1. Medieval Poetry: the lyric and the ballad

2. Main features of medieval lyrics:
The lyric
Definition:
a short poem that expresses the personal thoughts and feelings of the person who wrote it.
Main features of medieval lyrics:
anonymous
difficult to date
written down very long after their composition
re-elaborations of existing themes and poetical forms common in the Middle Ages
Love lyric
love complaint religious lyric
spring song
Lyrics

3. Main features of medieval ballads:
The ballad
Definition:
form of popular verse, usually narrative, using a direct language and a simple metrical pattern: quatrains (stanzas of four lines) with four beats to each line, often followed by a refrain (the repetition of one or more lines). Ballads were composed by the common people to be sung.
Main features of medieval ballads:
Short, anonymous narrative poems or songs
They were brought over by oral transmission for centuries
Most ballads talked about a tragic event (a murder or death), which also included supernatural elements
Some were based on popular legendary or romance figures (such as Robin Hood), and others (especially in Scotland) were centred on real historical events