This document defines and provides examples of different types of narrative poetry. It begins by defining narrative poetry as combining elements of poetry and storytelling. It then discusses 6 main types of narrative poetry: epics, ballads, idylls, lays, novels in verse, and heroic poetry. For each type, it provides a definition and 1-2 examples. It concludes by listing 6 key characteristics of narrative poetry, such as an emphasis on storytelling and experimental language. It also provides two brief examples of contemporary narrative poems.

1. NARRATIVE POETRIES
TAMSA PANDYA
RESEARCH SCHLOAR
MKBU
WHAT IS A NARRATIVE POEM?
DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES

2. So, what is a narrative
poem?
Narrative poem definition: “A form of
literature that combines the elements of
poetry with the elements of storytelling”

3. AN INTRODUCTION
 The narrative poem is the oldest form of poetry,
and one of the oldest forms of literature. Epics
like The Iliad and the Odyssey, The Epic of
Gilgamesh, and The Mahabharata are ancient and
long narrative poem examples. Long before the
written word and the invention of mass
publishing, storytellers told their stories in verse,
and have done so since (at least) 2,100 B.C.
 Today, the narrative poem has evolved to
accommodate the storytelling needs of poets,
without (necessarily) the constraints of meter and
rhyme scheme. We’ll take a look at some
contemporary narrative poems later, charting the
evolution of this form against its ancient
backgrounds.

4. TYPES OF NARRATIVE POETRY
4. THE LAY
1. THE EPIC
5. THE NOVEL IN
VERSE
2. THE BALLAD
6. Heroic poetry
3. THE IDYLL

5. THE EPIC
● The epic poem is a long narrative poem that usually recounts stories of heroism. The
protagonists of epic poems are often kings, knights, heroes, or else extraordinary
people who change the fate of history.
● In ancient times, epic poetry primarily dealt with the gods, with war, or with other
events which define a people’s nationality. The Mahabharata, for example, tells a
story of two groups of cousins fighting against each other to determine the
successors of the Hastinapura throne, in Ancient India. Interwoven through this
story are tales of morality, national identity, and the gods, culminating in a sprawling
epic which, to this day, influences certain aspects of Indian culture.
● There are few epic poems in today’s literary landscape, partially because the epic
poem fulfilled cultural needs of the past that aren’t germane to contemporary
society. Examples of epic poetry include The Mahabharata, Beowulf, The Aeneid and
the Odyssey, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and The Shahnameh, among many others.

6. 2. THE BALLAD
● Among narrative poems, the ballad is more modern than most forms, though it’s
evolved quite a bit over several centuries. Originating in Europe, likely England, the
late Middle Ages, ballads were narrative poems set to music, intended to accompany
dances and entertain large audiences. Similar to epics, the narratives in ballads were
about extraordinary individuals, such as Robin Hood.
● Much later, in the 19th century, the ballad form was adopted by Romantic and
Victorian-era poets who admired the folksy yet literary attributes of ballad poetry.
Because this evolution spans centuries, the meter and topicality of ballad poetry
varies, but most ballads were intended to tell stories and entertain.
● Ballads aren’t nearly as popular in the 21st century, but some great 19th century
ballads include The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and The
Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde.

7. 3. THE IDYLL
● The word “idyllic” describes something reminiscent of rural and pastoral life. Idyll
poems, thus, are narrative poems which celebrate, describe, and explore rustic life.
● Idyllic poetry is typically short, but it still builds a narrative, and often a group of
idylls will be stringed together to form a larger story. For example, 12 idylls together
form Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, which retells the story of King Arthur, his love for
Guinevere, and the story of his kingdom.
● Perhaps a better example, stylistically, is Friedrich Nietzsche’s Idylls from Messina.
These 8 poems describe different facets of the idyllic life as Nietzsche observed while
writing in Sicily. Although the writing is a bit more lyrical than most idylls (and
although Nietzsche was not a poet by trade), the simplistic, storytelling style of idyllic
poetry can be observed in the speaker’s word choice and simple rhyme schemes.

8. 4. THE LAY
● The lay is a somewhat long narrative poem that, like other forms of poetry, evolved
through several centuries. The earliest recorded lay poems were written by Marie de
France, a French woman, and lays were often stories of romance, chivalry, and
emotional experiences.
● Lay poetry was typically written in octosyllabic verse, meaning each line had 8
syllables. Before Marie de France’s time, some Celtic poetry was lay and involved
aspects of Celtic theology, telling stories of fairies and the supernatural. Lay poems
always rhyme, and rarely exceed 1,000 lines.
● Also spelled “lai,” lay poetry is mostly confined to the Middle Ages, as few poets
dabbled in the form outside of Middle English. The Canterbury Tales includes
instances of lay, namely The Franklin’s Tale, which explores issues of truth and
magnanimity.

9. 5. THE NOVEL IN VERSE
● Among contemporary narrative poems, the novel in verse rules. A verse novel is
exactly what it sounds like: a novel-length story told through lines of poetry, not
prose. (If you’re not sure about the distinction between the two, take a look at our
article on Prose Vs Poetry.)
● Because a novel in verse is largely experimental, there are no solid rules for how to
write one. However, many verse novels tend to have first person narrators, short
chapters, and non-linear storytelling. Additionally, verse novels emphasize internal
dialogue and emotions, sometimes employing stream-of-consciousness techniques.
● Some examples of these long narrative poems include: Autobiography of Red by Anne
Carson, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Omeros by David Walcott, Inside Out & Back
Again by Thanhha Lai, and Dreaming of You by Melissa Lozada-Oliva.

10. 6. Heroic poetry
● Heroic poetry, narrative verse that is elevated in mood and
uses a dignified, dramatic, and formal style to describe the
deeds of aristocratic warriors and rulers. It is usually
composed without the aid of writing and is chanted or recited
to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. It is
transmitted orally from bard to bard over generations.

11. CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVE
POETRY
1……  An emphasis on storytelling
2…..  Experimental language:
3…..  Non-linear story structure:
4…..  Contemporaneous forms
5…..  Mythological elements
6…..  Internal characterization

12. CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVE
POETRY
 An emphasis on storytelling: narrative poems convey plot,
setting, characters, and other key elements of stories.
 Experimental language: the unexpected, experimental word
choice in narrative poems should surprise, delight, awe, transfix,
move, inspire, and/or captivate the reader.
 Non-linear story structure: narrative poems rarely follow a single
narrative thread or linear structure. These poems might jump
forward or backwards in time, start in the middle, or trace
completely disparate events before stitching them into one
unified story.

13. COUN….
 Contemporaneous forms: you may have noticed that no two types of narrative
poetry are written in the same way. Each has its own form, and that form is
dependent on the poem’s story, the year it was written, and the region it was written
in. Contemporary narrative poems tend to be free verse.
 Mythological elements: Most of the narrative poetry written in antiquity dwelled on
mythology. Even some contemporary examples, like Anne Carson’s Autobiography of
Red, is a retelling of Greek myth, though modern day verse novels aren’t uniformly
interested in myth.
 Internal characterization: Many narrative poems focus on the internal. The poetic
language of the form allows writers to capture thoughts, feelings, and internal
challenges that prose might not properly capture. Modern novels in verse are usually
told from the 1st person, or from a very limited 3rd person point of view.

14. NARRATIVE POEM EXAMPLES
THE GLASS ESSAY BY ANNE CARSON
The Glass Essay is a bit hard to define.
It is technically a narrative poem, though
Carson herself has called it a lyric essay, and
like much of Carson’s work, this piece is a bit
impossible to define by genre alone.
Nonetheless, Carson’s poem has a certain
“totality of life” to it, discussing love, family,
poetry, and the essence of the soul, all while
detailing the poet’s visit to her mother.

15. AURORA LEIGH BY ELIZABETH BARRETT
BROWNING
AURORA LEIGH BY ELIZABETH BARRETT
BROWNING
Aurora Leigh is a 9-part novel in verse about its
titular protagonist, Aurora, and her life from
childhood to her present. Its publication in
1856 catapulted Elizabeth Barrett Browning
into the spotlight. This long narrative poem’s
lengthy text deals with questions of class,
gender, and social equality, issues that were
captivating Europe and the United States at
that time.

16. THANK
YOU

17. WOEK SITED
● https://writers.com/narrative-poem-definition
● Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "heroic poetry". Encyclopedia Britannica, 19
Apr. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/art/heroic-poetry. Accessed 27 August 2023.