The best examples of famous ballads you should know

Classic literary examples of famous ballads you should know

When people talk about classic ballads, they usually mean narrative poems meant to be sung or recited, often about love, loss, or danger. Some of the best examples come from traditional English and Scottish ballads collected in the 18th and 19th centuries.

A textbook example of a traditional ballad is “Barbara Allen.” It tells the story of a young man dying for love and the woman who realizes her feelings too late. The language is simple, the story is tragic, and the structure is tight: short lines, a strong beat, and repeated refrains. If you want to hear how a ballad sounds when spoken, read it aloud and notice how easily it falls into rhythm. You can find versions of it in collections like the Child Ballads, a famous catalog of English and Scottish ballads compiled by Harvard scholar Francis James Child (Harvard University).

Another one of the best examples of ballads you should know is “Sir Patrick Spens.” This ballad follows a doomed sea voyage ordered by the king. There’s no flowery description, just sharp, vivid moments: the letter from the king, the sailors’ fears, the final image of hats floating on the waves. It’s a powerful reminder that ballads are about showing the story in quick, punchy scenes.

If you’re looking for examples of famous examples of ballads you should know from slightly later periods, turn to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” It’s longer and more elaborate than many folk ballads, but it still uses ballad techniques: strong rhythm, repeated phrases, and a haunting story (in this case, a sailor cursed after killing an albatross). Many literature courses still use it as a prime example of how the ballad form can be stretched without losing its storytelling core. The Poetry Foundation provides the full text and background on this and many other ballads (Poetry Foundation).

Romantic and Victorian ballads: examples include Keats and Poe

Moving into the 19th century, examples of famous ballads shift from anonymous folk songs to named authors using the form on purpose.

John Keats’s “La Belle Dame sans Merci” is a great example of how ballads can be eerie and dreamlike. A knight tells the story of meeting a mysterious woman who enchants and abandons him. The poem uses short, clipped stanzas and a steady beat that feels almost like a heartbeat. This is one of the best examples of ballads you should know if you’re interested in gothic or fantasy writing, because it shows how much mood a ballad can carry in a small space.

Then there’s Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee.” Poe leans into repetition—“in a kingdom by the sea”—to create a lullaby-like sound that makes the grief feel deeper. It’s a strong example of a literary ballad that still feels like it could be sung. If you’re studying rhyme and repetition, this is one of those real examples worth copying out by hand just to feel the pattern.

Victorian writers also used ballad techniques to comment on society. Oscar Wilde’s “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” tells the story of a man condemned to death, while also criticizing the prison system. It shows that the form isn’t limited to romance or supernatural tales; ballads can carry social and political messages, too.

Folk and traditional songs: real examples that shaped the form

If you only look at printed poems, you miss half the story. Many of the best examples of ballads you should know live in folk music.

Traditional American, English, Scottish, and Irish songs are packed with examples of ballads passed down by memory long before they were written. Songs like “The House of the Rising Sun,” “Scarborough Fair,” and “Matty Groves” tell compact stories of crime, betrayal, or heartbreak. They’re easy to remember because of their repetitive structure and steady rhythm—key features of ballads.

Organizations like the Library of Congress and university archives have recorded and preserved these songs as part of cultural history. If you want to hear real examples of ballads sung in older styles, the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center has online collections of traditional ballads and folk songs (loc.gov). Listening to these can be just as instructive for a writer as reading printed poems.

These folk songs give you examples of famous examples of ballads you should know if you’re interested in:

• How narrative songs travel and change over time
• How different singers adapt the same story
• How melody and rhythm support the storytelling structure

Modern literary ballads: examples of story-driven poems

Ballads didn’t stop with the 19th century. Modern poets still borrow the form when they want a strong narrative spine.

A standout example of a 20th-century literary ballad is W.H. Auden’s “As I Walked Out One Evening.” It mixes old-school ballad rhythm with modern themes like time, anxiety, and the pressure of modern life. The poem uses a regular beat and rhyme, but the voice feels contemporary and reflective.

Another powerful example is “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall (1965). It tells the story of a mother and daughter on the day of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The poem uses the familiar, almost simple ballad structure to carry an emotionally heavy, historically specific story. This is one of the best examples of ballads you should know if you’re studying how poetry can respond to real events and civil rights history. The Academy of American Poets and similar organizations offer background and text for many such modern ballads (poets.org).

These poems show that when you’re looking for examples of famous examples of ballads you should know, you shouldn’t stop at medieval knights and tragic maidens. The form is flexible enough to carry stories about war, racism, urban life, and more.

Ballads in popular music: the examples you probably already know

Here’s where things get fun: you probably already know a lot of real examples of ballads—you just call them songs.

In modern usage, people often say “ballad” to mean a slow, emotional song, especially about love or heartbreak. Not every slow song is a true narrative ballad, but many pop and rock songs still follow the old pattern: a clear story, a strong emotional arc, and memorable repetition.

Some examples of famous examples of ballads you should know from popular music include:

• “The Ballad of John and Yoko” by The Beatles – It literally labels itself a ballad and tells a straightforward story about John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s experiences.
• “Hurricane” by Bob Dylan – A modern protest ballad that narrates the story of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, who was wrongfully convicted of murder. It’s a direct descendant of older political and crime ballads.
• “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot – A detailed retelling of a real shipwreck on Lake Superior. This is one of the clearest real examples of a ballad in 20th-century popular music: a specific event, told in vivid scenes, supported by a strong, repetitive melody.
• “Stan” by Eminem (feat. Dido) – A contemporary narrative ballad in hip-hop form. It tells the story of a fan whose obsession spirals out of control. The song uses letters as a framing device and moves step by step through a tragic plot.

If you’re exploring examples of famous ballads you should know from the 21st century, look at story-heavy tracks by artists like Taylor Swift, Hozier, or Adele. Songs such as “Love Story” (Swift) or “The Night We Met” (Lord Huron) don’t always follow the strict folk-ballad structure, but they do carry the same spirit: a clear narrative, emotional intensity, and memorable refrains.

How to recognize ballads: patterns across all these examples

Once you’ve looked at enough examples of famous examples of ballads you should know, patterns start to pop out. Most ballads, whether it’s “Barbara Allen” or “Hurricane,” share a few traits:

1. They tell a story.
This is non-negotiable. A ballad is always narrative. There’s a beginning, middle, and end, even if some parts are implied rather than spelled out.

2. The language is usually direct.
Ballads rarely waste time on long philosophical tangents. They move through concrete actions and images: someone rides out, someone falls in love, a ship sinks, a letter arrives.

3. There’s a strong beat and often a regular rhyme scheme.
Traditional ballads often use quatrains (four-line stanzas) with alternating lines of four and three beats, and a pattern like ABCB rhyme. Many modern songs and poems adapt this, but you can still feel the pull of a steady rhythm.

4. Repetition is your friend.
Refrains, repeated lines, and recurring phrases help listeners remember the story. Think of “Annabel Lee” and its repeated “kingdom by the sea,” or the repeated choruses in “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

5. Emotions run high.
Most of the best examples of ballads you should know are not calm little slices of life. They’re about intense feelings: love, jealousy, grief, anger, awe. That’s what makes them stick.

When you study examples of famous examples of ballads you should know, try this quick exercise: pick one ballad, and underline every verb. You’ll see how action-heavy they are. Then underline every repeated phrase. You’ll see the skeleton of the song or poem appear.

Using these examples of ballads in your own writing

If you’re a writer or songwriter, all these examples of famous ballads you should know are more than just history; they’re a toolbox.

Here’s a simple way to learn from them:

Start with one traditional poem (say, “Barbara Allen”), one older literary ballad (like “La Belle Dame sans Merci”), and one modern song (for example, “Hurricane” or “Stan”). Read or listen to each one several times.

Then ask yourself:

• What is the central story in each piece? Can you summarize it in two sentences?
• Where does the tension rise, and where does it break?
• Which lines repeat, and why?
• How does the rhythm support the emotional peaks?

Once you’ve done that, try writing a short narrative of your own and shaping it into a ballad stanza. You don’t have to imitate the old style exactly. The point is to use these examples of famous examples of ballads you should know as models. You’re learning a pattern that you can bend to your own voice.

If you’re teaching, these real examples of ballads are perfect for classroom comparison. Put a traditional ballad next to a modern narrative song and have students spot similarities. They’ll quickly see that the ballad tradition never really went away; it just changed outfits.

FAQ: examples of ballads and how to use them

Q: What are some classic examples of ballads I should start with?
A: Strong starting points include “Barbara Allen,” “Sir Patrick Spens,” “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” “La Belle Dame sans Merci,” “Annabel Lee,” and “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.” These give you a range of older examples of the form.

Q: Can you give an example of a modern ballad in popular music?
A: Yes. “Hurricane” by Bob Dylan, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot, “Stan” by Eminem, and “The Ballad of John and Yoko” by The Beatles are widely cited real examples of modern narrative ballads.

Q: Are all slow love songs examples of ballads?
A: Not necessarily. Many slow songs are called “ballads” in pop culture, but a true ballad usually tells a clear story with a beginning, middle, and end. A song that just describes a feeling without a narrative is more of a lyrical piece than a traditional ballad.

Q: How can I use these examples of ballads to improve my own writing?
A: Study how your favorite ballads handle story, pacing, and repetition. Then outline your own narrative—who wants what, what goes wrong, how it ends—and try writing it in short, rhythmic stanzas. Let these examples of famous examples of ballads you should know guide your structure, but keep your own voice.

Q: Where can I find more examples of ballads online?
A: For literary ballads and background, check reliable resources like the Poetry Foundation, Academy of American Poets, and university literature pages. For traditional folk ballads, the Library of Congress American Folklife Center and similar archives offer recordings and texts you can study.