Feature
(Knapp, n.d.)
Embedded Files
Theme
Theme
Love
Love
One of the most common themes in ballads is love: unrequited love or thwarted love
Supernatural
Supernatural
Ballads contain a wide range of magical aspects, the most popular of which being faeries, ghosts, shapeshifting, and witchcraft.
Treachery & Betrayal
Treachery & Betrayal
It is another popular ballad theme, generating some of the genre's best: Lord Randal.
History
History
The majority of historical ballads are from the later time (1600s) and reflect local occurrences that the listeners are familiar with.
Elements
Elements
(What Is a Ballad in Poetry?, n.d.)
Narratives
Narratives
The folk Ballad often present in a brief tale that explodes into action as soon as the story has made a clear turn toward its conclusion.
Language
Language
Some Ballads, particularly the more traditional ones, were written for listeners who couldn't read or couldn't read well. So, basic language is used for everyone to understand without special reading ability.
Heroic Character
Heroic Character
Ballad stories typically center in heroic, amusing, or tragic characters with a single dramatic occurrence that serves as the story's moral core and message.
Repetition
Repetition
A "refrain," or a repeating portion that separates sections of the plot, is a common feature of ballads. This kind of repetition is typical in ballads. In some situations, a few verses from the song and poem are repeated throughout, with a few slight variations as the story of the ballad develops.
Local setting
Local setting
Ballads' subject matter may be related to a specific location and draw on local slang or cultural practices.
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