ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Ballads derive from the medieval French chanson balladée or ballade, which were originally “dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century.

Detailed explanation-2: -Introduction. Traditional ballads are narrative folksongs-simply put, they are folksongs that tell stories. They tell all kinds of stories, including histories, legends, fairy tales, animal fables, jokes, and tales of outlaws and star-crossed lovers.

Detailed explanation-3: -border ballad, type of spirited heroic ballad celebrating the raids, feuds, seductions, and elopements on the border between England and Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries, where neither English nor Scottish law prevailed.

Detailed explanation-4: -Ballads emphasize strong rhythms, repetition of key phrases, and rhymes; if you hear a traditional ballad, you will know that you are hearing a poem.