What is the difference between a ballad and a poem? Is there anything in common with these genres?

Some literary genres have similar qualities, but each of them retains its identity. People who are not experts in the industry, this is very confusing, so we decided to shed light on one of the sensational questions about what a ballad differs from a poem.

Introduction

Before we highlight the similarities and differences of these two genres, let's review their history. The fact is that both the poem and the ballad originated in the Middle Ages, at a time when all forms of creativity were tightly interwoven with each other. In this case, a whole formed a poem and music. Indeed, at the beginning of existence no one knew what a ballad and poem were. Differences could be covered in the features of the text (rhyme or lack thereof) and in the genre of the work. People did not call such compositions in any way, they just invented them and performed them, often without even writing them down on paper. With the advent of the Renaissance literature and music began to separate from each other, and in each of these industries genres began to appear. That's when the trivial question appeared about what a ballad differs from a poem.

Ballad

This term in our days has to do with literature and music. The ballad can be found in the book and read without hearing a single note. And you can find it in music archives and perform it on one of the instruments. To give an accurate interpretation of this term, you should refer to the dictionaries:

• The ballad is a lyric-epic genre that was formed on the territory of the British Isles from the 14th to the 16th centuries.
• In medieval France, the word "ballad" appeared in the 13th century. These were some text-musical or simply poetic forms that were the embodiment of provencal poetry.
• The final interpretation of the term "ballad" was formed in the XIX century in Europe. He was defined as a musical and poetic genre, telling one story after another.

Turning to the origins

Before we determine the main difference between a ballad and a poem, it is worthwhile to carefully study the history of the occurrence of at least one of them. So, as was said above, the birthplace of the ballad is France, the Provence region. In the Middle Ages, the genre was characterized by a poetic musical form with epic coloring. The French performed ballads in one voice and the soloist accompanied himself. When the Norman conquerors found themselves on the territory of England, creativity moved along with them. The epic nature of the ballad has survived, but new features have emerged. Such works could describe biographies (Robin Hood) and even military campaigns. In the end, the whole world recognized the ballad, including Russia. Composers began to write appropriate music, and writers - epic stories.

Poem

This genre can rightfully be called poetic. Originally poems were written exclusively in verse, while they could have a romantic or satirical, epic or critical color. During the Enlightenment, people knew exactly what the ballad differs from the poem, moreover, each of these genres was performed for a certain audience. Aristocrats preferred cutesy and restrained poems, written by famous and honorable authors. They could be read or dried in theaters. The ballad was the property of the less well-off strata of the population. They often glorified grave fortress everyday life or memories of past exploits of ancestral heroes.

Let's sum up the results

So, what is the difference between a ballad and a poem:

• The ballad is a small musical and literary work. The author (if any) mainly conveys his thoughts and feelings about what is happening. Often, ballads are identified as folklore creations.
• But the poem is a large literary form, which is written by a specific author. It always clearly reveals the characters of the characters and places of action. In the poem, first of all, global issues are considered, and the author's and hero's experiences stand in the background.