Narrative

poetry
Ghadeer

What is narrative poetry?

Why is this day important?

Narrative poetry tells stories through verse. Like a

novel or a short story, a narrative poem has plot,
characters, and setting. Using a range of poetic
techniques such as rhyme and meter, narrative
poetry presents a series of events, often including
action and dialogue. In most cases, narrative poems
have only one speaker—the narrator— who relates
the entire story from beginning to end.
So, To give more knowledge about it, we’ll explore the origins of narrative
poetry and the types of narrative poetry, with narrative poem examples, the
history of narrative poetry, and the difference between narrative poetry and
fiction.
Asmaa

Types of Narrative
Poems:
3 Different Types of Narrative Poems
Narrative poems vary in style, and have changed over the ages as both language
and literary trends have evolved. Some were composed with the intention of
being sung and danced to, while others are written to record human history.

● Epics: Epic poems were composed by ancient Greek poets like Homer and
were intended to be recited rather than read. Epics are written in a grandiose
style, and tell stories of historical events or legends of cultural importance.
● Ballads: Ballads derive from the French “chanson ballade,”
which were poems set to music and intended for dancing.

● Arthurian romances: Arthurian romances derive from twelfth

century France. They are any narrative poetry that tells stories
of romance and adventure within the Arthurian court. King
Arthur was an English ruler in the fifth and sixth centuries, best
known for fighting off the Saxon invasions.
Danah

Origins of
Narrative
Poetry:
The earliest poetry was not written but spoken,
recited, chanted, or sung. Poetic devices like
rhythm, rhyme, and repetition made stories easier
to memorize so they could be transported long
distances and handed down through generations.
Narrative poetry evolved from this oral tradition.
In nearly every part of the world, narrative poetry
established a foundation for other literary forms. For
example, among the highest achievements of ancient
Greece are "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," which
have inspired artists and writers for more than 2,000
years.
Norah

Famous Narrative
Poems:
1- The Iliad by Homer

The Iliad is one of the most

quintessential examples of an epic
narrative poem. Not only does it tell a
story through its several books, but it
becomes epic through story elements.
2- The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

After you read the few lines from the

famous narrative pome The Revan .
You can feel the dark story . Also,
The musical style of the wording and
dark mood. make you feel the sad .
 3- Alfred, Lord Tennyson,"Idylls of the King”

An idyll is a narrative form that originated in

ancient Greece, but this idyll is an Arthurian
romance based on British legends. Alfred, Lord
Tennyson tells the story of King Arthur, his
knights, and his tragic love for Guinevere. The
book-length work is drawn from medieval
writings by Sir Thomas Malory.
Renad

The History of the

Narrative Poem:
Narrative poetry’s roots are in the oral tradition, wherein stories
were performed for an audience by someone who had committed
them to memory. Poetic elements like rhyme and rhythm made it
easier to memorize the stories. The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the
earliest—if not the first—epic poem may have been told as early
as 2150 BC, about a thousand years before it was written.
Similarly, Homer likely sang The Iliad and The Odyssey. The
Germanic tale of Beowulf, too, has its origins in oral tradition.
Popular in Western Europe, the poetry form spread across
the world, likely with the assistance of European
colonization. Independently of Western influence, the Vedic
texts of Hinduism were transmitted orally before they were
ever written. In fact, they remain orally preserved and are
even more faithfully told than their written counterparts—
the rhythm, melody, and tone conveyed today are said to
sound the same as they did before the written word.
Razan

What is the difference

between narrative poetry
and fiction?
Honestly not much.
Historically at least, poetry used to be seen as the
best way to tell any story. In fact, in the 18th century
right when novels were beginning to appear, novels
and prose stories were seen a bulgar and low forms
of art.
Now story poems are seen as anachronistic and
confusing. The tables have turned. But really, poetry can
do things with structure, line breaks, and rhyming that
prose tends not to do. Those structural elements enrich
the poem.
Thanks
Danah AL-Raqib
Ghadeer AL-Qhtany
Asma Al-Hussain
Norah Al-Rzaege
Renad Al-tamimi
Razan AL-Ajmi