Narrative poetry

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with Western Europe and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (March 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Literature
Oral literature
Folklore fable fairy tale folk play folksong heroic epic legend myth proverb Oration Performance audiobook spoken word Saying
Major written forms
Drama closet drama Poetry lyric narrative Prose Nonsense verse Ergodic Electronic Long prose fiction Anthology Serial Novel/romance Short prose fiction Novella Novelette Short story Drabble Sketch Flash fiction Parable Religious Wisdom
Prose genres
Fiction Speculative Realist Children's Genre adventure coming-of-age crime erotic fantasy military paranormal romance science fiction supernatural western horror Historical Encyclopedic Non-fiction Academic history philosophy Anecdote Epistle Essay Journalism Letter Life Nature Persuasive Travelogue
Poetry genres
Narrative Children Epic Dramatic Verse novel National Lyric Ballad Elegy Epigram Ghazal Haiku Hymn Limerick Ode Qasida Sonnet Villanelle Lists Epic Groups and movements Poets
Dramatic genres
Comedy Libretto Play historical moral Satire Script Tragedy Tragicomedy
History
Ancient Classical Medieval Modernist Postmodern
Lists and outlines
Outline Glossary Books Writers Movements Cycles Literary awards poetry Short story collection Lost literary work
Theory and criticism
Sociology Magazines Composition Language Narrative Feud Estate
Literature portal
v t e

Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often using the voices of both a narrator and characters; the entire story is usually written in metered verse. Narrative poems do not need to rhyme. The poems that make up this genre may be short or long, and the story it relates to may be complex. It is normally dramatic, with various characters.^[1] Narrative poems include all epic poetry, and the various types of "lay",^[2] most ballads, and some idylls, as well as many poems not falling into a distinct type.

Some narrative poetry takes the form of a novel in verse. An example of this is The Ring and the Book by Robert Browning. In terms of narrative poetry, romance is a narrative poem that tells a story of chivalry. Examples include the Romance of the Rose or Tennyson's Idylls of the King. Although those examples use medieval and Arthurian materials, romances may also tell stories from classical mythology. Sometimes, these short narratives are collected into interrelated groups, as with Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. So sagas include both incidental poetry and the biographies of poets.