4 types of narrative poetry

Definition of Narrative Poem

A narrativepoem in literature is a poem which tells a story. It has a full storyline with all the elements of a traditional story. These elements include characters, plot, conflict and resolution, setting and action.

Types of narrative poetry

Although a narrative poem does not need a rhyming pattern, it is a metered poem with clear objectives to reach a specific audience. These poems have been borrowed from oral poetic narratives from different cultures. Narrative poems include old epics, lays and ballads.

Examples of Narrative Poems

Example #1

Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous

“He who has seen everything, I will make known to the lands.
I will teach about him who experienced all things,
… alike,
Anu granted him the totality of knowledge of all.
He saw the Secret, discovered the Hidden,
he brought information of (the time) before the Flood.”

(Excerpt from Tablet-1)

This is one of the oldest narrative poems written in the ancient Mesopotamia in or arou