Download Characteristics of the Ballad (From Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry

Characteristics of the Ballad (From Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics)
A. Has “folk” or “popular” tradition.
B. Short narrative song
P. Story is the key.
Q. Language is plain and formulaic.
E. Ballads focus on a single crucial episode or situation.
F. Begins at a point where the action is directed toward its catastrophe.
G. Events told in summarily, hurried fashion.
H. Little attention is paid to description of setting
I. Ballads are dramatic.
R. A small stock of epithets and adjectives are used.
J. Events are not “described” but shown as they happen.
K. Intense and immediate, heightening climax
L. Dialogue is often used.
S. No character development or psychological motivation.
T. Heavy amount of repetition and parallelism
U. Octosyllabic lines