Ballads

Background:

ballads are songs that tell a story

popular in England and Scotland

popular among the common people

sung by minstrels

most composers were anonymous

Characteristics of Ballads

• Rapid movements – goes directly to the action

•setting, time and the appearance of persons involved Are written done with quick, light strokes – i.e. just a word or two

•Characters pop out of nowhere just when needed and then are dropped just as quickly

•Swift changes in locations

•sometimes the lines linger at a point of action in order to underline a fact or enhance emotional effect (repetition, punctuation)

•Repetition:

•as an aid to memory

• for dramatic purposes

• incremental repetition –• a phrase is repeated with small changes

•Repetition …Refrains

•last line of stanza repeated with slight changes•nonsense refrains

ex. Do wa diddy diddy dum ditty song lyrics •flower refrains – herbs have medicinal and

supposed magic powers ex. Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme http://sglyrics.myrmid.com/parsley.htm

•Hyperbole: exaggeration

•Understatement: saying less than you mean

•Written in meter, usually iambic~ unstressed/stressed U/

•Usually four lines in a stanza

•Alternates 4 beats, three beats, four beats, three beats

•Second and fourth lines rhyme

•Written in meter, usually iambic

~ unstressed/stressed U/

•Usually four lines in a stanza

•Alternates 4 beats, three beats, four beats, three beats

•Second and fourth lines rhyme

•Use of stock phrases

~ cliches, common expressions

EX. Make my bed = prepare to die

•COMMON SUBJECTS:

Revenge

Domestic crime

Death

Tragedy

Comic battles of the sexes

War

Textbook

• Pages 192-198

• “Barbara Allan” page 193 – tragic love story

• “Sir Patrick Spens” page 194 – public tragedy

• “Get Up and Bar the Door” page 196 – comedy about domestic squabbling

Homework:

• Bring in a news story about some tragic event – Due

• Find an example (or two or three) of modern ballads (songs)

• There are sub-categories such as folk ballads and rock ballads

• Bring in a copy of the lyrics and, if possible, a link or copy of the song

• Due: