Narrative Poetry

Have you ever encountered a poem that told a whole story? This kind of poem is known as narrative poetry. Read on to learn more about it.

What is narrative poetry in literature?

Narrative poetry is poetry that tells a story. Just like the typical structure of a story, it usually has a beginning, middle, and end, but narrative poetry can have an unpredictable structure. Narrative poetry usually has one narrator who chronicles the events.

Fig. 1 - Narrative poetry is a blend of poetic language with storytelling.

The history of narrative poetry

Narrative poetry has its origins in oral traditions. These tales were recounted and passed down orally through memory. Narrative poems were often orally created and shared before they were documented in written language. People used poetic devices such as rhyme and repetition to make memorisation easier.

Characteristics of narrative poetry

Since narrative poetry closely follows the typical structure of a story, it will often have:

• Developed characters.

• A plot.

• Conflict and resolution.

What differentiates narrative poetry from a typically narrated story is that this poetry often has a formal rhyme scheme with the second and fourth lines of the poem rhyming. The purpose of narrative poetry is for the narrator to tell a series of events. To do this, the poet employs poetic devices. The poetic devices used in narrative poetry include metaphors, personification, and rhyming.

Narrative poetry is also different from narrative prose because, unlike narrative prose, it is written in verse and uses traditionally poetic devices that prose doesn't always adhere to.

Types of narrative poetry

Let's look at the different types of narrative poetry.

Ballads

A ballad is a type of narrative poetry that tells a story set to music. Ballads were created by poets and passed down orally, having peak popularity from the late medieval period until the nineteenth century. These popular ballads narrated tales of heroes, love, tragedy, and challenges, all typically set to music.

The poetic metre of ballads traditionally alternated between iambic tetrameter (four-stress lines) and iambic trimeter (three-stress lines).

Fig. 2 - Ballads are a good example of narrative poetry which uses lyrical qualities to construct a narrative

Some of the most famous examples of an epic are the Homeric epics. The most well-known ones are the Illiad and the Odyssey (eighth century BC). The Illiad tells the story of the Trojan War. This war in Greek mythology was a ten-year siege of the city of Troy where a coalition of many Greek states ruled by King Agamemnon fought the Trojans, ruled by King Priam.

One of the most famous warriors was Achilles, who fought for King Agamemnon. Achilles was known for being a formidable warrior, though his one weakness, his Achilles heel, was struck during battle in Troy and he died.

Fig. 3 - The Trojan Horse, as featured in the Greek myth of Troy.

The Odyssey details the adventures of Odysseus, the Greek hero and king of Ithaca as he comes home after the Trojan War. During the Trojan War, Odysseus was amongst the most noteworthy Greek champions under King Agamemnon’s command.

The Trojan War lasted for ten years and Odysseus’ journey back home to Ithaca took ten more years. Odysseus was presumed to be dead because of his continued absence. The Odyssey tells of the changes Odysseus encounters after being away from home and presumed dead.

Arthurian Romances

This type of narrative poetry has its origins in twelfth-century France. Arthurian Romances are about the adventures and romances in King Arthur’s court during his reign in the fifth and sixth centuries. King Arthur warded off Saxon invasions and this is explored in some of his stories.

Other stories focus on his romance with his wife Guinevere and his relationship with the Knights of the Round Table. It is not determined whether or not King Arthur was a real person or a fictional character. Arthurian Romances feature moral and characteristic attitudes, such as chivalry and honour, that were very important during the time of King Arthur.

Fig. 4 - King Arthur knighting one of his men.

Example of narrative poetry

One famous example of narrative poetry is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’ (1860). This poem is a commemoration piece for real-life American patriot Paul Revere, but the story detailed is partly fictional. ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’ follows Paul Revere as he tells his friend to prepare signal lanterns in a church to give him enough warning about the British invasion by land or by sea. Paul would then spread the alarm in reaction to the signal across Massachusetts.

How to start writing narrative poetry

To start writing narrative poetry, think about how to build the narrator who is telling the story: what characteristics do you want them to have? Think of how you want the beginning, middle, and end of a character’s plot to play out. You should also consider the obstacles and conflicts you want them to face. Remember that narrative poetry focuses on plot over emotions.

What is the difference between lyric and narrative poetry?

The difference between lyric poetry and narrative poetry is that narrative poetry recalls a series of events, so its purpose is to tell a story. Lyric poetry tells the narrator’s emotions and thoughts, and this is not the focus of narrative poetry. Lyrical poetry is often shorter than narrative poetry, and the musical verses are created to help convey the narrator’s emotions and thoughts. Narrative poetry can have lyrical elements, just as lyrical poetry can have narrative elements.