Definition, features and structural elements of a BALLAD

2. The Ballad
Definition of Ballad
A ballad is a narrative poem that
originally was set to music. Ballads were
first created in medieval France, and the
word ballad comes from the French
term chanson balladée, which means
“dancing song.” Ballads then became
popular in Great Britain, and remained so
until the nineteenth century. The meaning
has changed somewhat in the present
day to refer to any slow love song.

3. Feature Of A Ballad
A BALLAD has these features:
1- A simple narrative.
2- A few major characters.
3- A strong rhythm and rhyme.
4- A repeated section called a REFRAIN.
5- Division into verses.
6- Nouns to identify characters and settings.
7- Verbs to describe actions.
8- Adjectives to describe nouns.

4. Some Famous Ballads
The Ballad of Persse O'Reilly by
James Joyce
Border Ballad by Sir Walter Scott
Donica - A Ballad by Robert Southey
The Waste Land by T.S. Elliot
All The Worlds A Stage by William
Shakespeare
Rime Of The Ancient Mariner by
S.T.Coleridge
Prologue To The Canterbury Tales by
Geoffrey Chaucer

5. POEM
Poem Definition
A poem is a collection of spoken or written
words that expresses ideas or emotions in
an imaginative style, comprising of a
particular rhythmic and metrical pattern.
Types of Poem
Haiku, Free Verse, Epic, Ballad, Sonnet,
Elegy, Epitaph, Odd, Lyric, Allegory,

6. verse
Definition of Verse
The literary device verse denotes a single
line of poetry. The term can also be used
to refer to a stanza or other parts of
poetry.
Example:
1-Cold cold,
Winter sticks to the trees and the seas.
2- The children like the ocean shore
We want to leave but they want more

7. Rhyme
Rhyme Definition
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounding
words occurring at the end of lines in poems or
songs. A rhyme is employed for the specific
purpose of rendering a pleasing effect to a
poem which makes its recital an enjoyable
experience.
Mary had a little lamb its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure
to go.
It followed her to school one day, which was against
the rule;
It made the children laugh and play, to see a lamb
at school.

8. Rhythm
Definition of Rhythm
The word rhythm is derived
from rhythmos (Greek) which means,
“measured motion.” Rhythm is a literary device
that demonstrates the long and short patterns
through stressed and unstressed syllables,
particularly in verse form.
Example:
“Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
Tyger (By William Blake)

9. Examples of Rhythm
Whose WOODS these ARE I THINK I KNOW.
His HOUSE is IN the VILLage THOUGH;
He WILL not SEE me STOPping HERE
To WATCH his WOODS fill UP with SNOW.
(“Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” by
Robert Frost)
It was MAny and MAny a YEAR ag0,
In a KINGdom BY the SEA,
That a MAIden THERE lived WHOM you may KNOW
By the NAME of ANnabel LEE;
And this MAIden she LIVED with NO other THOUGHT
Than to LOVE and be LOVED by ME.
(“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe)

10. ALLITERATION
Definition of Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same
consonant sounds at the beginning of
words that are in close proximity to each
other.
Common Examples of Alliteration
Many common tongue twisters contain
examples of alliteration. For instance:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers.
She sells seashells by the seashore.

11. A big black bug bit a big black dog and
the big black dog bled blood.
Betty Botter bought some butter, but she
said, this butter’s bitter; if I put it in my
batter, it will make my batter bitter, but a
bit of better butter will make my bitter
batter better
Deep into that darkness peering, long I
stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal
ever dared to dream before;