The form, characteristics and types of Ballad.

1. The origin, history and characteristics , Prepared by DiptiVaghela

2.  The ballad derives its name from medieval Scottish dance
songs or "ballares" from which 'ballet' is also derived, as did
the alternative rival form that became the French ballade. As
a narrative song, their theme and function may originate
from Scandinavian and Germanic traditions of storytelling
that can be seen in poems such as Beowulf. Musically they
were influenced by the Minnelieder of
the Minnesang tradition. The earliest example of a
recognizable ballad in form in England is "Judas" in a 13th-
century manuscript.


3.  In the first unit we have learnt that literature is writing which
expresses and communicates thoughts, feelings and attitudes
towards life. Yet many of the things which we now call literature
began life without being written at all. Even today we find folk
songs and comic verses passing from person to person by word of
mouth.
 The english word ‘ballad’ is used in a number of different ways.
When it is used in connection with literature it nearly always
means in the words of Oxford Dictionary ‘a simple, spirited poem
in short stanzas, narrating some popular story’. The old English
ballads include some of the best and most exciting poetry in the
language. They have had a very great influence on later poetry.
Most of them seem to have been composed at some time between
1350 and 1550. It also happens that the best ballads came from
northern England and southern Scotland.

4.  A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music.
Ballads derive from the medieval French chanson
balladée or ballade, which were originally "dance songs".
Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry
and song of Britain and Ireland from the
later medieval period until the 19th century. They were
widely used across Europe, and later in Australia, North
Africa, North America and South America.
 There is considerable variation on this pattern in almost every
respect, including length, number of lines and rhyming
scheme, making the strict definition of a ballad extremely
difficult.

5.  1) It is a narrative poem: it tells a story : In this form, it is
narrative kind of poetry in which we can able to find out the
different story about different subjects like ‘Hugh of Lincoln’,
‘Edom o’ Gordon, etc.
 2) It has some certain subjects which appear over and over
again: The most popular subjects are those old favorites, sex
and violence, supernatural ghosts, magic, witchcraft,
superstition, the real historical character, etc.
 3) It is very simple poem in short stanzas: This kind of poetry
is very simple which written in some short stanzas like ‘ Hugh
of Lincoln, The Daemon lover, etc.

6.  4)It is sing-able: It is also an important characteristic that
person can sing it well. And in starting days there were no
written ballad but it was passing from person to person by
word of mouth.
 5) It has charm of natural simplicity: This poetry gives us
charm in very simple thing also and very naturally. That’s why
it is called natural simple poem.
 6) Universal appeal: Every single ballad touches upon a
specific subject, which bears universal significance. It’s not
simply restricted to his personality or his country, rather; it
deals with the whole humanity. John Keats’s ballad La Belle
Dame sans Merci convinces the readers that most of the
women are perfidious and double-crossing.

7.  7) Use of simple words: The use of day-to-day and commons
words instead of bombastic and flowery language in the ballad.
Read John Keats’s ballad La Belle Dame sans Merci to know how
the poet has used colloquial language in his ballad. all ballads are
simple in structure, style and diction, which make them the most
popular form of poetry. Look at the ballads of John Keats and
Coleridge.
 8)No extra details: There are no extra details about the
surroundings, atmosphere or environment. The poem starts
suddenly and the reader has to visualise the setting himself
through the words of the poet. Thus ballads lack in superfluous
details.


8.  1) Traditional ballad: Folk or traditional ballad is a kind of ballad, which was
developed by anonymous poets in the ancient times and handed down to our
generation by word of mouth. It has no written form.
 2) Literary ballad: Literary ballad is actually an imitation of the traditional ballad.
The only difference between the two ballads is the authorship. The author of the
literary ballad is a known personality, while the author of the traditional ballad is
anonymous. The author of the traditional ballad may be a common man or a
shepherd, villager or a farmer. Nobody knows about the real author of the
traditional ballad.
 3) Robin hood ballad: In England this kind of ballads are better known than any
others. Children hear them at school, and they are still seen in film and television
versions. Like King Arthur, Robin is one of the great English folk heroes.