BALLADS

DESCRIPTION A poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas. Traditional ballads are typically of unknown authorship, having been passed on orally from one generation to the next as part of the folk culture.

EARLY BALLADS OFTEN INCLUDED: Tragic love Domestic conflicts Wars Shipwrecks Sensational crimes Exploits of outlaws

EXAMPLE I often contradict myself. Oh no, I never do. I argue with me day and night. That simply isnt true. Oh yes it is. Oh no it's not. I do this all day long. Oh no I don't. Oh yes I do. That's right. No way! It's wrong. I'm really quite agreeable. I argue night and day. I love to be around myself. I wish I'd go away. So if you see me arguing, it's certain that you won't. I like to contradict myself. I promise you I don't. --Kenn Nesbitt

EXAMPLE Big John Every morning at the mine you could see him arrive He stood six-foot-six and weighed two- forty-five Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip Everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John Big John Big Bad John Big John Nobody seemed to know where John called home He just drifted into town and stayed all alone He didn't say much, kinda quiet and shy If ya spoke at all, ya just said hi to Big John Somebody said he came from New Orleans Where he got in a fight o'er a cajun queen And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand Sent a Lousianna fella to the promised land, Big John Big John Big Bad John Big John

Then came the day at the bottom of the mine When a timber cracked and men started cryin' Miners were prayin' and hearts beat fast And everybody thought they'd breathed their last, 'cept John Through the dust and the smoke of this man-made hell Walked a giant of a man that the miners knew well Grabbed the saggin' timber and gave out with a groan And like a giant oak tree, just stood there alone, Big John Big John Big Bad John Big John And with all of his strength he gave a mighty shove Then a miner yelled out, there's a light up above And twenty men scrambled from a would-be grave now there's only one left down there to save, Big John With jacks and timbers they started back down Then came that rumble way down in the ground As smoke and gas belched outta the mine Everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John Big John Big Bad John Big John Now, they never re-opened that worthless pit They just placed a marble stand in front of it These few words are written on that stand, At the bottom of this mine lies a big big man, Big John. Big John Big Bad John By Big John

Writing your own Ballad

TODAY Remind yourself of the ‘ingredients’ needed in writing a ballad: Tells a tragic story 3 stanzas Beginning Middle End 4 line stanzas Rhyme scheme: abcb Regular, strong rhythm Longer first and third line May use dialogue and questions

STAGE TWO Pick a recent or past news story upon which to base your ballad. Find as much information as you can about the story. Brainstorm which details that you might want to include.

STAGE THREE Now, think of some techniques that you could use in your ballad - try to use the following in your ballad: simile metaphor personification alliteration onomatopoeia

STAGE FOUR NOW PLAN WHAT YOU WILL DESCRIBE IN EACH STANZA OF YOUR BALLAD. How will you set the scene in your first stanza? What will you describe in your second stanza? Etc. Which characters will speak? What dialogue will you use? Finally will it have a moral at the end? What will it be?

NOW… Start drafting. Remember to write in pencil… you will need to change and edit your work as you go. Remember you should be using a ‘abcb’ rhyme scheme and a regular, strong rhythm Ask people to read your draft and make suggestions for improvements. Then write your final version.