Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers and Other Poems

William Edmondstoune Aytoun was a poet, who is remembered for parodies and light verse and who had a greatly influenced on the style of later Scottish humorous satire. Called 'the first modern professor of English literature', Aytoun was an ardent collector of ballads, and a poet who wrote in the historical ballad style.
Ballad - a type of lyric and epic poetry, which combines epic and lyrical images of life. A small plot poem in which the poet conveys his feelings and thoughts, portraying what causes these experiences. Originally a ballad called lyrical choral song. Later ballad became known as small plot fantastic poem. historical or heroic content, or a single episode of the life of heroic character.