ballad
/'bæləd/
Definition
- Noun:
- A narrative poem of popular origin: A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative poem, that tells a story. It typically originates from and is passed down through oral tradition.
- A narrative song with a recurrent refrain: A ballad is also a slow, sentimental song, often a narrative set to music, characterized by a simple melody and a repeating refrain or chorus.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The poet wrote a ballad about a knight and a dragon. (This uses the word to mean a narrative poem.)
- She sang a beautiful folk ballad about lost love. (This uses the word to mean a narrative song.)
Advanced Usage
"Ballad meter": A common poetic meter (or rhythm) for ballads, often alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter.
- The poem was written in traditional ballad meter.
"Power ballad": A style of emotional rock song, typically slow-tempo and dealing with themes of love or loss.
- The band's biggest hit was a power ballad from the 1980s.
Variants and Related Words
Balladeer (n): A singer or composer of ballads.
- The old balladeer performed songs from the region's history.
Balladic (adj): Relating to or characteristic of a ballad.
- The song had a balladic quality to its storytelling.
Synonyms
- Narrative poem: A poem that tells a story.
- Folk song: A traditional song originating among ordinary people.
- Lay: A short narrative poem, especially one to be sung.
Related Phrases
- "Ballad of...": A common title structure for songs or poems that are ballads.
- He listened to "The Ballad of John and Yoko."
Related Idioms
Noun
-
a narrative poem of popular origin
-
a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
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