Question

The verse novel, a nineteenth-century art form, appropriates the discourse and language, stylistic features commonly found in the novel (Hirsch).

Options:
a) Sonnet
b) Haiku
c) Epic
d) Ballad

Answer 1

• Final answer:
• The nineteenth-century art form that appropriates the discourse and language, and stylistic features commonly found in the novel is best described as a ballad (option d). Sonnets, haikus, and prose poems do not fully align with the narrative qualities of a verse novel like the ballad does.
• Step-by-step explanation:
• The verse novel, a nineteenth-century art form, is best described by option d) Ballad. The ballad is a form of verse that often operates as a narratively driven poem, traditionally used to convey stories from one generation to another. This form can contain stylistic features commonly found in novels, such as a focus on narrative and characters, making it a fit for the description given.
• While the sonnet does have a prominent place in literature with its fourteen lines and a volta, its primary purpose is not to tell extended stories like a verse novel does. Meanwhile, the haiku, with its brief three-line structure focusing on nature or seasons, also does not align with the characteristics of a verse novel. Lastly, a prose poem, though it resembles prose writing, does not necessarily appropriate the narrative techniques and form traditionally associated with a novel.
• Given these other forms, the ballad, with its storytelling tradition, rhythmic qualities, and flexible stanza structure, closely aligns with the attributes of the verse novel referred to in the question. Ancient ballads were often accompanied by musical elements, and today, they might be composed in quatrains with an ABCB rhyme, embodying a blend of poetic and narrative techniques commonly found within the realm of novels.