Rhyme schemes are described using letters of the alphabet, so that each line of verse that corresponds to a specific type of rhyme used in the poem is assigned a letter, beginning with 'A.' For example, a four-line poem in which the first line rhymes with the third, and the second line rhymes with the fourth has the rhyme scheme 'ABAB.' Rhyme scheme : Poems that make use of end rhymes (rhymes at the end of each line), often do so according to a repeating, predetermined pattern.For example, iambic pentameter is a type of meter that contains five iambs per line (thus the prefix “penta,” which means five). Poetic meters are defined by both the type and number of feet they contain. There are different types of feet for instance, an iamb is a foot with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (de- fine), while a trochee has the opposite: a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable ( Po-et). Each stress pattern is composed of repeating units (da- dum, da- dum, da- dum, for example) where each unit (da- dum) is called a foot.

Meter: A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that creates the rhythm of lines of poetry.We provide more details about these terms on their own pages, but here's a quick guide:

For that reason, it's helpful to have a strong grasp of what meter and rhyme scheme are in order to understand ballads. Here's how to pronounce ballad: Bal-lad Ballads, Meter, and Rhyme Schemeīallads are a type of formal verse, meaning that they tend to have both strict meter and a defined rhyme scheme.

Many ballads have a refrain (a line or stanza that repeats throughout the poem), much like the chorus of modern day songs.

Traditional ballads are written in a meter called common meter, which consists of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter (eight syllables) with lines of iambic trimeter (six syllables).

The simplest way to think of a ballad is as a song or poem that tells a story and has a bouncy rhythm and rhyme scheme.

There are so many different types of ballad that giving one strict definition to fit all the variations would be nearly impossible.

The ballad is one of the oldest poetic forms in English.

Some additional key details about ballads: English language ballads are typically composed of four-line stanzas that follow an ABCB rhyme scheme. What is a ballad? Here’s a quick and simple definition:Ī ballad is a type of poem that tells a story and was traditionally set to music.

The lyrical ballads