Question

My ELA teacher wants me to write a Ballad and I don't know what to write. A ballad should:

• tell a story
• be at least 16 lines long (four 4-line stanzas, or quatrains)
• have a rhyme scheme. In Auden's poem, lines two and four of each quatrain rhyme

Can someone help me, please?
This is due tomorrow.

Answer 1

Find something your passionate about!

Step-by-step explanation:

If theres someone you really care about Id recommend looking at ballads written for lovers and family members, or you could sing a story like bards do in old stories! Before you start just do some reading and get yourself familiar with the topic, set a scene and use descriptive words to fill some of that space. If you have a wild story about how you got hurt somewhere or how someones crazy idea worked out well that would be a good start! Many ballads in media sing about strong adventurers going on journeys, so just shrink that to apply to your life and don't be afraid to exaggerate a little!

Answer 2

I can't write a Ballad for you but, i'll give you all the steps on how to write one.

1. Think about a memorable event or tale

A ballad can also be an exaggeration or fictionalization of a memorable event that happened to you. Maybe you have a funny story from when you were a teenager or perhaps you have a good family tale that you’d like to retell from your perspective.

For example, you may write a ballad about a ghost that haunts a member of your family or you may write about the time you snuck out to meet someone when you were a teen.

2. Look at current events

Many ballads focus on a major event in the news or the media. Surf through the news online or flip through the headlines in your local newspaper. Look for a current event that sounds like a fascinating or strange story and use it as source material for your ballad.

For example, you may find a story about a young woman on trial for killing her father in self-defense. Or perhaps you find a news story on a refugee in refugee camp trying to make a better life for themselves.

3. Read examples of a ballad

You can read ballads that are in poem form and in song form. Check online and at your local library for printed ballads. Search online or at your local music store for recordings of ballads in song form.

You may look at:

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"La Belle Dame Sans Merci" by John Keats

"Ballad in A" by Cathy Park Hong

"Maude Claire" by Christina Rossetti

"Ballad of the Moon Moon" by Federico Garcia Lorca

“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” by Bob Dylan

Step-by-step explanation:

This is all I could find, just do your best! :)