Poem in short stanzas narrating a popular story.

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3: Ballet.

Ballet is an art form that tells a story through dance, music, and dramatic action. While it doesn't involve "stanzas" in the traditional sense of a poem, the question is likely using "poem in short stanzas" metaphorically to refer to a narrative told in distinct, structured segments, which aligns with how a ballet unfolds through its acts and scenes. Historically, many ballets are based on popular stories, myths, or legends, and are presented in a series of shorter, interconnected segments (dances, scenes) that collectively narrate the plot. Therefore, in the context of narrating a popular story through structured artistic segments, ballet fits the description.

The incorrect option is 1: Epic.
An epic is a long narrative poem, often of ancient oral tradition, telling of the deeds of a heroic figure or figures, and usually of national or cosmic significance. While it narrates a story, it is typically very long and not composed of "short stanzas" in the way implied by the question, but rather a continuous, extended poetic form.

The incorrect option is 2: Ballad.
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music, that typically tells a story, often about love, adventure, or historical events. Ballads are generally structured in short stanzas (usually quatrains) and narrate a popular story, but it is primarily a poetic or musical form, not a performance art like ballet.

The incorrect option is 4: Sonnet.
A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines, usually in iambic pentameter, with a fixed rhyme scheme. While it is a form of poetry in "short stanzas" (one stanza of 14 lines), it is not typically used for narrating a "popular story" but rather for expressing a single thought, emotion, or argument within its confined structure.