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   Sonnets are a fixed poetry form of Italian origin.  They consist of 14 lines rhymed in a certain scheme.  The English sonnet, also known as the Shakespearean sonnet, has a scheme of abab cdcd efef gg.  The Italian sonnet, also called the Petrarchan sonnet, has a different scheme.  The first eight lines are rhymed abba abba, with the last six lines being rhymed either cde cde or cdc dcd.

   Ballads are a fixed form of 28 lines (twice the length of a sonnet).  The pattern consists of three stanzas of eight lines each, rhymed, 1,2,1,2,2,3,2,3R, and an envoy rhymed 2,3,2,3R.  The "R" in 3R stands for "refrain."  The rules for a true ballad are very strict.  The sounds must all be phonetic, not sight rhymes.  Once used, the consonant sounds preceding the end rhyme sound cannot be repeated except in the refrain line.  There must be a flow or progression from start to end.  Since these are so difficult, I've only written one, so far.  They are at least twice as difficult to write as sonnets, but I hope to write more in the future.