Characteristics of the Medieval Ballad

The Ballad : 

The Ballad Not Just a Love Song

Definition : 

Definition A form of narrative poetry meant to be sung or recited and characterized by its presentation of a dramatic or exciting episode in simple narrative form.

Ballad stanza : 

Ballad stanza four lines rhyming ABCB first and third lines carrying four accented syllables (iambic tetrameter) second and fourth lines carrying three accented syllables (iambic trimeter). Rhyme often approximate, with consonance and assonance frequently appearing

General characteristics of the genre : 

General characteristics of the genre Supernatural likely to play important role in events Frequent themes of love, death, physical courage, revenge Incidents are usually such as happen to common people (as opposed to nobility)

General characteristics of the genre : 

General characteristics of the genre Slight attention is paid to characterization or description Tragic situations are presented with the utmost simplicity Incremental repetition is common A single episode of a highly dramatic nature is presented is brought to closure with some sort of summary stanza or the ending of the domestic episode

Let’s Identify a Ballad : 

Let’s Identify a Ballad Let’s check several stanzas of a poem and see if it meets the basic criteria for the genre.

The Unquiet Grave : 

The Unquiet Grave Cold blows the wind to my true love,And gently drops the rain,I never had but one sweetheart,And in greenwood she lies slain,And in greenwood she lies slain. I'll do as much for my sweethearAs any young man may;I'll sit and mourn all on her graveFor a twelvemonth and a day When the twelvemonth and one day was past,The ghost began to speak;"Why sittest here all on my grave,And will not let me sleep? "There's one thing that I want, sweetheart,There's one thing that I craveAnd that is a kiss from your lily-white lips--Then I'll go from your grave

Slide 8: 

"My breast it is as cold as clay,My breath smells earthly strongAnd if you kiss my cold clay lips,Your days they won't be long. "Go fetch me water from the desert,And blood from out of a stone;Go fetch me milk from a fair maid's breastThat a young man never had known." "O down in yonder grove, sweetheart,Where you and I would walk,The first flower that ever I sawIs wither'd to a stalk "The stalk is wither'd and dry, sweetheart,And the flower will never returnAnd since I lost my own sweetheart,What can I do but mourn? "When shall we meet again, sweetheart?When shall we meet again?""When the oaken leaves that fall from treesAre green and spring up againAre green and spring up again."

Is it a Ballad? : 

Is it a Ballad? Was the piece written in ballad stanza? Rhyme scheme correct? meter correct? Any supernatural? Theme? Commoner versus nobility? Characterization or description? Tragic situation? Any repetition? Single episode? Is it highly dramatic? Closure in final stanza?