SCOTTISH BALLAD: COMPARATIVE ASPECT

Abstract

The article focuses on analyzing the ballad as a predominant genre in the works of Scottish poets-emigrants of the USA of the 19th century. The novelty of the study lies in its comparative approach and the selection of material. It examines the folklore ballad “Clyde Water” alongside H. Ainslie’s ballad “Willy an’ Ellen”, identifying both shared and distinctive features of the Scottish ballad at the levels of motifs, plot, and chronotope. Both ballads explore themes of unrequited love, innocent lovers facing death, separation, and the symbolism of water representing this separation, as well as the concept of “love to the grave”. In H. Ainslie’s ballad, the theme of separation carries a greater emotional intensity, which is expected from an emigrant poet. The numerous similarities highlight the enduring vitality and significance of the folklore tradition, even amidst the challenges of emigration.