How to Write a Ballad

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This article was co-written by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA. Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer living in Canada. Stephanie’s work has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut’s Avenue and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University.

There are 9 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 16,759 times.

A ballad is a poem or song that tells a story. It has plot, characters and story structure. You can write a ballad to submit to the class or to tackle a fun challenge. Start by brainstorming ideas for a ballad. This is followed by writing a draft that has a tight plot with rhyme and alliteration. Then you can refine the ballad and read it to the music to share with the world.

Table of Contents

Brainstorm for ideas

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Think of a memorable event or story. A ballad can also be a memorable experience in your life told in an exaggerated or fictional way. Maybe you have an interesting story you heard as a teenager or have a family story that you want to tell from your point of view.

For example, you could write a ballad about a ghost haunting someone in your family, or write about a time you sneaked out to see your loved one.

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Get inspired by current events. Many ballads tell about a major event in the press or media. Scroll through the news online or flip through the headlines in the newspapers. Find events that sound like an intriguing or bizarre story to base your ballad on. ^{[1] X Research Source}

For example, you might read a trial of a young girl for killing her father in self-defense, or a news story about someone living in a refugee camp trying to make ends meet.

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Read sample ballads. You can read ballads in the form of poetry and songs. Search online and visit your local library for ballads in print. You can find the following ballads: ^{[2] X Research Sources}

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Cperidge
“La Belle Dame Sans Merci” by John Keats
“Ballad in A” by Cathy Park Hong
“Maude Claire” by Christina Rossetti
“Ballad of the Moon” by Federico Garcia Lorca
“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrpl” by Bob Dylan

Write a draft

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Write in the structure of a ballad. Most ballads have a four-stanza structure of four lines. The first two sentences rhyme, the third doesn’t rhyme (AABC rhyme). You can also try rhyming where the second verse rhymes with the fourth, the third doesn’t rhyme (ABXB rhyme). ^{[3] X Research Sources}

You can also try writing 8-sentence stanzas if you’re interested in creating your own rhyme for the ballad. Modern ballads have longer stanzas and a more open rhyme.

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Introduce the main character to the reader. The first sentence in the ballad is important, as it draws the reader into the story. Introduce the character or main characters in the first line. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

For example, in Bob Dylan’s ballad “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrpl”, the first sentence introduces the two main characters in the story: “William Zanzinger poor killed Hattie Carrpl” (William) Zanzinger kills poor Hattie Carrpl). ^{[5] X Research Sources}
In John Keats’ poem “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” (The Beauty Without Mercy), the first line introduces the protagonist with a question: “O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms…” ( What troubles, O horseman…) ^{[6] X Research Source}

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Limited secondary characters. Loyalty to one or two main characters and one or two supporting characters if necessary. The ballad should focus on the main details of a story with a small number of characters, not using many main characters and many plots at the same time. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For example, Bob Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrpl” features two main characters, William Zanzinger and Hattie Carrpl. Minor characters such as the policeman and the judge are also mentioned.
The poem “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” by John Keats has two main characters, a knight and a beauty.

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Choose a memorable verse as the chorus. In a typical ballad, the chorus is the third or fourth verse of the stanza that is repeated throughout the piece. The chorus must be relevant to the rest of the ballad and contain a powerful image imprinted in the reader’s mind. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

For example, in Cperidge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, the chorus is a variation on “The bright-eyed Mariner”. ^{[9] X Research Source}
In Bob Dylan’s The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrpl, the chorus that appears at the end of each stanza is the long lines: “But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears/Take the rag away from your face/Now ain ‘t the time for your tears.” (But it’s you who discuss the shame and blame the fear/Put away the washcloth/Now is not the time for tears.)

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Rhyming and using alliteration. Follow a rhyme pattern in each stanza. Repeat certain words or phrases. Use simple, descriptive words to create rhymes in the poem. ^{[10] X Research Source}

For example, in Cperidge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the author repeats words like “eye” and “Mariner”: “He hpd him with his glittering eye-/The Wedding -Guest stood still,/And listens like a three years’ child:/The Mariner hat his will.” (He holds him with sparkling eyes/The guest is still standing there/And listens to him like a good child:/The sailor got what he wanted.)

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Use dialogue in ballads. Have the characters in the ballad talk and put their words in quotes. Dialogues need to be short and tight. Only state the most expensive details in the character’s mind. ^{[11] X Research Source}

For example, in Cperidge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the sailor tells his wedding guests about his departure to the sea: “The ship was cheered, the harbor cleared/Merrily did we drop.” /Below the kirk, below the hill,/Below the lighthouse top.” (The ship left the harbor with a shout of joy / How joyful we departed / Through the church, over the hill / Through the lighthouse tower).

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Build a clear climax or awareness. As with any good story, a good ballad must have a beginning, middle, and end, along with an explosive climax or insight in the second half of the poem. The climax can be the most dramatic event to happen to the narrator or protagonist. It can also be the moment where the protagonist realizes his actual situation. ^{[12] X Research Source}

For example, in John Keats’ poem “La Belle Dame Sans Merci,” the climax comes in the tenth stanza, when the horseman realizes he has fallen into the beauty’s trap: “I saw pale kings and princes too, /Pale warriors, death-pale were they all:/They cried- ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci/Thee hath in thrall!’” lament:/Woman has no mercy”/How can I escape her hand!)

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Writing the last stanza is convincing. The final stanza in a ballad should summarize the main theme or idea in the work. It must leave the reader with an unforgettable image or close a sequence of events. It can also introduce a new element of events in the ballad, causing the reader to think back to the events that occurred in previous installments. ^{[13] X Research Source}

For example, in “La Belle Dame Sans Merci,” by John Keats, the poem ends with the horseman’s response to the question posed at the beginning of the poem after it is revealed that he has been freed from the curse of the devil. beautiful woman even though he lives in a cold and gloomy world: “And this is why I sojourn here,/Alone and palely loitering,/Though the sedge is withered from the lake,/And no birds sing.” (And so I drifted here/Alone, wilted/The willow trees by the lake withered/And where is the song of the birds in the morning).

Refining the ballad

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Read the ballad out loud. When you’ve finished your draft, read it out loud. Listen to rhyme, alliteration, and rhythm. Make sure your ballad tells the story coherently and succinctly. Look out for clumsy and lengthy sentences. Edit so that it is easy to read and understand.

You should also read the ballad aloud to spot spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors.

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Show everyone the ballad. Let your friends, colleagues or family read your ballad. Ask them if they find it engaging and easy to understand. Listen to see if it’s rhythmic and lyrical.

Be open to constructive suggestions to improve the ballad.

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Read the ballad to the music. Usually ballads are read to music or sung. You can read the ballad with pre-recorded music that has a rhythm and matches the poem. You can also play an acoustic guitar as the background music for a ballad or sing along to the music. ^{[14] X Research Source}

You can also try stringed instruments like cello, harp, or vipin accompaniment to a ballad.

Steps

Brainstorm for ideas

Write a draft

Refining the ballad

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