Ballad Form example essay topic

280 words
Show how the ballad form is important to the effects achieved The ballad is a narrative poem, which is often of 'folk origin'. They normally consist of simple stanzas, which complements that they were traditionally sung. They were mostly communicated orally, thus the basic form they take made them easier to remember. Another feature of the ballad is it's meaning; they often tell a story with a moral element.

The Lyrical Ballads are a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. It is clear that the two poets have differing styles which proves the ballad form to be versatile: "Coleridge's poems often favour musical effects over the plainness of Wordsworth's natural language of common speech" In addition to having differing writing styles, the poets also adapt the ballad form in different ways. Wordsworth complements his simplistic language by using structured, uncomplicated stanzas, while Coleridge uses unconventionally structured stanzas to accentuate his archaic diction. The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere and Tinter n Abbey are, perhaps, the most recognised works from The Lyrical Ballads and are faithful examples of the poets deviating writing styles. In The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere Coleridge manipulates the ballad form to accommodate his unconventional style.

The stanzas are short, mostly consisting of four lines, however, he does vary the length to consist of up to six lines. Although the short length of the stanzas is in keeping with the traditional ballad form, Coleridge does not adhere to the constant length and meter of the ballad form. The language and subject of the poem also conflicts with the simplistic content of typical ballads.