Ballads are traditional narrative poems that have been passed down through oral tradition and typically deal with themes of love, loss, tragedy, or humour. They are characterized by their simple and direct language use of repetition and imagery, and a specific rhyme scheme, meter and rhythm. Ballads often feature a distinct storytelling style and a refrain or chorus that is recurrently sung or recited. This type of poetry often shares certain elements of epic poetry or folk songs.