A Ballad Was Once a Dancing Song
A ballad is a narrative song. Its name comes from dancing, though nothing about a modern ballad invites it.
A ballad is a song that tells a story, or in modern usage a slow love song. The name comes from Late Latin *ballare*, to dance — a ballad was a song to dance to, sharing its root with *ballet* and *ball*. The connection to dancing was lost by the sixteenth century, leaving a word for storytelling in verse.
- A narrative song or poem. *A traditional ballad.*
- A slow love song. *A power ballad.*
- Ballad form — a four-line verse pattern. *Written in ballad form.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | ballad | A border ballad. |
| Plural | ballads | Folk ballads. |
| Related | ballade | A Chopin ballade. |
| Related | ballet | Classical ballet. |
| Related | ball | A masked ball. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The ballad tells of a shipwreck.Narrative sense.
- Every album needs one ballad.Modern pop usage.
- Ballad metre alternates four and three beats.Poetry.
Ballad features
- Quatrains — four-line stanzas
- Ballad metre — alternating lines of four and three stresses
- Refrain — a repeated line or chorus
- Anonymous origin — traditional ballads were passed on orally
- Incremental repetition — the story advances by repeating with small changes
From Old French *ballade*, from Occitan *balada*, a dance song, from Late Latin *ballare*, to dance — the source of *ballet* and *ballroom*.
Are ballad and ballet related?
Yes. Both go back to a Latin verb meaning to dance, though only ballet kept the movement.
What is ballad metre?
Alternating lines of eight and six syllables, or four and three stresses. Many hymns share the pattern.