Narrative Poetry

What is narrative poetry ?

• Narrative Poetry is a poem that tells a series of events using poetic devices such as rhythm, rhyme, compact language, and attention to sound.

• In other words, a narrative poem tells a story, but it does it with poetic flair! Many of the same elements that are found in a short story are also found in a narrative poem.

• Here are some elements of narrative poetry that are important: – character – setting – conflict – plot

Examples of Narrative Poems & Poetry

• "There was three kings into the east, Three kings both great and high, And they have sworn a solemn oath John Barleycorn should die."Excerpt from John Barleycorn by Robert Burns

• "Half a league, half a league,Half a league onward,All in the valley of DeathRode the six hundred."Forward, the Light Brigade!"Charge for the guns!" he said:Into the valley of DeathRode the six hundred."Excerpt from 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

• Narrative poems come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: They tell stories. People have been telling stories since the dawn of creation, and the great religious and poetic works reflect this

• For instance, a parable is a story. Throughout time, in cultures around the world, the person who tells an enlightened tale has been honored as a priest or visionary with unique powers.

Even the word poet, used today in

conversation, implies that a person has a special gift that distinguishes him or her from other writers.

• Children, of course, love stories. Typically, a narrative poem — heard in childhood —ignites the muse within us, so we vow to become poets when we grow up.