If you think of a ballad as music, you are not wrong. However, there is also ballad poetry which is often set to music. Ballad Poetry is one of the many different types of poetry and is has a long history that is said to date back to the folk song. Today, it is found in popular music and many of the love songs that you probably know are probably ballad poems!
The Ballad Poem Definition
If you’re looking for a ballad poem definition, you would need to understand the structure, form, and characteristics of ballad poetry.
The easiest ballad poem definition is that it is a poem that consists of four-line stanzas or quatrains. Having said that there is much more to know about poems with ballad.
First, there is the rhythm of each line which is usually iambic. This means that there is usually a stressed syllable that follows an unstressed syllable. Poems with ballad usually contain between six to eight syllables in a line.
Like most poems, the characteristics of ballad poetry do not necessarily stick to these rules and this is why the ballad poem definition can be quite loose!
Something else to look out for in identifying ballad poetry is that it nearly always contain a narrative. In other words, they tell a story.
Don’t forget, as mentioned, ballad poems with their ABAB or ABCB rhyming pattern, almost always have a musical feel to them.
Characteristics of Ballad Poetry
So while not all poems with ballad are created equal they can certainly be distinguished through one or more of the following characteristics.
- Every ballad is a narrative, not dissimilar to a short story, but only in verse. The reason it is a form of art is that the poet has only a few verses or stanzas to tell a complete story. An excellent example of this is John Keats’s "La Belle Dame sans Merci".
- Ballad poems really have a universal appeal because they touch on subjects that are universally understood regardless of where you are from. La Belle Dame sans Merci, for instance, touches on the topic of women and attempts to convince readers that most women are really fundamentally two-faced and evil.
- Plain, everyday language, rather than flowery or extravagant descriptions are characteristic of ballad poetry. This adds to their universal appeal.
- Unlike other types of poems, ballad poems usually have an abrupt introduction where the poem starts in a sudden manner that is not in context of anything.
- Dialogue is also one of the characteristics of ballad poetry. Again, John Keats’s "La Belle Dame sans Merci", is a story between the narrator and the knight.
- As already mentioned, no ballad poem definition would not be complete without the mention of the typical ballad stanza which comprises four lines and the ABCB or ABAB rhyming scheme.
- Using supernatural elements is also one of the many distinct characteristics of ballad poetry. In studying the works of both Coleridge and Keats, you are bound to notice this feature.
Fortunately, ballads are simple, enjoyable to read, and easy to understand.
Included in the ballad poem are two kinds of poems, folk and literary.
The Folk Ballad
Poems with ballad are either called traditional (folk) or literary ballads. Traditional or folk ballad poetry has no written form. These ballad poems are a sort of verbal poetry that has been passed down via word of mouth over generations.
Folk poems with ballad don’t usually have a single author and are the product of many poets.
The Literary Ballad
The literary ballad is very similar to the traditional ballad except that the main difference is around the issue of ownership. Authors of literary poems with ballad are known, while traditional or folk ballads are anonymous.
Unlike the traditional ballad, time does not change the words of the literary ballad when it is preserved in hard copies. Like any authorship, the poet is the legal proprietor of the ballad rather than the folk ballad that is not owned by one particular person. It makes sense then, that literary ballads are lengthier and more polished than compared to traditional ballads.
Let’s take a close look at "La Belle Dame sans Merci", by John Keats.
La Belle Dame sans Merci
O WHAT can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has wither’d from the lake,
And no birds sing.
O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms!
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel’s granary is full,
And the harvest’s done.
I see a lily on thy brow
With anguish moist and fever dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.
I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful—a faery’s child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.
I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She look’d at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.
I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery’s song.
She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna dew,
And sure in language strange she said—
“I love thee true.”
She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept, and sigh’d fill sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.
And there she lulled me asleep,
And there I dream’d—Ah! woe betide!
The latest dream I ever dream’d
On the cold hill’s side.
I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried—“La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!”
I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill’s side.
And this is why I sojourn here,
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is wither’d from the lake,
And no birds sing.
Writing a Ballad
By now, you may know enough to make your own attempt at writing a ballad. Keeping in mind what you have read, and perhaps even a love song for inspiration, here are a few tips for how to write your own ballad.
- Most times, ballads are stories about the drama of love, but you can create a ballad about any event. It can be about someone you know or about yourself. It can be an experience or relationship that is either magical, good, bad, or tragic.
- Ballads are really a way for us to share our experiences. When picking a story, ensure that it has a distinct opening, a plot with a challenge, but also a resolution to the challenge. Telling a long story in a short poem is not easy, but this is key to ballad poetry.
- The first line of ballad poems is always the most important as it introduces the reader to the narrative. Remember to try and create an abrupt introduction that immediately reels the reader into the drama. You could try beginning with a question or directly addressing the audience by using the word ‘you’ to instantly immerse them into your story.
- For this type of poetry, you can create your own rhyming scheme, however, there are usually four groups of stanzas with three lines of AAB rhyming. In other words, the first two lines will rhyme and the third will not!
- Poems with ballad are quite unique because they contain choruses that are similar to music. Usually, line three of each stanza is the chorus, so make sure that is relevant and is repeated throughout the poem.
- Since a ballad tells a story that uses rhyme and repetition they are perfect for adapting to music. Try putting music to your words or give it to someone you love.
Ballads are a great method for practising your storytelling and rhyming skills. Whether you need help with your ballad poetry at school or university, or simply want to take up poetry as a hobby, consider a private tutor who could meet your unique needs.
Poetry is one of the most creative and wonderful ways to express an idea. Once you have studied the ballad poem, you may be interested in short poems like humorous limericks or simple and elegant haikus. You may prefer expressing yourself in the 14-line sonnet or even longer epic poem. If you need an audience, and like the idea of performing your words, then slam poetry is for you.
None of these appeal to you? Do you need more freedom in your creative expression? Then free verse poems could be for you.
When it comes to poetry, regardless of what you think, there is really something to suit everyone. Whether you write it, or simply enjoy reading it, poetry is a feast for the imagination.
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