhyme-and-meter scheme of most popular songs

a
b
a
b

or

a
b
c
b

 

 

 

 

  • Ballad Writing Tips
    • often have verses of four lines
    • usually have a rhyming pattern: either  abac   or aabb or  acbc (usually the easiest to rhyme)
    • repetition often found in ballads
      • entire stanzas can be repeated like a song's chorus
      • lines can be repeated but each time a certain word is changed
      • a question and answer format can be built into a ballad: one stanza asks a questions and the next stanza answers the question
    • Ballads contain a lot of dialogue. 
    • Action is often described in the first person
    • Two characters in the ballad can speak to each other on alternating lines
    • Sequences of "threes" often occur: three kisses, three tasks, three events, for example
       

    http://www.studyguide.org/ballads.htm

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    Definitions of ballad on the Web:

    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&defl=en&q=define:ballad&ei=BniyStbyHJWutgeVuNXKDg&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title