# Popular British Ballads, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 1 (of 4)

Author: Johnson, R. Brimley (Reginald Brimley), 1867-1932 [Editor]; Cooke, W. Cubitt (William Cubitt), 1866-1951 [Illustrator]

Genre: Category: Poetry

Language: English

License: Public domain

Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45241

Amazon editions: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Popular+British+Ballads%2C+Ancient+and+Modern%2C+Vol.+1+%28of+4%29+Johnson&tag=cyberlibrar00-20

## Summary

1. The word "ballad" is admittedly of very wide significance. Meaning originally "a song intended as the accompaniment to a dance," it was afterwards applied to "a light simple song of any kind" with a leaning towards the sentimental or romantic; and, in its present use, is defined by Dr Murray as "a simple spirited poem in short stanzas, in which some popular story is graphically told." Passing over the obsolete sense of "a popular song specially celebrating or scurrilously attacking some person or institution," we may note that Dr Johnson calls a ballad "a song," and quotes a statement from Watts that it once "signified a solemn and sacred song as well as a trivial, when Solomon's Song...

## Chapters

- [PART II.](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/popular-british-ballads-ancient-and-modern-vol-1-of-4-45241/chapters/6/index.md)
- [d. In the preparation of the Irish group I have been very materially](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/popular-british-ballads-ancient-and-modern-vol-1-of-4-45241/chapters/5/index.md)
- [Volume One of Four](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/popular-british-ballads-ancient-and-modern-vol-1-of-4-45241/chapters/1/index.md)
- [d. Irish ballads, written in English, are comparatively modern, but](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/popular-british-ballads-ancient-and-modern-vol-1-of-4-45241/chapters/3/index.md)
- [c. For the use of copyright matter my thanks are further due to Messrs](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/popular-british-ballads-ancient-and-modern-vol-1-of-4-45241/chapters/4/index.md)
- [c. The modern ballads are arranged chronologically, according to the](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/popular-british-ballads-ancient-and-modern-vol-1-of-4-45241/chapters/2/index.md)