Narrative Poetry

Reporter: Maria Krisette B.

Cruz
Course Title: Creative
Wring
Professor: DR. VILMA
ESPARRAGO
Date: September 3, 2016

Narrative Poetry
Ancient societies used narrative poetry to
keep a record of their histories and
traditions because its formal meter and
rhyme scheme made it easy to memorize
and recount to others. A narrative poem is
a kind of poem that tells a story; it began
in the oral tradition, and it is one of the
oldest forms of poetry. (Prudchenko, 2013)

Definition/Characteris
tics:
1.It tells a story (with
characters, setting, plot).
2.It describes events that may
either be real or imaginary.
3.It is often longer than other
poems.

Types of Narrative
Ballad
Poetry

A poem similar to a folk tale which uses a repeated

refrain. This means that every few stanzas a
portion of the poem is repeated, much like a
song. Example of this is: Lord Randall
Epic
A long, serious poem which tells the story of a hero.
Think of stories like Odyssey or Epic of
Gilgamesh.
(Brodsky, 2011)

THE 20 GREATEST EPIC POEMS OF ALL TIME

Epic poetryor heroic poetry, as some of the medieval poets have
called itfollows a certain time-tested formula to portray such grand
representations of heroes and their followers. Here are a few
recurring patterns to keep in mind when considering these texts:
>The invocation of a muse. These poets plea to the gods at the very
beginning to grant them the power to tell these stories with a certain
forcefulness, though some admittedly pretend to do so to claim they
are divinely empowered.
>Many of these beginin medias res, in the middle of the story, and
may digress into the past later on in the poem.
>There are many journeys into the underworld.
>There are grand battle-scenes punctuated by extended similes,
ambitious analogies that stretch the imagination but strive for literary
glory.
>Foreshadowing
Epic of Gilgamesh
Iliad and Odyssey
Aenied
Mahabharata
Beowulf
Shanameh
Nibelungelied

Types of Narrative
Poetry

Idyll
A short poem about either an idolized peaceful
country scene or a long poem about the heroes of
yesteryear. An idyll speaks of someone or
something in a way that it should be idolized.
LayExample: The Passionate Shepherd to his Love
A long poem which was sung by medieval minstrels.
The longpoem were generally about the news of
the day or historical facts they wished to be passed
along throughout the countryside. Canterbury
Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer
*Metrical Romance
The poem tells a story in verse form and depicts the
adventures of romantic poetry dealing with the
emotions or phase of life and the story is toldin a
simple, straightforward and realistic manner.

Reference:
Brodsky (2011). Exploring the difference between narrative
and lyric verse.
Retrieved from
http://www.alinasadventuresinhomemaking.com/2011/10/sto
ry
poems-a-venture-into-narrative-verse.html
Prudchenko (2013). Necessary qualities of narrative poem.
Retrieved from
http://classroom.synonym.com/three-attributes-narrative-po
(1803).Lord Randal. Retrieved from
em-1716.html
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/lord-randall
(2013). The 20 Greatest Epic of all time. Retrieved from
https://qwiklit.com/2013/09/10/the-20-greatest-epic-poems-of-all
-time/
http://www.poeticterminology.net/the-passionate-shepherdto-his-love.htm