Need help with essay title related to ballads

Essay title is 'How far do you agree that in its sturcture, language and in all its typical features, the ballad is ideally adapted to the purpose of story telling?' Discuss two ballads

The two ballads I've chosen are The Twa Corbies and Sir Patrick Spens both of which are pre-1770 poems

I need help on getting started how should i answer this question? and I need help on typical language features and themes of these ballads that is related to the purpose of story telling

in case you haven't seen the poem, I've modified Sir patrick Spens because I could not find the version I was studying.

The Twa Corbies http://www.bartleby.com/101/380.html

Sir Patrick Spens
The King sits in Dunfermline town,
Drinking the blude-red wine:
"O whar will I get guid sailor
To sail this ship of mine?"

Up and spak an eldern knight,
Sat at the King's richt knee:
"Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor
That sails upon the sea."

The King has written a braid letter,
And signed it wi’ his hand,
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens,
Was walking on the sand.

The first line that Sir Patrick read,
A loud lauch lauched he;
The next line that Sir Patrick read,
The tear blinded his ee.

"O wha is this has done this deed,
This ill deed done to me,
To send me out this time o’ the year,
To sail upon the sea?

“Mak haste, make haste, my mirry men all,
Our guid ship sails the morn."
"O say na sae,, my master dear,
For I fear a deadly storm.

"Late, late yestre’en I saw the new moon
Wi’ the auld moon in hir arm,
And I fear, I fear, my dear master,
That we will come to harm."

O our Scots nobles were richt laith
To weet their cork-heeled shoon,
But lang or a’ the play were played
Their hats they swam aboon.

O our Scots nobles were richt laith
To weet their cork-heeled shoon,
But lang or a’ the play were played
Their hats they swam aboon.

O lang, lang may their ladies sit,

Wi’ their fans into their hand, (double spacing here I didn't know how to correct)

Or ere they see Sir Patrick Spens

Come sailing to the land.

O lang, lang may the ladies stand
Wi’ their gold kems in their hair,
Waiting for their ain dear lords,
For they'll see them na mair.

Half o’er, half o’er to Aberdour
It’s fifty fadom deep.
And their lies guid Sir Patrick Spens
Wi’ the Scots lords at his feet.

Anon.

Thanks for your help