The Development of Randal Ballad from Song to Nursery Rhyme: A Critical Study

Abstract

Ballad is the oldest poetical form in English. Most of the ballads have been lost but some of them have been collected and published. Originally it was sung from village to village to the accompaniment of a harp by a singer or a band of singers who earned their livelihood in this way. Thus, it existed in a song form. Gradually, there was a change in its pattern. It is demonstrated with the example of the Randal Ballad in this paper. The researcher aims to study the developmental phase of ballad from song to nursery rhyme.