1. Poetic Forms
Ballad

2. Ballad
A ballad is a poem that recounts a story – generally some dramatic episode – and that has been composed to be sung.
Although traditional ballads may address ‘noble’ subjects (for instance, tragic love), they are normally sung by common people and thus employ more simple language.
Popular or folk ballads are called “traditional” ballads because they are passed down orally from one generation to the next, changing with each performance. (As a result, it is often hard to pin down the original author or authors.)

3. Characteristics of a Ballad
Traditional ballads typically exhibit the following features:
Simple stanzas (which may take the form of a ballad stanza)
Abrupt transitions between stanzas (due to weak verses that may have been dropped)
Refrains
Descriptive phrases (serving a similar purpose to epithets, i.e., memory aide)
Incremental Repetition (restatement of a phrase or line with a variation that adds additional info/meaning.)
Dialogue used to create character and advance the story line.
Impersonal language that does not belie the singer’s personal feelings or judgments about the ballad’s content.

4. Ballad Stanza
A ballad stanza is a four-line stanza used in the traditional ballad.
Ballad stanzas are typically characterized by an abcb rhyme scheme, although the rhyme may not always be a “perfect” rhyme.
The first and third lines typically have four accented syllables (8 total), while the second and fourth lines have three accented syllables (6 total).