Dramatic poetry uses elements of drama through dramatic forms or techniques while also telling a story through characters. There are three main forms: dramatic monologues present the speech of a single character at a critical moment; soliloquies allow characters to express thoughts without others present; and character sketches arouse interest in an individual through suspense or conflict without a full story. Examples provided are Robert Browning's dramatic monologue "My Last Duchess" and Shakespeare's soliloquy from Hamlet on "to be or not to be." A character sketch is James Henry Leigh Hunt's poem "Abou Ben Adhem" about a man who sees angels writing the names of those who love God.

1. Dramatic Poetry