What are the characteristic distinguishes a ballad from other types of narrative poems?

I agree with the person above.

Although ballads are a form of narrative poetry, they still have many differences that distinguish them. First of all, they are far more lyrical than other types of narrative poems, the reason for this being because most of them were made to be sung, and not only read. Also, there are many figures of speech as well. Additionally, they rely on emotions and characters more than on events.