Question

What is ballad what are its characteristics Briefly discuss Lord ullin's Daughter as a ballad what values does it teach

Answer 1

A ballad is a type of poem that is sometimes set to music. Ballads have a long history and are found in many cultures. The ballad actually began as a folk song and continues today in popular music. Many love songs today can be considered ballads.

Characteristics of a ballad are as under:

Every ballad is a short story in verse, which dwells upon only on one particular episode of the story. There is certainly only one episode of the story in a ballad and the poet needs to complete the story within the limits of small number of stanzas. John Keats’s ballad La Belle Dame sans Merci is an excellent example in this regard.
Another fundamental characteristic of a ballad is its 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.
Use of colloquial language is an indispensable feature of a ballad. The poet has a tendency to make 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.
Unlike other kinds of poems, ballad has an abrupt and unexpected opening. The poem starts all of a sudden, without providing any details about the subject matter. Similarly, the ending of many ballads may also be abrupt and unexpected.
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.
Dialogue is also an indispensable feature of a ballad. The story is mostly told through dialogues. Look at of John Keats’s ballad La Belle Dame sans Merci, which is a complete dialogue between the speaker and the knight.
Generally, in every ballad, there is a refrain. Refrain is a phrase or a line, which is repeated again and again after a stanza.
The poet tends to use stock phrases so that it may be easier to be memorized by the readers. That is why; every ballad is easier than any poem to be memorized.
Use of ballad stanza is another remarkable characteristic of a ballad. Every ballad is written a ballad stanza. Ballad stanza is a stanza, which consists of four lines with abcb rhyme scheme. There are four accented syllables in the first and third line, while in the second and the fourth lines there are three accented syllables.
Use of supernatural elements is an imperative feature of a ballad. Johan Keats and Coleridge’s ballads are best examples in this regard.
Usually, the themes of most ballads are tragic, but is must be kept in mind that there are some ballads, which are comic in nature.
Simplicity is an additional characteristic of a ballad. Approximately, 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! They are very easy to be comprehended and remembered.