The Diverting History of John Gilpin by William Cowper (excerpt)

John Gilpin was a citizen
Of credit and renown,
A train-band captain eke was he,
Of famous London town.

John Gilpin's spouse said to her dear,
"Though wedded we have been
These twice ten tedious years, yet we
No holiday have seen.

"To-morrow is our wedding-day,
And we will then repair
Unto the 'Bell' at Edmonton,
All in a chaise and pair.

"My sister, and my sister's child,
Myself, and children three,
Will fill the chaise; so you must ride
On horseback after we."

2
Select the correct answers.
Which two characteristics suggest that the excerpt is from a ballad?
The stanzas feature a simple end-rhyme scheme.
The excerpt uses iambic pentameter consistently.
The lines alternate between iambic tetrameter and trimeter.
The excerpt uses elevated language for comic effect.