Ballad is a classic of literary genres

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

"Ballad" is a word that came into the Russian lexicon from the Italian language. It is translated as “dance”, from the word “ballare”. So a ballad is a dance song. Such works were written in poetic form, and there were many couplets. It is worth noting that they were performed only to some musical accompaniment. But over time, they stopped dancing to ballads. Then they completely changed. Poems-ballads began to have an epic and very serious meaning.

Foundation of the genre

What is a ballad in literature? Firstly, it is one of the most important poetic genres of romanticism and sentimentalism. The world that the poets painted in their ballads is enigmatic and mysterious. It features extraordinary characters with definite and distinct characters.

It is impossible not to mention such a person as Robert Burns, who became the founder of this genre. A person has always been at the center of these works, however, the poets who created in the 19th century, who chose this genre, knew that human forces can not always give an opportunity to answer every question and become a full ownerown destiny. That is why often a ballad is a plot poem that talks about rock. Such works include "Forest King". It was written by the poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe.

Century Traditions

It is worth noting that the ballad is a genre that has undergone changes and continues to endure them. In the Middle Ages, these works became songs with everyday themes. They talked about the raids of robbers, the courageous exploits of knights, historical warriors, as well as any other events that touched people's lives. It should be noted that conflict has always been at the heart of any ballad. It could unfold between anyone - children and parents, a young man and a girl, due to the invasion of enemies or social inequality. But the fact remains that there was a conflict. And in the Middle Ages there was another moment. Then the emotional impact of these literary works was based on the fact that the dramatic conflict between death and life helped to begin to appreciate the meaning of essence and being.

The disappearance of a literary genre

How does the ballad develop further? This is an interesting story, because in the 17th and 18th centuries it ceases to exist as a literary genre. During this period, plays of a mythological nature or those that told about the heroes of ancient history were staged on the theater stages. And all this was very far from the life of the people. And a little earlier it was said that the center of the ballad is the people.

Butin the next century, in the 19th century, the ballad reappeared in literary as well as in musical art. Now it has turned into a poetic genre, having received a completely different sound in the works of such authors as Lermontov, Pushkin, Heine, Goethe and Mickiewicz. In Russian literature, he appeared at the very beginning of the 19th century, when in Europe he again returned to his existence. In Russia at that time, the traditions of pseudoclassicism were rapidly falling due to romantic German poetry. The first Russian ballad was a work called "Gromval" (author - G. P. Kamenev). But the main representative of this literary genre is V. A. Zhukovsky. He was even given the appropriate nickname - "ballade".

Ballad in England and Germany

It should be noted that the German and English ballad was extremely dark. Previously, people assumed that these verses were brought by the Norman conquerors. English nature inspired a mood that was reflected in the image of terrible storms and bloody battles. And the bards in ballads sang about the feasts and battles of Odin.

It is worth mentioning that in Germany such a word as a ballad is used as a term for poems that are written in the nature of Scottish and English old songs. The action in them, as a rule, develops very episodic. In this country, the ballad was especially popular at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the next, when romanticism flourished and the works of such great authors as Goethe, Heine, Burger, Uhland appeared.

Ballad as a literary genre

Features of the "ballad" genre are very different from those that are inherent in works written in a different form. So, it is necessary to have a plot with a present plot, climax and denouement. Much attention is paid to the feelings of the characters and the emotions of the author himself. The works combine the fantastic with the real. There is an unusual (romantic) landscape. The whole ballad is necessarily filled with mystery and intrigue - this is one of the key features. Sometimes the plot was replaced by dialogue. And, of course, epic and lyrical beginnings were combined in the works of this genre. In addition, the authors who created the ballads were able to compose the work as concisely as possible, which did not affect the meaning at all.