Can you recommend some ballads and other poems that tell a story?

They usually have characters. Take 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol'. There are the prisoners, the guards, and the narrator (Wilde himself). These characters drive the story forward. Also, they might use repetition for emphasis. In many traditional ballads, certain lines or phrases are repeated to make the story more memorable.

Sure. 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a great one. It tells the story of a mariner who kills an albatross and then suffers various supernatural consequences during his long and arduous sea journey.

Another good one is 'John Henry'. It's a story about a man, John Henry, who has a contest with a steam - powered drill. He tries to prove that a man can work as hard as a machine, but unfortunately, he dies in the end from overexertion.

Well, 'Stan' by Eminem is a very well - known modern ballad that tells a story. It's about an over - obsessed fan named Stan who takes things too far. Also, 'Someone Like You' by Adele is a ballad that tells the story of heartbreak and loss, with Adele's powerful vocals really bringing the emotions to life.

One such poem is 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It tells the story of a mariner who shoots an albatross and then endures a series of supernatural and psychological punishments at sea. Another is 'The Highwayman' by Alfred Noyes, which is a tragic love story set against the backdrop of highway robbery in old England. And 'Casey at the Bat' by Ernest Thayer is a humorous poem that tells the story of a baseball hero's big moment at the plate.

One such poem is 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It tells the story of a mariner who shoots an albatross and then suffers a series of supernatural punishments. Another is 'The Highwayman' by Alfred Noyes, which is a tragic love story involving a highwayman and his beloved Bess. 'Casey at the Bat' by Ernest Lawrence Thayer is also a well - known narrative poem that tells the story of a baseball player.

One characteristic is simplicity. They often use simple language so that they can be easily passed down orally. For example, many traditional ballads use common words that ordinary people can understand.

Thomas Hardy's 'The Darkling Thrush' can be considered. It's set during a desolate winter scene. The narrator is in a rather gloomy state of mind, and the thrush's song seems out of place in this sad, dying world. It gives a feeling of melancholy about the state of things and the passage of time.

One such short poem is 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost. It tells the story of a person standing at a fork in the road and having to make a choice between two paths. The poem reflects on how our choices shape our lives.

One is 'Annabel Lee' by Edgar Allan Poe. It tells the sad story of the narrator's love for Annabel Lee, who was taken away by death. The poem is filled with a sense of loss and the narrator's undying love for her even in the face of her passing.