You may already know the term ballad in relation to music.Ā A ballad in music is a slow song that conveys a lot of emotion.Ā The musical term ballad comes from the poetic form ballad, a poem that tells a story.
Typical features of a ballad:
- a poem that tells a story
- an event-driven poem
- typically written using stanzas of four lines, with a rhyme scheme of abab or abcb
- may feature dialogue as well as narration
- may have a conversational style
- may focus on lost love, tragic events, or the supernatural
Today’s class goal: to explore the similarities and differences between Anonymous’s “My Boy Willie” and Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool.”
