"A ballad is a type of poem that tells a story and was traditionally set to music. English language ballads are typically composed of four-line stanzas that follow an ABCB rhyme scheme. The ballad is one of the oldest poetic forms in English. There are so many different types of ballad that giving one strict definition to fit all the variations would be nearly impossible. The simplest way to think of a ballad is as a song or poem that tells a story and has a bouncy rhythm and rhyme scheme. Traditional ballads are written in a meter called common meter, which consists of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter (eight syllables) with lines of iambic trimeter (six syllables). Many ballads have a refrain (a line or stanza that repeats throughout the poem), much like the chorus of modern day songs."
~from LitCharts

You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.