Traditional Ballad Poetry
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Traditional Ballad Poetry
The traditional ballad is a song that tells us a story. The origin of the word "ballad" comes from Old French and means a song accompanying a dance - "ballade". The Old French actually derives from the Latin "to dance".
Oral tradition is a big factor in Ballad poetry especially the traditional form. Ballads were memorised because at the time they were sung and recited but not written down because the majority of people couldn't read or write.
Traditional and Literary ballads are very different. Traditional ballads are ballads which have been recited and memorised over the years. There creators are usually anonymous. Oral tradition has played a big part in the renewal of traditional ballads however in recent times they tend to be written down.
Literary ballads are very different in that the creator of the ballad is known unlike the traditional ballad in which the creator is unknown. Literary ballads tend to be a lot longer and more complex than the traditional form. This is because nowadays we have access to pen and paper but when traditional ballads were formed they had to be simple and easy to recite because the ballad itself had to be passed along by oral tradition. That is why in many traditional ballads repetition is used widely throughout so it is more easily remembered.
For this section of my coursework I have chosen "Ballad" by "Anon" for my traditional ballad and "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" by John Keats as my literary ballad.
"Ballad" tells the story of a dishonest lover who deceives and betrays a young girl. The Ballad is told by the young girl who lost her virginity and freedom to the man.
"La Belle Dame Sans Merci" deals with a knight who is infatuated by a very desirable woman. In the ballad the woman lures the man to a place were she has total control over his emotions. She takes his life over and then lures him to an evil world were she dominates him.
"Ballad" is in traditional form and is direct and easy to understand. Many of the lines are easily accessible because the ballad was passed along by word of mouth. These two lines were easy to remember and recite.
"A faithless shepherd courted me,
