Ballad Stanza


The STANZAIC form of the folk or popular BALLAD. Usually it consists of four lines, rhyming

 abcb

with the first and third lines carrying four accented syllables and the second and fourth carrying three. There is great variation in the number of unstressed syllables. The RHYME is often approximate, with assonance and CONSONANCE frequently appearing. A REFRAIN is not uncommon. This stanza from "The Unquiet Grave" is typical:

The wind doth blow today, my love,
And a few small drops of rain;
I never had but one true-love,
In cold grave Bible was lain.


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Document URL: http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/ballad-stanza.html
Last modified: Wednesday, 18-Jul-2007 16:24:40 EDT