Villanova College

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
THE ELEGY AND THE BALLAD IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT
DUE DATE: _____________________________
ENG2D – Ms. Domina

As the remaining dust flurries along,

I will continue to carry the remaining dust of passed men,
Who have held their heads high and fought for us,
May they rest in peace amen
--Villanova Student, “Dust at Vimy Ridge”

In this short unit, we have studied a variety of poems about loss and perseverance and hope
in the face of adversity. In this assignment, you will capture the theme of
Remembrance by lamenting the loss of Canadian soldiers in battle or retelling
acts of courage and fortitude on the battlefield. Your poem will be submitted, if you
wish, to the Legion’s Remembrance Day Literary Contest.

Your elegy or ballad must:

 be composed of at least 5 quatrains (4 lines each= 20 lines) *Maximum is 32 lines
for the contest
 if your poem is an elegy, include the three stages of loss: grief, praise of the dead,
consolation.
 If your poem is a ballad, include two lines that are repeated 2x and a distinct plotline
and moral
 loosely follow a consistent rhythm. For example, a pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables, or a pattern in the number of syllables per line (ex. 12. 10, 12,
10…)
 be written with a clear rhyme scheme of your choosing (example ABAB or ABCB or
AABB)
 include 3 literary devices. Indicate on the second copy of your poem where you
have used the device, and which device it is.

As this is an in-class assignment, you will have 2 class periods to compose your poem, and 1
class period for peer editing. You will submit 2 copies of the poem (printed on one side
only) and a completed Legion contest form, signed by your parents. *A blank form will
be provided to you.

Regulations from the Legion Contest:

See rubric for Villanova College ENG2D criteria.

The National Winning Poems from 2021
*Note these are not necessarily elegies or ballads, but your poem will be!