The ballad is an old form of storytelling verse. Originally ballads were unlikely to have been written down. They were passed on from generation to generation in what is now known as 'the oral tradition'. Often they would have been sung.

They have a regular rhythm and rhyme format, often with a chorus (refrain). There is no set form or length for a ballad. In terms of 'feel', imagine a large log fire on a winter's night, jugs of ale, and a host of 'good companie!' Then the balladeer speaks....

Our ballads, of course, are modern reproductions inspired by an age old form.