LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Ballads
built 229 days ago
Ballads were little known to the literate world until the 18th century, when scholars began writing them down. Since then, they've received attention from folklorists, folksingers and, now, cartoonist Vess (Stardust; Rose). Vess and his collaborators put a little meat on the ballads' often bare-bones stories, adding fantastic elements not in the originals ("Barbara Allen"), giving them modern settings ("Twa Corbies"), sexing them up ("Savoy") and otherwise putting their own mark on them. Vess approaches them with an appropriately elegant style. His exquisitely detailed art delightfully recalls the Pre-Raphaelites here, Aubrey Beardsley there and elsewhere Winsor McCay or Gustave Doré. The best stories involve passion, whether celebrated ("King Henry" and "Savoy") or cautioned against ("The Demon Lover" and "The Three Lovers"), though even the least effective stories are still beautiful.
Source:
Ballads for Bomere Heath was conceived and written by Dave Reeves. Melodeon music by Dave Reeves (www.textician.co.uk); all other music, arrangements and recording by Tom Cook (www.mannimusic.co.uk); layout and production by Trilby Multimedia (www.trilby.co.uk). All other material is credited in the document and copyright remains with the contributors. Copyright © 2006.
Source:
It was in this form that the Ballads remained almost constantly in print through the expiration of the copyright at the end of 1961. James Ellis's new edition in 1970 restored the original drawings, retaining from the 1898 edition only those drawings that went with the previously unillustrated ballads.
Source:
Ballads can contain stanzas of eight, ten or seven lines. It has three stanzas and an envoi the lines at at the end of the poem that should be half as long. A ballad has a refrain that will be at the end of each stanza and at the end of the envoi. The refrain shall add meaning to the poem each time it is used. The envoi is written to the poets patron or someone involved in the subject of the ballad.
Source:
Ballads tend to be characterized by impersonality on the part of the singer: The narrator is not personally touched by story, is not taking sides, and typically sings without much dramatization. When a judgment is to be voiced, it comes from within the tale. Consider "Barbara Allen" (Child #84): She rejects him. He dies of a broken heart. She dies of a broken heart. The singer isn't about to exclaim "How could she!"
Source:
Nothing else quite like the Ballads has ever been produced in the English language. They contain both satire and nonsense, as well as a great deal of utter absurdity. The Ballads were read aloud at private dinner-parties, public banquets, and even in the House of Lords. The ballads have been much published, and there are even recordings of readings of some of them.[1]
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Ballads