Writing poetry is a fun way to get your creative juices flowing. If you’ve never written poetry before, the ballad is a great way to begin.

This is because you most likely will have already read or heard plenty of ballads in your life, since they are one of the most common forms of poetry. 

What Is a Ballad?

The word ballad has French origins, and in medieval times it was used to describe “dance songs.” They are written like songs, and come with verses and sometimes a chorus or refrain. This makes the ballad easy to set to music and turn into a song. 

Traditionally, ballads told a story, usually of legends or folklore. In contemporary usage, the term can refer to a song, and can be written about anything at all.

If you want to stay true to the original form (whether or not you set it to music), your ballad needs to tell a story, which means that it needs a plot, its own characters, and even a story arc. 

Perhaps the easiest way to view a ballad, whether you’re referring to a poem or a song, is to associate it with storytelling. For example, it might be a heart-wrenching love song lamenting a love gone awry, or perhaps a poem that tells a silly story.

What Is the Format of a Ballad? 

The ballad is divided into stanzas, each with four lines, which is also known as a quatrain. The rhyme scheme can be ABAB or ABCB, which means that the second and fourth lines always rhyme together. 

The first and third line of the stanza comes in iambic tetrameter. Iambic means that every second syllable is accented, while tetrameter means that each line contains four beats (pairs of accented and unaccented syllables). The second and last line is iambic trimeter, which means that they each have three beats. 

Take a look at these lines for examples of iambic meter: 

• It came upon a midnight clear. 
• Upon a bed of hay it lay. 

Here is an example of a stanza in a ballad: 

And now there came both mist and snow 
And it grew wondrous cold 
And ice, mast-high, came floating by 
As green as emerald

From “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge 

Notice that both lines one and three have eight syllables, with every second syllable stressed. The second and fourth lines have six syllables each, also with every second syllable stressed. 

How to Write a Ballad 

Although ballads in the modern day do not necessarily have to focus on a story, starting with a story idea is still a great way to start.

These steps focus on the poetry-writing part, but you can always choose to set it to music afterwards.

1. Choose your topic. 

Think about a story from your own life, or if you need inspiration, check out real events in history or on the news. You can also invent your own fictional characters if an idea strikes you, or check out our list of creative writing prompts to get some ideas rolling.

When you have decided on your topic, write down the main points you want to talk about, without worrying about rhyme or meter yet. 

2. Decide on the mood of your ballad. 

Whether you’re writing a poem or a song, the overall mood will determine your choice of words and phrasings. For example, a melancholy ballad will obviously use darker, more brooding words, whereas a lighthearted one will use more fun descriptions. 

Note that there can also be a shift in mood within a single ballad, which can be part of your storytelling.

3. Use the traditional structure as a guide. 

At this point, look at your bullet points and rephrase them to fit into the original structure. You don’t have to use every line; pick and choose what makes sense. Remove any lines that seem unnecessary, and merge lines when you can. 

Although you might feel stifled with the recommended structure for ballads, consider it a way to be as creative as you can. 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. 

4. Write your story in groups of four lines.

Don’t get too caught up in structure and form; instead, focus on telling the story you want to tell through your ballad. This is usually the best way to grab your audience’s attention, when they’re riveted by how the story is unfolding. 

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.

5. Edit the lines you’ve written.

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.

6. Consult a rhyming dictionary or rhyming website.

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’re a beginner, it might be easier just to have the second and fourth lines rhyme, which is the ABCB pattern.

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.

7. Use lots of imagery. 

One powerful tool you can use to tell an effective story even with limited lines is by using imagery.

When you’re able to conjure images in your audience’s mind with the phrases you write, you’re one step closer to evoking emotions, too. 

Examples of Ballads in Literature 

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: 

Example #1. “Danny Boy,” a well-known Irish ballad: 

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer’s gone, and all the flowers are dying
‘Tis you, ’tis you must go and I must bide.

Example #2. “The Song of Wandering Aengus” by William Butler Yeats 

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.

Example #3. “La Belle Dame sans Merci” by John Keats

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!’ 

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gapèd wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill’s side. 

And this is why I sojourn here,
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

Example #4. “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe 

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
   By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
   Than to love and be loved by me.

Writing a Ballad

Trying your hand at writing a ballad can be a great outlet for expressing your feelings. If you’re feeling adventurous, go a step further and try turning it into a song! 

In times when inspiration seems limited, try something shorter, like a haiku or a limerick, and then get back to your goal of writing a full-length ballad. 

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

 

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

• 21 Best Love Poems That Capture Romance and Passion
• How to Write a Haiku: Tips for Brief, Beautiful Poems
• How to Write a Limerick: Tips and Examples
• How to Write Song Lyrics in 5 Simple Steps