"Ballad" is a word that came into the Russian vocabulary from the Italian language. It is translated as “dance”, from the word “ballare”. Thus, a ballad is a dance song. Such works were written in verse form, and there were many verses. It is worth noting that they were performed only to some kind of musical accompaniment. But over time, they stopped dancing to ballads. Then they completely transformed. Ballad poems began to have an epic and very serious meaning.
The 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 poets painted in their ballads is mysterious and mysterious. Extraordinary heroes with definite and clearly expressed characters act in it.
One cannot fail to note such a person as Robert Burns, who became the founder of this genre. Man has always been at the center of these works, but the poets who worked in the 19th century who chose this genre knew that human forces could not always give the opportunity to answer every question and become the full owner of their own destiny. That is why often a ballad is a story poem that talks about rock. Such works include the “Forest King”. It was written by the poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe.
Century-old 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 a household theme. They talked about raids by robbers, courageous deeds of knights, historical warriors, as well as any other events that concerned the lives of people. It should be noted that any ballad has always been based on conflict. It could unfold between anyone - children and parents, a young man and a girl, due to invasion of enemies or social inequality. But the fact remains - 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 the literary genre
How does the ballad develop further? This is an interesting story, because in the XVII and XVIII centuries it ceases to exist as a literary genre. During this period, theatrical scenes were staged mythological plays or those that told about the heroes of ancient history. 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.
But in the next century, in the 19th century, the ballad again appeared in the literary as well as in the 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. He appeared in Russian literature 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 pseudo-classicism quickly fell due to romantic German poetry. The first Russian ballad was a work entitled “Thunderbolt” (author - G.P. Kamenev). But the main representative of this literary genre is V.A. Zhukovsky. He was even given the corresponding nickname - "ballad."
Ballad in England and Germany
It should be noted that the German and English ballad was exclusively gloomy. 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 denoting poems that are written in the character of Scottish and English ancient songs. The action in them, as a rule, develops very episodically. 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 works of such great authors as Goethe, Heine, Burger, Uland appeared.
Ballad as a literary genre
Features of the genre of "ballad" are very different from those inherent in works written in a different form. So, it is imperative that there is a plot with the present plot, climax and denouement. Much attention is paid to the feelings of the heroes 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 principles were combined in the works of this genre. In addition, authors who created ballads knew how to compose a work as concisely as possible, which did not affect the meaning at all.