Question

which of the following descriptions is accurate?
a. a ballad consists of three or four stressed syllables per line and a story of some kind.
b. a ballad consists of lines that follow no set rhyme scheme or pattern of meter.
c. a ballad contains 14 lines, a turning point, and a 5-7-5 syllabic form.
d. a ballad contains language that attempts to reflect natural speaking patterns.

Explanation:

• Option A: Ballads are narrative (tell a story) and typically use a meter with 3-4 stressed syllables per line, often in a quatrain structure.
• Option B: Ballads usually follow a consistent rhyme scheme (like ABCB or ABAB) and set meter, so this is incorrect.
• Option C: A 14-line structure with a turning point describes a sonnet, and 5-7-5 syllabic form is haiku, not a ballad.
• Option D: Language mirroring natural speech is characteristic of free verse or conversational poetry, not traditional ballads.

Answer:

A. A ballad consists of three or four stressed syllables per line and a story of some kind.