1) Definition (CUET-ready)
A ballad is a narrative poem, traditionally associated with oral transmission, that tells a story through simple language, repetition, and often dialogue. Ballads frequently deal with:
- love,
- death,
- tragedy,
- the supernatural,
- historical or legendary events.
2) Types of ballads
A) Traditional / Folk ballad
- anonymous,
- transmitted orally,
- multiple variants exist. Features:
- incremental repetition,
- refrain,
- stock phrases,
- abrupt openings (in medias res),
- minimal description (focus on action).
B) Literary ballad
- composed by known poets,
- imitates folk ballad style,
- often polished for print culture. Key Romantic examples are often taught as “ballad revival.”
3) Ballad form: typical structural features
A) Ballad stanza (common pattern)
Often a quatrain with alternating line lengths and rhyme:
- usually iambic tetrameter (4 stresses) and iambic trimeter (3 stresses),
- rhyme schemes like ABCB or ABAB.
CUET caution: ballads are flexible; don’t treat one stanza form as universal.
B) Narrative techniques
- Dialogue-driven storytelling,
- “leaps” in time and space,
- refrains and repetition to aid memory (oral performance).