Ballad

What is A Ballad : a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas.

Lines Written in Early Spring by William Wordsworth

 I HEARD a thousand blended notes,
          While in a grove I sate reclined,          In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
          Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

          To her fair works did Nature link
          The human soul that through me ran;          And much it grieved my heart to think
          What man has made of man.

          Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
          The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;                       
          And 'tis my faith that every flower          Enjoys the air it breathes.

          The birds around me hopped and played,          Their thoughts I cannot measure:--
          But the least motion which they made
          It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

          The budding twigs spread out their fan,
          To catch the breezy air;
          And I must think, do all I can,          That there was pleasure there.                            

          If this belief from heaven be sent,
          If such be Nature's holy plan,
          Have I not reason to lament
          What man has made of man?


Wordsworth may have wanted to use this form because of its simplicity. Ballads are usually pretty in words, can be short, and sometimes rhyme.

poem - http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/181415
definition - http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_ballad