Blog Post #9: Poetry Form Presentations - "Lord Randall" & Ballad Form

Tone Shifts Chart

"Lord Randall" Poem Annotations

Storyboards

Reflection

Our group analyzed a ballad format in the poem, “Lord Randall.” Initially, we did not have any background knowledge surrounding “Lord Randall” or ballads in general. After little research, we began to understand its prevalence in literature. However, we still were confused as to the significance of “Lord Randall”. There were so many repeated lines that, it seemed, the poem was not saying anything at all. Finally, we learned that the phrase “make my bed” could also refer to death. This realization gave the poem new meaning. We were able to find the complexity, distinguish the tone shifts, and explore how betrayal and the son’s relationship with his mother played a role in the poem.

After this, it was pretty easy to continue, though we did struggle to pace ourselves and found that we had to complete a great deal of the assignment over the weekend. Nonetheless, our group was extremely flexible. We were able to balance responsibilities with each other and work with everyone’s schedules. In order to create the music video, we used a music video by Lorde as a style model. However, after filming the video, we realized that a country song, such as “What Hurts The Most” by Rascal Flatts, would be a far better fit. Lorde’s video reminded us to take into account the lighting while editing the video. However, we mirrored everything else off of Rascal Flatts. That video showed us how fading, repetition, and flashbacks--all of which were prevalent in our poem--could enhance the tone shifts in our music video.

In editing and crafting our music video, we were able to develop a much deeper understanding of a ballad and the tone shifts in “Lord Randall”. After watching the poetry presentations, I feel that I have a basic background in most forms of poetry. In a future project, I think our group could work more effectively by creating and adhering to a schedule. This would allow us to spend the necessary amount of time on each component of the project, instead of falling behind as we did this time. Also, it would benefit us to be more organized as a group by taking the time to ensure that all of us are on the same page.