Narrative Poem: Basic Guidelines and Examples

A narrative poem presents a series of events through action to tell a story. Basically, such stories narrated through poetry are usually dramatic and compelling to readers. In writing, the three main types of narrative poems are epics, ballads, and Arthurian romances. Further on, this type of poetry contains all the writing elements of a fully developed story and has just one narrator. Besides, such a composition has a clear purpose and a moral objective in the end. In turn, the best narrative poems use precise imagery and descriptive words to bring out a story’s details to write about. This attitude creates a lot of sensory information that helps in grabbing a target audience’s attention. Hence, it is critical to use clear, objective, and stereotype-free language to avoid confusion and anger from readers. Moreover, narrative poems have moral lessons to inform, inspire, and act as guidance for the future.

General Aspects

A narrative poem is one of the oldest poetic forms in the world and is still a perfect way to tell a modern story. Before printed books, people would tell stories through poetry using repetition, rhythm, rhyme, and vivid language to make their tales easy to remember and share. In writing, poems that make this genre can be short or long and capture an emotionally intense or mysterious dark event. Thus, a narrative poem tells an entire story, usually written in metered verse. In turn, stories that narrative poetry tells are often dramatic and compelling, detailing events, such as rocky romances or epic battles.

What Is a Narrative Poem and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a narrative poem is a unique form and type of poetry that tells a specific story, often making a particular use of various voices of a narrator and characters. For example, the main purpose of writing a narrative poem is to weave a specific tale through a poetic format, combining artistic devices of poetry, such as meter, rhyme, and imagery, with narrative elements of fiction, including dialogue, conflict, and resolution (Martin, 2024). Unlike lyric poetry, which focuses on emotions and personal reflections, narrative poems present a series of events, often featuring a plot, characters, and setting. Through their rhythmic and sometimes rhyming writing structure, such compositions can enhance a listener’s engagement and retention of a specific story (Görey, 2017). Further on, they allow poets to explore complex themes and characters, using a strong power of poetic devices to create vivid imagery and emotional resonance. Additionally, this type of poetry can convey moral lessons or reflections on human nature, using a narrative form to explore deeper themes and messages (Miller, 2023). In terms of pages and words, the length of a narrative poem depends on academic levels, unique themes, and purposes of writing, while general guidelines are:

Types

Defining Features

A narrative poem is a genre of poetry that tells a story. Basically, such a poetry describes an entire account with a beginning, a middle section, and an end. In writing, these compositions contain all the elements of a fully developed story. By considering a basic definition, these elements include characters, plot, conflict, action, setting, and resolution. Besides, a written piece has one narrator or speaker. In turn, key aspects of narrative poetry include:

• A narrative poem presents a series of events through action and dialogue.
• Mostly features a single speaker or narrator.
• There is a clear sense of narration, plot, and characters.
• Such a composition has a clear writing objective to reach a specific audience.

A significant defining feature of a narrative poem is its plot. Unlike other types of poems, this form of poetry favors an entire development of an entire tale over emotions. In writing, a poem’s plot can be short or long and may or may not rhyme because such a poetry does not need a rhyming pattern. Hence, what is a narrative poem is that a written piece typically has just one narrator who shares a specific event.

Format

Note: Some sections of a narrative poem can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, and its writing depends on what an author wants to share with an intended audience. For example, a standard structure of a narrative poem includes an introduction, a specific sequence of events forming an entire plot, character development, a climax, and a resolution, all crafted within a poetic framework (Martin, 2024). In writing, narrative poetry is a literary genre that tells a story and features various elements, such as characters, a plot, and a setting, woven together through verse. Further on, a narrator of a poem is a specific voice or persona that tells an entire story or expresses unique thoughts and feelings within a composition (Miller, 2023). Basically, an example of a narrative poem is “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. Moreover, the five most important steps to writing a good narrative poem are selecting a compelling story, developing detailed characters, creating vivid settings, outlining a good plot, and using poetic devices to enhance an entire composition. As such, key elements that define narrative poetry include a structured plot, well-developed characters, a clear setting, and a story conveyed through verse (Görey, 2017). In turn, to start a narrative poem, people begin with a compelling line that sets a unique scene, introduces a character, or hints at a central conflict.

Theoretical Background

• In a quiet village nestled among the hills, there lived a … .
• Under an ancient oak, where whispers of legends linger, … .
• Once upon a midnight dreary, a shadow crept upon … .
• On an eve of a summer solstice, a mysterious figure appeared in … .
• By the shores of a shimmering lake, two hearts … .
• In the heart of a bustling city, a secret was … .
• Beneath a starlit sky, a lone traveler … .
• Amidst the swirling mists of dawn, a hidden path … .
• In the depths of an enchanted forest, whispers of an old tale … .
• Upon the rugged cliffs, where this sea meets a blue sky, a legend began … .

Steps on How to Write a Narrative Poem

To write a narrative poem, people start by choosing a compelling story and its plot, developing clear characters, and using poetic devices and vivid imagery to bring a unique tale to life through verse.

• Choose a Story: Select an engaging story or event to write about in poetry.
• Outline a Plot: Plan a logical sequence of events, including their beginning, middle, and end.
• Develop Characters: Create well-defined characters with distinct traits and motivations.
• Set a Scene: Establish a specific setting to provide context and background for an entire story.
• Start With a Hook: Write an opening line or stanza that grabs a reader’s attention.
• Build a Narrative: Develop a compelling story with rising action, leading to a climax.
• Incorporate Dialogue: Use character conversations to advance a presented plot and reveal personality.
• Use Imagery: Include vivid descriptions to create mental pictures and engage in writing about more senses in poetry.
• Maintain Rhythm and Rhyme: Structure a narrative poem with a consistent meter and rhyme scheme.
• Conclude Effectively: Resolve a story’s conflict and provide a satisfying ending.

Narrative Poem Example

“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe (1849)

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love—
I and my Annabel Lee—
With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kin came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulcher
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
Went envying her and me—
Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we—
Of many far wiser than we—
And neither the angels in Heaven above
Nor the demons down under the sea
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,
In her sepulcher there by the sea—
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Poe’s Literal Elements

What to Include

Common Mistakes

• Lack of Clear Plot: Failing to outline a coherent sequence of events can make writing an entire story confusing and disjointed.
• Weak Characters: Developing characters without depth or clear motivations can make a presented composition unengaging.
• Inconsistent Tone: Shifting a chosen tone inappropriately can disrupt an overall flow and emotional impact of poetry.
• Overly Complex Language: Using unnecessarily complicated words in writing can obscure a story and alienate readers.
• Poor Imagery: Neglecting vivid descriptions can result in a lack of sensory engagement and visual appeal.
• Awkward Rhymes: Forcing rhymes can make narrative poetry unnatural and disrupt its rhythm.
• Inconsistent Meter: Failing to maintain a consistent meter can break a flow and make a composition hard to read.
• Lack of Conflict: Without a central struggle or problem, writing a whole composition may lack tension and interest.
• Weak Ending: Providing an unsatisfying or abrupt conclusion can leave readers feeling incomplete and frustrated.
• Ignoring Theme: Overlooking a central theme can result in poetry being shallow and lacking a deeper meaning.

Summing Up

A narrative poem is a form of poetry that tells a story, and such a composition mostly features a single speaker or narrator. Basically, this type of literature piece contains all the elements of a fully developed story, with a beginning, a middle segment, and an end. In writing, a poem has a clear objective to reach a specific audience. Further on, a significant defining feature of a narrative poem is its plot. There is a clear sense of narration with an entire plot and characters. Then, these types of literary compositions have moral lessons to inform, inspire, and act as guidance for the future. In turn, poets use literal writing devices, such as repetition, imagery, rhyming, and sound play, to enhance an intended impact of poetry by bringing out a story’s details. Beside, an appropriate use of these devices makes a written piece deep and thought-provoking for readers. Thus, a narrative poem tells a single story. In turn, key points to remember include:

• Tell an entire story.
• Single narrator.
• Literary devices.
• Clear objective.
• Plot.
• Inclusive language.
• Moral lesson.

References

Bullock, O. (2021). Poetry and trauma: Exercises for creating metaphors and using sensory detail. New Writing, 18(4), 409–420. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2021.1876094

Görey, O. (2017). English narrative poetry: A babel of voices. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Martin, J. (2024). Write your own poems. Usborne Publishing, Limited.

Miller, R. (2023). How to write poems: An ultimate step by step guide to writing poems. Jessy Lindsay.

Parsons, L. T., & Pinkerton, L. (2022). Poetry and prose as methodology: A synergy of knowing. Methodological Innovations, 15(2), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/20597991221087150

Poe, E. A. (1849). Annabel Lee. Poetry Foundation. www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44885/annabel-lee

Xiang, D. H., & Yi, A. M. (2020). A look back and a path forward: Poetry’s healing power during the pandemic. Journal of Medical Humanities, 41(4), 603–608. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-020-09657-z