Ballad

A ballad, sometimes referred to as a folk ballad or traditional ballad, is essentially an oral song that tells a story. Ballads are essentially folk songs with a narrative, usually communicated orally among illiterate or only partially educated people. A ballad’s original version was probably written by a single author; however, the author is unknown. Additionally, because oral ballads are often learned and repeated by several singers, there are sometimes variations in the tune and lyrics. Popular ballads are usually dramatic, brief, and impersonal. The storyteller starts with the most dramatic part and proceeds to tell the story quickly, using action and dialogue. The most common stanza form of ballad is the quatrain, called the ballad stanza.