BALLAD

• This form comes from the oral folk tradition.

• The term is derived from a Greek word, ‘Ballare’ which
means, ‘to dance’.
• In oral tradition, a ballad was a music and dance
performance in which a story was told.
• Such old ballads handed down to generations are
known as ‘traditional’ or ‘folk’ ballads.
• During Romantic period, many writers deliberately
employed the features of folk ballads to write poems.
These ballads come to be known as ‘Artificial’ or
‘Romantic’ Ballads.
Characteristic features of a Ballad:
• A stanza of ballad has 4 lines (quatrain).
• The metre is generally iambic and there are 6
or 8 syllables in each line.
• The rhyme scheme is abab.
• Refrain is generally used in a Ballad.
• The theme is generally of war or hopeless love.
“ O I forbid you, maiden all,
That wears gold in your hair,
To come or go by Carterhall
For young Tam Lin is there.” (A Scottish Ballad)
BALLADE
• It is a type of French Lyrical poem
which was popular during 14th &15th
Century.
• It has a very complicated stanza
structure.
• There are 3 stanzas of 8 lines each and
a shorter concluding stanza of 4 lines.
• The last stanza is called, ‘Envoi’ or
‘Prince’ because it is often the first
word of this stanza.
• The rhyme scheme is:
ababbcbR ( first three stanzas)
bcbR (Envoi) ( R means refrain)
• An almost similar form to Ballade is Chant
Royal.
• The only difference it has is that there are 5
stanzas instead of 3 stanzas.
"Ballade of the Optimist“ by Andrew Lang
And, sometimes on a summer's day
To self and every mortal ill
We give the slip, we steal away,
To walk beside some sedgy rill:
The darkening years, the cares that kill,
A little while are well forgot;
When deep in broom upon the hill,
We'd rather be alive than not.

Pistol, with oaths didst though fulfil

The task they braggart tongue begot,
We eat our leek with better will,
We'd rather be alive than not.
BLASON / BLAZON
• It is a lyrical genre originated in France during
14th century.
• This type of poem celebrates female body by
describing it with elaborate metaphors.
• The poet compares parts of the female body to
jewels, celestial bodies, natural phenomenon,
and other beautiful or rare objects.
• It first appeared in a poetry collection by
• Clement Marot but was made popular by
Petrarch.
There is a garden in her face
Where roses and white lilies grow;
A heav'nly paradise is that place
Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow.
There cherries grow which none may buy,
Till "Cherry ripe" themselves do cry.

Thomas Campion