BALLADS

"Lord Randall"

Theme: This poem is about a young man who is in love.  He comes home every day, tired and barely speaks to his mother.  His mother babies him through most of the ballad and he mentions his true love. Later in the ballad he is 'poisoned'. At the end he says he is sick of heart "heartsick" which clearly defines the theme as love throughout the poem.

Elements: Repetition, 

"Frankie and Johnny"

Theme: Frankie figures out that Johnny is cheating on her with another woman and she goes and shoots him in the hotel where he is staying with his mistress. The story ends with her being told that she is sentenced to death. The theme of this story is that there is no good in men.

Elements: Last line of the stanzas are very similar, Third-person objective narrative, Dialogue

"Edward, Edward"

Theme: Edward tries to lie to his mother about what he killed. He tries to say he killed his hawk and his horse, but his mother sees through that, and asks him again why his sword is dripping. He confesses that he killed his father and he is leaving the country. His mom asks him what he is going to do about his wife and children, his home, and his punishment, and he just says his family can beg, his home will just stand until it falls, and he is avoiding his punishment by leaving the country

Elements: “O, I hae killed...” repetition present “Mither, mither” repetition present,Is a narrative

"Get up and bar the door"

Theme: This story’s theme is stubbornness. It portrays the stubbornness of a couple who is playing a game of not talking because neither of them wants to be the one who gets up to lock the door.

Elements: Four line structure for each stanza
There is dialogue present

"Robin Hood"

Theme: is about the injustice of the legal system and the justice of the vigilantes. The story follows the story of Robin Hood going into a village and saving three squires that are sentenced to death because of killing a deer on the lord’s property. Robin Hood and his men come into the village and free the squires and hang the sheriff instead because of his injustice.

Elements: ABCB rhyme, A narrative

​"Barbara Allen"
The theme is that love is not true and it is harmful. Barbara Allen turns down her lovers love even when he is on his deathbed. This poem is cynical of the existence of love.









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