Narrative Poetry & The Ballad T. Meldrum April 2009

Narrative Poetry - background Is one of three major classifications (lyric and free verse are the others) Rhythm, rhyme, and repetition were characteristic of early stories. These devices help a storyteller remember – important to a society that didn’t write down the tales. These devices also allow the audience to participate.

Narrative Poetry - goals Primary Goal: tell a story in verse where the poetry and story balance each other. Not simply a poem with a little bit of story or a story told in verse. Like short stories, narrative poems usually follow the basic pattern of plot development, and use of characters.

Narrative Poetry - content While the story part could be told without the poetry, the effect on the reader would be different. The use of the techniques of poetry instead of short stories makes the poem affect the reader differently. Important to note: while a short story usually solves the conflict, a narrative poem often ends before the action is resolved. Thus this type of poem may present an unsolved mystery / situation.

Narrative Poetry - form A lot is up to you. Decide on: Point of view (first, third, limited, omniscient)Point of view (first, third, limited, omniscient) The speaker (young, old, male, female)The speaker (young, old, male, female) Your purpose (entertain, educate, etc.)Your purpose (entertain, educate, etc.) A themeA theme A structure (stanza pattern)A structure (stanza pattern) Rhythm, rhyme, repetitionRhythm, rhyme, repetition

The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes

The Gambler by Don Schlitz

The Black Velvet Band by The Irish Rovers

The Ballad - background Is a form of narrative poetry Is derived from the late Latin and Italian ballare, meaning “to dance” Originated as a folk song that told a exciting story, was passed orally from one generation to the next Not written down until the early 18 th century Often served to pass news in isolated communities

The Ballad - background Two main types Folk Ballad: a story expressed through song; a haunting, dramatic tale handed down orally. The author is usually anonymous. Literary Ballad: a narrative written by a poet in deliberate imitation of the form, language, and spirit of the traditional ballad.

The Ballad - content Often told the most tragic or sensational stories Often had fairies, witches, ghosts, other supernatural beings or encounters with “otherworldly” characters Often explores ideas around love, feuds, physical courage, tragedies, murders, adventure, common lives, the supernatural.

The Ballad - goal Communicate strong feelings provoked by dramatic human events Still written today – when there are times of change or hardship

The Ballad - form Usually four line stanzas (quatrains) Lines 1 & 3 = iambic tetrameter (8 syllables) Lines 2 & 4 = iambic trimeter (6 syllables) Rhyme: ABCB, but is often approximate – could use assonance or consonance instead of a true rhyme Sometimes there is a refrain (repeated portion)

The Ballad - form Precise, startling images – visual, dramatic Minimal details about setting or characterization The beginning is often abrupt and the story is a single episode Narrator begins with a climactic episode, then tells the story through action and dialogue The narrator is impersonal = no personal attitude Events are told with swiftness and intensity Frequent repetition of imagery and language

La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot

Your Turn… One Narrative poem of at least seven stanzas – include a pattern of rhyme & rhythm; must convey a theme OR One Literary Ballad of at least eight verses – detail a story, include dialogue, imagery, convey a theme, include rhythm & rhyme pattern of the literary ballad form