You may have come across the phrase 'the moral of the story is...' in the fables, fairytales and short stories you read when you were young.
Even in poetry, there are literary works that serve a similar purpose - to present the readers with a moral or life lesson. This type of poetry is known as didactic poetry. Let us look at the definition, structure, types and examples of didactic poetry.
Didactic poetry definition
The word 'didactic' comes from the Greek word didaktikos which means 'skilled at teaching'.
Didactic poetry is poetry that aims to inform, instruct and improve its readers rather than just entertain them. This could be in the form of a valuable moral or life lesson, a rule or instruction, or even knowledge about religion, astrology, arts, sciences and other important subjects.
He who binds to himself a joy
This is a short didactic poem called 'Eternity' (1880) by William Blake, where the speaker tells readers that those who remain attached to what is familiar and safe ('he who binds to himself a joy') hinder their own ability to move forward in life. However, those who are open to change and find joy in new things experience more happiness.
Didactic poems show the do's and don't of society. This sense of right versus wrong could be based on religious beliefs, political propaganda, history and literature, laws, ethics and morals that are considered 'good' in society. Hence, the message of a didactic poem is subjective to its social and political context.
Didactic poetry uses elegant language, metaphors, imagery and other poetic devices to convey a message. However, even though didactic poetry can be well-written and pleasing to read, its aesthetic function serves a disciplinary purpose1. Didactic poems use creative writing techniques as it is the best way to provide lessons to readers in a way that is attractive and memorable without being academic.
Didactic works have been in circulation long before literature even existed! In mostly all cultures across the world, life lessons and knowledge were circulated in the form of stories that were passed down from one generation to another by word of mouth. This took the form of spoken myths, legends, fables and even fairytales. The first ever written didactic work is believed to be the fairytale 'The Smith and the Devil', which was written in 1300 BCE.
Fig. 1 - A 1916 illustration for the folk tale 'The Smith and the Devil.'
Types of didactic poetry
There are several types of didactic poetry based on the purpose they serve.
Moral
This type of didactic poem aims to convey a particular moral or life lesson to its readers that teaches them the 'right' way to behave in this world.
Typically didactic poems convey a moral lesson by using plot-driven narratives. They feature allegorical characters that symbolise a particular virtue or flaw for which they are either rewarded or punished. Through the experiences of the fictional characters, the readers are given an example of the difference between 'good' versus 'bad' or 'right' versus 'wrong' and the consequences of following both paths in life.
'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night' (1951) by Dylan Thomas is a poem advising readers on how to face death. The speaker first acknowledges the inevitability of death but then encourages readers to not accept death as an end and give in to it without putting up a fight. The speaker emphasises the importance of human life and states that it is something worth fighting for. The first two stanzas of the poem are as follows:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
This type of didactic poem preaches religion and spirituality. They provide readers with moral guidance and encourage them to have faith in their God.
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