Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Sample Ballads. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Think about a memorable event or tale. A ballad can also be an exaggeration or fictionalization of a memorable event that happened to you.
For example, you may write a ballad about a ghost that haunts a member of your family or you may write about the time you snuck out to meet someone when you were a teen.
Look at current events. Many ballads focus on a major event in the news or the media. Surf through the news online or flip through the headlines in your local newspaper. Look for a current event that sounds like a fascinating or strange story and use it as source material for your ballad.
Or perhaps you find a news story on a refugee in refugee camp trying to make a better life for themselves. Read examples of a ballad. You can read ballads that are in poem form and in song form. Check online and at your local library for printed ballads. Search online or at your local music store for recordings of ballads in song form. Part 2. Follow the structure of a ballad. Most ballads are composed in four four-line stanzas.
The first two lines will rhyme and the third line will not, creating an AABC rhyme scheme. You can also try a rhyme scheme where the second and fourth line rhyme and the third line does not, creating an ABXB rhyme scheme.
Modern ballads often have longer stanzas and a more loose rhyme scheme. Introduce the main character to the reader. The first line of the ballad is important, as it draws the reader into the story. Introduce your main character or characters in the first line. Limit the number of minor characters. Stick to one to two main characters maximum, and one or two minor characters only if they are absolutely necessary.
The ballad should focus on key details of one story with a small set of characters, not multiple main characters and plots at once. Minor characters like a policemen and a judge are also mentioned. Use a memorable line as the chorus. In a typical ballad, the chorus is the third or fourth line in the stanza that repeats throughout the piece.
Include rhyme and repetition. Follow a set rhyme scheme in each stanza. Repeat certain words or phrases over again in the ballad.
Use simple language that is descriptive to create a sense of rhythm in the poem. Use dialogue in the ballad. Have your characters speak in the ballad, using quotation marks around their speech. Keep the dialogue short and tight. Build to a climax or realization. Like any good story, a ballad should have a beginning, middle, and end, with a powerful climax or realization in the latter half of the poem.
The climax could be the most dramatic thing that happened to the speaker or the main character. It could also be the moment the main character realizes the reality of their situation. After all, you will need to choose words that fit the accent-unaccented pair. The good news is that the structure only requires a minimum of two words that rhyme, but you can also opt to have your first and third lines rhyme for an added challenge.
Write your story in stanzas made up of four lines, without worrying about the rhyme first. Your goal in this step is to write down the main thoughts of your story. One way to do this is to talk about one theme in every stanza, with the first line introducing the theme. Or, you might want to write about one theme every two lines. An important tip to remember when telling your story is to focus on using verbs, or action words, as these make the characters come alive for your audience.
Before you worry about rhyming, tighten up your story by removing unnecessary details or adding details you might have forgotten. Remember that the strength of the ballad is in the story it tells. As you edit, start to arrange the first and third lines in iambic meter, which is ten syllables of alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. Choose either the ABCB or ABAB rhyme scheme, and edit the first four lines to have the first and third lines rhyme, and the second or fourth lines rhyme.
If you have trouble thinking of words that rhyme, check out our post on how to rhyme. A rhyming dictionary or a rhyming website can also help you. Examples include RhymeZone and Rhymer. One powerful tool you can use to tell an effective story even with limited lines is by using imagery. Literature contains many examples of ballads.
From these examples shown below, you can also see that many ballad writers have deviated from the rigid tetrameter and trimeter structure, but retain the rhyme scheme:.
Though I am old with wandering Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she has gone, And kiss her lips and take her hands;. And walk among long dappled grass, And pluck till time and times are done, The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun. And this is why I sojourn here, Alone and palely loitering, Though the sedge is withered from the lake, And no birds sing.
In the Titanic ballad, there are plenty of sensory details to include. Instead, try rewording each stanza to make it work. You may even want to choose the rhyming words first and fill in the story around those.
In the example of a ballad about the Titanic, you could choose two words for your B lines of the rhyme scheme. It should flow naturally and sound a little like a song. If there are places that you stumble or spots that just sound awkward, rewrite them to make them flow.
Beautiful, melodious language is called euphony , and you can check out some euphony examples to give you ideas on how to make your ballad sound more musical. One of the easiest ways to learn how to write a ballad is to look at ballad examples.
Poets have been using this beautiful form to tell stories for centuries, and with practice, you can too. All rights reserved. What Is the Format of a Ballad? Ballad Meter Many ballads use iambic meter , meaning they have a combination of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables.
How to Write a Ballad in 7 Steps Writing your own ballad is easy once you have a basic understanding of the process. Choose a Great Ballad Topic A ballad is a narrative poem.
Here are a few great topics to consider: Tell a ghost story or other supernatural tale. Write about a major disaster from history. Tell the story of two lovers and the challenges they face. Describe a modern event that changed the world. Write the Story as Prose First Before you begin writing a ballad as a poem, take some time to write the story as prose.
In this example, each sentence offers a natural stanza break: The Titanic set sail on April 10, and sank on April Decide on the Format for Your Ballad Your ballad will need to have quatrains and some type of rhyme scheme, but beyond that, the format is up to you.
The skipper he stood beside the helm, His pipe was in his mouth, And he watched how the veering flaw did blow The smoke now West, now South. Pick the Right Place to Start The first line of your ballad is very important.
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