Final answer:
Ballads are narrative poems that combine rhythmic, musical qualities with storytelling, closely interwoven with history and culture. They often reflect societal events and ideologies, as seen in works by poets like Muriel Rukeyser and during eras such as the Romantic Period, which fused national heritage with literature to evoke a strong national identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ballads hold a significant place in literature and history, encapsulating stories, oftentimes tragic, that have been passed down through generations. The rhythmic qualities of ballads complement their storytelling, often recited with musical accompaniment, tracing back to the Latin word 'ballare' which means 'to dance'. Ballads typically follow a quatrain structure with an A B C B rhyme scheme. According to Robin Skelton, the most common verse form is iambic tetrameter alternating with iambic trimeter, reinforcing their musicality. Muriel Rukeyser is one of the many poets who employed the ballad form in their work.
Historically, poetry and literature often reflect the times they were created in and can shed light on historical events or eras. Poems like those by William Butler Yeats, Du Fu, and during the Romanticism period, contribute to our understanding of the societies and ideologies of their respective times. The disruption caused by events such as rebellions has often been chronicled through the verses of surviving aristocrats, as noted by historian Nicolas Tackett.
The Romantic Period saw a resurgence of national pride through the arts, where folk movements and national character were expressed through songs and tales. Romanticism inadvertently nurtured the seeds of nationalism, preserving traditions and expressing identities long influenced by external 'civilizations'. This period showcased a mixture of history with literature, evoking a strong sense of national identity.