Ballad: A story told in verse, and usually meant to be sung. In many countries, the folk ballad was one of the earliest forms of literature. Folk ballads have no known authors. They were transmitted orally from generation to generation and were not set down in writing until centuries later after they were first sung. Characteristics of a ballad include:
Subject comes from everyday life of the common people
Usually tragic
Usually include dialogue (hint: lines in quotation marks!)
Often include a refrain
Common language (in comparison to formal or elevated language found in some other types of poetry)
Some example of “modern” ballads are:
“The Gambler”-Kenny Rogers
“Hurricane”-Bob Dylan
"18 and Life"-Skid Row
"Big League"-Tom Cochrane
Bonny Barbara Allan
It was in and about the Martinmas time (November)
When the green leaves were a fallin
And sir John Graeme in the West
Country,
Fell in love with Barbara Allan
He sent his men down to the town
To the place that she was dwelling:
“O haste and come to my master dear,
Gin ye be Barbara Allan.”
O hooly (slowly) hooly rose she up,
To the place where he was lying,
And when she drew the curtain by,
“Young man, I think you’re dying.”
“O it’s I’m sick, and very, very sick,
And it’s a’ for Barbara Allan”;
“O the better for me ye’s never be,
Though your heart’s blood were
a-spilling.
“O dinna ye mind, young man,” said she,
“When the red wine ye were fillin’,
That ye made the health’s gae round and
Round,
And slighted Barbara Allan?”
He turned his face unto the wall,
And death was with him dealing;
“Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all,
And be kind to Barbara Allan.”
And slowly, slowly raise she up,
And slowly, slowly left him,
And, sighing, said she could not stay,
Since death of life had reft him.
She had not gane a mile but twa,
When she heard the dead-bell ringing,
And every jow that the dead-bell geid,
It cried, “Woe to Barbara Allan!”
“O mother, mother, make my bed!
O make it saft and narrow!
Since my love died for me today,
I’ll die for him tomorrow.”
They buried her in the old churchyard,
And Sir John’s grave was nigh her.
And from his heart grew a red, red, rose,
And from her heart a brier.
They grew to the top o’ the old church wall,
Till they could grow no higher,
Until they tied a true love’s knot-
The red rose and the brier.
Subject comes from everyday life of the common people
Usually tragic
- Relatively short (compared to an epic)
Usually include dialogue (hint: lines in quotation marks!)
Often include a refrain
Common language (in comparison to formal or elevated language found in some other types of poetry)
Some example of “modern” ballads are:
“The Gambler”-Kenny Rogers
“Hurricane”-Bob Dylan
"18 and Life"-Skid Row
"Big League"-Tom Cochrane
Bonny Barbara Allan
It was in and about the Martinmas time (November)
When the green leaves were a fallin
And sir John Graeme in the West
Country,
Fell in love with Barbara Allan
He sent his men down to the town
To the place that she was dwelling:
“O haste and come to my master dear,
Gin ye be Barbara Allan.”
O hooly (slowly) hooly rose she up,
To the place where he was lying,
And when she drew the curtain by,
“Young man, I think you’re dying.”
“O it’s I’m sick, and very, very sick,
And it’s a’ for Barbara Allan”;
“O the better for me ye’s never be,
Though your heart’s blood were
a-spilling.
“O dinna ye mind, young man,” said she,
“When the red wine ye were fillin’,
That ye made the health’s gae round and
Round,
And slighted Barbara Allan?”
He turned his face unto the wall,
And death was with him dealing;
“Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all,
And be kind to Barbara Allan.”
And slowly, slowly raise she up,
And slowly, slowly left him,
And, sighing, said she could not stay,
Since death of life had reft him.
She had not gane a mile but twa,
When she heard the dead-bell ringing,
And every jow that the dead-bell geid,
It cried, “Woe to Barbara Allan!”
“O mother, mother, make my bed!
O make it saft and narrow!
Since my love died for me today,
I’ll die for him tomorrow.”
They buried her in the old churchyard,
And Sir John’s grave was nigh her.
And from his heart grew a red, red, rose,
And from her heart a brier.
They grew to the top o’ the old church wall,
Till they could grow no higher,
Until they tied a true love’s knot-
The red rose and the brier.