Poetry of the People. Ballad – derived from old French word meaning “dancing song” ...
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Transcript of Poetry of the People. Ballad – derived from old French word meaning “dancing song” ...
MEDIEVAL BALLADSPoetry of the People
BACKGROUND
Ballad – derived from old French word meaning “dancing song”
Originally composed in 15th century Oral art passed from singer to singer
Minstrels – court singers Troubadours – traveling singers
Not written down until about 300 years later
COMMON SUBJECT MATTER
Domestic tragedy False love True love The absurdity of husband wife
relationships Supernatural events Sensational, sordid, or tragic subject
matter
STYLE CHARACTERISTICS
Strong beat Refrain Repetition Omission of details Question and answer format Conventional phrases
STRONG BEAT
Strong beat though not necessarily strictly structured O where have you been, Lord Randall, my
son? My hand is in my hussyfskap / Goodman, as
you may see Later, when “literary ballads” were
written the rhyme scheme & meter were more regimented – (abcb); alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter
REFRAIN
Word, phrase line, or group of lines repeated at regular intervals
Contributed to the song’s rhythm Reinforced theme Allowed singer time to think of next
verse Ex: “For I’m weary with hunting and fain
would lie down.” –Lord Randall (last line of every stanza
INCREMENTAL REPETITION
Phrase or sentence repeated with new element added each time until the climax is reached
Suspense Various versions of the line “get up and bar
the door” – Who will bar the door? What will happen?
OMISSION OF DETAILS
Adds mystery and suspense“Lord Randall” Did Lord Randall’s love kill him? If so, why?“Edward, Edward” What did Edward’s mother do to lead him
astray? What did Edward’s father do that was so
bad?
QUESTION AND ANSWER FORMAT
Facts of the story are gleaned little by little from the answers to the questions posed
Suspense“Edward, Edward”Why is your sword bloody? What punishment will you bear? What will you leave to your children? What will you leave to your mother?
“Lord Randall”Where have you been? Where did you eat? What did you eat? Where are your dogs?
CONVENTIONAL PHRASES
Understood by listeners to have meaning beyond their literal ones
“Make my bed soon.” = “I’m about to die.”
WRITE AN ORIGINAL BALLAD
REQUIRED: Four line stanzas Strong, simple beat Tragic subject
matter Narrative (brief
story)
Use at least THREE: Supernatural events Refrain Question/answer
format Conventional
phrases Incremental
repetitionExtra Credit: Performance of ballad – Like we did with the bird poems last year, the performance must show preparation and creativity in order to receive extra credit.