Balladz

Balladz is a 2022 collection of poems by American poet Sharon Olds. Olds is known for her powerful and often erotic imagery, focusing on the body and family relationships. Her work frequently draws from her own life experiences, including her upbringing and marital dissolution.1

Ballads, as a literary form, are typically short narrative songs that originated in medieval Europe. They often tell stories and can be characterized by specific stanza structures, refrains, and repetitive elements, which aid in oral performance and memorization. While Olds's collection is titled Balladz, it is a modern poetic work rather than a traditional folk ballad.231