Ballads are poems, songs, love struck melodies that gladden the heart.
Ballas have a history in music, poetry and literature.
Writing a ballad can be fun if you know how to. In this article, we will show you the step-by-step guide to write a ballad poem, song, that will melt your audience.
Give this piece a try.
What is a Ballad?
A ballad is a story song or poem. It should include a story arc, characters, and a plot. You might write a song for fun or for class. Begin by brainstorming ideas for the song. Next, make a preliminary copy of the song that has rhyme, repetition, and an engaging tale. The song can then be refined and made into music, which you can listen to with others.
A ballad is not always a song. Ballads are a type of narrative verse that can be musical or poetic. beautiful or catchy. A lot of ballads have stories, but the form doesn’t require them to. There are a number of slow, deeply moving songs.
A very important type of writing is the ballad. They might be the oldest types of writing. The very first poems that we know of are all heroic tales that tell the stories of the cultures that made them who they are.
A ballad’s major goal is to tell a story, and it includes all of the necessary elements: a plot, characters, narrator, conversation, scene, and drama. While some writers may write about current events, others may write sensationalist stories about myths or history.
See also: How to Write a Poem About Yourself in these 7 Step-by-Step Guide
How to Write a Ballad Song & Poem in 17 Steps
Step 1 Think about a particularly memorable story or event
Consider a memorable story or experience. Ballads may sometimes include exaggeration or fictionalization of a key incident that happened to you. Perhaps you’d want to share a funny anecdote from your childhood or a moving family story from your point of view.
You may write a ballad about a ghost that haunts a member of your family, or about a time as a teenager when you snuck away to visit someone.
Look at current events. Many ballads revolve around a noteworthy news or media story. Examine the headlines in your local newspaper or browse the news online. Choose a recent experience that appears to be a strange or engaging story, and use it as motivation for your ballad.
For example, you might come across a story about a young girl who is on trial for killing her father in self-defense. Perhaps you come across a news report about a refugee trying to improve their personal situation while living in a camp.
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Step 2 Read examples of a ballad.
Consider some ballad examples. There are ballads in poems and song forms. Look for printed songs at your local library or online. Search for ballad tracks in song form online or at your local record store.
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Ballad in A” by Cathy Park Hong
“Ballad of the Moon Moon” by Federico Garcia Lorca
“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” by Bob Dylan
Step 3 Select a Topic
A ballad can be inspired by a personal story, or if you’re out of ideas, think about some current or historical events that have occurred.
You can even make up a story you think will be moving and develop your own imaginative characters.
After settling on a theme, make a list of the important points you wish to discuss; don’t worry about meter or rhyme just now.
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Step 4 Write the Story as Prose First
Before you start to write a ballad as a poem, take some time to write the story as prose. Decide on the plot of the story. Settle on a point of view and some characters. Tell what happens from start to finish, including important details and descriptions.
Edit the story until it includes only the most essential and exciting parts. Then find some spots where the story could naturally be divided into stanzas.
Step 5 Follow the structure of a ballad.
Follow the format of a ballad. Most ballads consist of four stanzas with four lines each. An AABC rhyme scheme is one in which the first two lines rhyme but the third line does not rhyme.
Another option is to use an ABXB rhyme scheme, in which the third line is not rhymed but the second and fourth lines rhyme.
If you want, you can compose the ballad in eight-line stanzas and make your own rhyme system.
Contemporary ballads generally have longer stanzas and a looser rhyme structure.
Step 6 Give the reader an introduction to the main character
Introduce the main character. The ballad’s first line is important because it draws the reader in and sets the scene. In the first line, introduce your main character or characters.
Step 7 Reduce the number of minor characters.
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.
Step 8 Make the chorus a memorable line
The chorus in a traditional ballad is a line that comes in the third or fourth verse and is repeated throughout the song.
The chorus should have vivid pictures that the reader will remember and are important to the rest of the ballad.
Step 9 Edit What you’ve Written
Before focusing on rhyming, improve your story, remove any unneeded aspects, and incorporate any details you may have missed. Remember that the strength of a ballad stems from the story it tells.
As you change, begin to use iambic meter on the first and third lines. It consists of ten stressed and unstressed syllables that rotate.
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Step 10 Use rhyme and repetition.
Use repetition and rhyme. Keep the rhyme pattern uniform across all stanzas. Repeat particular words or phrases throughout the song. Use simple, detailed words to give the poem a sense of rhythm.
In Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” for example, the speaker frequently uses terminology like “eye” and “Mariner” in the ballad: “He grasped him with his sparkling gaze—The Wedding Guest remained motionless, listening like a three-year-old—The Mariner has his will.”
Step 11 Don’t forget to Use dialogue in the ballad
The ballad should be conversational. Throughout the ballad, have your actors speak and enclose their words in quote marks. Keep the conversation focused and quick. In the discussion, only the most important information regarding the character’s ideas should be disclosed.
For example, in Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the Mariner tells a story of being at sea to the wedding guests a few stanzas into the ballad: “The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared/Merrily did we drop/Below the kirk, below the hill,/Below the lighthouse top.”
Step 12 Build to a climax or realization.
Develop to a tipping point or understanding. A ballad should have a beginning, middle, and end, much like any good story, with a powerful climax or realization in the second part of the poem.
The climax refers to the most dramatic event that either the speaker or the main character has experienced. It could also be the point at which the protagonist comes to grips with their position.
Step 13 Have a powerful last stanza.
Have a powerful last stanza. The ballad’s core idea or theme should be summed in the final stanza. It should summarize the events or leave the reader with a lasting image. It can also give the ballad’s events a new meaning or interpretation, causing the reader to reconsider what occurred initially.
For example, in the final line of John Keats’ “La Belle Dame Sans Merci,” the knight-in-arms answers the question put to him in the opening verse, showing that he awoke from the belle dame’s enchantment, though he now lives alone in a lifeless world. “And this is why I stay here,/Alone and palely loitering,/Though the sedge has withered off the lake.
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Step 14 Use Lots Of Imagery
Using images is an excellent way to successfully tell a story with minimal words.
When the words you use can conjure up pictures in your audience’s thoughts, you’ve taken a step closer to creating sentiments. A ballad needs powerful imagery. Consider using your senses to describe things while you work. How does it feel and look? How does a character smell or taste? Use vivid details to help the reader understand the characters’ experiences.
Step 15 Keep Working Within the Form
The poetic style of a ballad may appear limited at first, yet it allows you to tell your story in a set way. The rhymes and rhythms you need for your song should not be pushed. To make it work, try revising each stanza. You could even want to begin with the rhymes and build the rest of the story around them. Continue telling the full story till it’s ended.
In the Titanic song example, you might choose two words for your B lines according to the rhyme pattern. For example, you may choose “seas” and come up with a creative word for it, such as “knees.”
Step 16 Read aloud the ballad
Read the ballad out loud. When you’re finished writing the ballad, read it aloud to yourself. Pay attention to rhythm, rhyme, and repeat. Ensure that the ballad tells a story in a clear and concise manner. Take note of any awkward or lengthy lines. Modify them to make them easy to read and understand.
To check that there are no spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes, read the ballad aloud.
Perform the ballad for others. Ask your family, friends, or classmates to read the ballad. Find out if they find the ballad interesting and easy to follow. Determine whether the song has a lyrical and rhythmic quality.
Being open to constructive comments from others will help your art improve even more.
Step 17 Set the ballad to music.
Put some music to the ballad. Ballads are commonly spoken or sung along with music. The song might be paired with already recorded instrumental music in a rhythm that complements the composition. You might also try singing the ballad loudly or playing an acoustic guitar while reading it.
Another choice is to perform the ballad with string instruments such as a violin, harp, or cello.
These are the steps on how to write a ballad song and poem.
See also: How to Write a Devotional Book or Message in Less Words: Outline for Youth, Church
Do Ballads Have To Rhyme?
A ballad with lyrics is typically structured as a rhymed quatrain.
This means that the first and third lines, or the second and fourth lines, will match in each four-line group.
The first and third lines, however, do not rhyme. In fact, they cannot rhyme in order to maintain proper ABCB structure.
FAQS on How to Write a Ballad
You can stick to 3-5 minutes as a good estimate, but as with most things in music, you can make it as extreme as you want to, so if it’s your aspiration to write a 15 minutes long ballad, go ahead!
A ballad usually has four to eight stanzas, including the refrain/chorus. However, there are no hard rules. You can choose how many or how few you want.
References
- Musicgateway – how to write a ballad poem
- Wikihow – how to write a ballad song
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