How to write narrative poetry

What is a narrative poem?

The definition of narrative poetry is “a poem that tells a story.” Narrative poems contain a plot, characters, and a setting. Narrative poets may use poetic devices like rhyme or meter in their work. There are four types of narrative poems:

• Ballad: This dramatic type of poem tells a hero’s story.
• Epic: This type of poem also tells a hero’s story but is much longer in length.
• Lay: This type of poem is shorter and tells a story of romance or adventure.
• Idyll: This type of poem is also short and tells a story about rural life.

Examples of narrative poetry

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There are many famous examples of narrative poetry out there. The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer are well-known narrative poems. The Iliad uses dactylic hexameter to tell the story of the Trojan War. The Odyssey also uses dactylic hexameter to tell the story of a hero’s journey back home after the Trojan War. Here’s an excerpt from The Iliad so you can see what narrative poetry looks like:

“Anger be now your song, immortal one,
Akhilleus’ anger, doomed and ruinous,
that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter loss
and crowded brave souls into the undergloom,
leaving so many dead men— carrion
for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done.
Begin it when the two men first contending
broke with one another— the Lord Marshal
Agamémnon, Atreus’ son, and Prince Akhilleus.

Among the gods, who brought this quarrel on?
The son of Zeus by Lêto. Agamémnon
angered him, so he made a burning wind
of plague rise in the army: rank and file
sickened and died for the ill their chief had done
in despising a man of prayer.”

In this passage, a muse sings about the anger of Achilles, which led to huge losses for the Achaean army. The muse also shares the details of a quarrel between Lord Marshall and Achilles.

How to write narrative poetry

Follow these steps to write your first narrative poem:

1. Choose your topic

Select a topic that you can create a full story from. You can choose a topic that’s personal or create an entirely fictional topic. Take the time to brainstorm so you can choose the right topic to work with.

2. Choose the narrator of your poem

A narrative poem needs a narrator. Determine who will narrate your poem—are you the narrator, or will the narrator be a character in your story? Do you want to use the first person or third person? A narrative poem can use any type of perspective.

3. Create an outline

Writing a narrative poem is much easier when you create an outline first. Your outline should contain the plot of your poem—so outline the beginning, middle, and end of your story. Your outline can also contain details about the characters in your narrative poem.

4. Choose a meter

Narrative poems don’t have to use meter—many are written in blank verse. But if you want to challenge yourself, explore the different types of meters out there, such as:

• Iambic pentameter, which uses five iambs and 10 syllables.
• Trochaic tetrameter, which uses four trochees and eight syllables.
• Dactylic hexameter, which uses 6 dactyls and 17 syllables.

5. Write your narrative poem

Now that you’ve nailed down the details of your narrative poem, it’s time to start writing! Remember, the first draft of your narrative poem doesn’t have to be perfect—you can always go back and make revisions later. Consider backing up your narrative poem in OneDrive so you don’t lose your precious work.

If you’re interested in learning more about narrative writing, see how you can write a narrative essay.