Examples Of Narrative Poems

Published: July 2017

Narrative Poems - Poems That Tell A Story

Narrative poems are stories in poem form. Narrative poems are one of the oldest forms of poetry and indeed all literature. 

Narrative poetry was used in ancient times as a means of passing down important stories. Many people did not how to read and write and captivating stories told rhythmically, with repetition and rhymes were a way to ensure that stories important to the culture were remembered and passed down through the generations.

This collection contains narrative poems by famous and modern poets. 

52 Narrative Poems - Poems That Tell A Story

  1. The Strongest Girl I Ever Knew

    • By Ronald Doe
    • Published by Family Friend Poems January 2009 with permission of the Author.

    My sister Kelly was paralyzed when she was 16. For the next 25 years she was totally dependent on others. Even though she got dealt a bad hand, she remained strong and dignified throughout her life. That is why she'll always be "The Strongest Girl I Ever Knew." Kelly, I know you're dancing in Heaven.
    In Loving Memory of Kelly Doe

    in Inspirational Poems

    She never got to dance
    Or go to her own prom.
    She never got the chance
    To forget where she came from.

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    The poem was very touching. I enjoyed reading it, and it reminds me of someone I know and is part of my life. She is none other than my sister. She was always on her feet doing things just...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (39)

  2. Blue

    • By Brian A. Haycock
    • Published by Family Friend Poems April 2006 with permission of the Author.

    A father writes of a special relationship with his daughter who was born blind and at age sixteen was given the gift of sight. A father daughter bond strengthened by the gift of sight, a beautiful story.

    in Father Poems

    She was born pink and soft with all of her toes
    She had my eyes and her mothers nose
    She cried for a moment and then settled down
    The angel of my life with hair of brown

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    Yeah, you're right that a father loves his daughter very much. Yes, the poem is very good.

    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (19)

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  4. Family Circle

    • By Melissa G. Nicks
    • Published by Family Friend Poems April 2006 with permission of the Author.

    This poem is about the circle of life and the bittersweet realization of how time and life pass by so quickly.

    in Father Poems

    When I am born, you are here
    In your eye, I see a tear
    Time flies and already I'm two
    "Look, Daddy, I can tie my shoe!"

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    Wow! Words cannot describe the quality of this poem. It is touching and another thing is that it co-relates with life's reality. Thanks a lot and thumbs up for the great job!

    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (15)

  5. The Three Little Pigs

    Famous Poem

    This poem was published in Revolting Rhymes, a collection of six Roald Dahl poems published in 1982. Each poem is a parody of a traditional folk tale. He provides a re-interpretation and surprise ending instead of the traditional happily-ever-after ending. In this poem with gory twists, Roald Dahl combines the characters in the Three Little Pigs story with Little Red Riding Hood.

    in Famous Funny Poems

    The animal I really dig,
    Above all others is the pig.
    Pigs are noble. Pigs are clever,
    Pigs are courteous. However,

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    This is an unanticipated and unexpected poem. Though the title sounds childish, it is a complete transformation of the story Three Little Pigs! Roald Dahl has a creative mind which I...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (11)

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  7. The Ballad Of Rum

    A story based on a real dog who still watches over our yard in his own way.

    in Rhyming Poems

    A dog wandered into our garden one day,
    A friendly old mutt, didn't look like a stray.
    We never discovered whence he had come,
    But we brushed him and fed him and the kids called him Rum.

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    Oh my, Peter...in all the years that I have been reading about dogs, the poems, tales and stories always made me smile. Tonight though, reading your poem for the first time, something...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (10)

  8. The Littlest Christmas Tree

    • By Amy Peterson
    • Published by Family Friend Poems April 2009 with permission of the Author.

    Hello everyone. I was raised in Wisconsin among many cold winters and driven to writing by two great, wonderful parents whose imagination left all of their children wide-eyed with excitement during the holidays. I was told by my father that the pines talk when the wind blows....and if you listen...you can hear them. I hope this story will leave your family with an adventure into the woods to hear the pines talking.

    in Christmas Poems

    The littlest Christmas tree
    lived in a meadow of green
    among a family
    of tall evergreens.

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    This poem touched my heart and the story of your beautiful parents behind it... I have only come across it searching online. I will most certainly be reading up on all your other inspiring...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (7)

  9. The Spider And The Fly

    Famous Poem

    "The Spider and the Fly" is a poem by Mary Howitt (1799-1888), published in 1828. The story tells of a cunning Spider who ensnares a Fly through the use of seduction and flattery. The poem teaches children to be wary against those who use flattery and charm to disguise their true evil intentions. The gruesome ending in this cautionary tale is used to reinforce the important life lesson being taught.

    in Famous Children Poems

    "Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly;
    "'Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you may spy.
    The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
    And I have many curious things to show when you are there."

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    This is a beautiful poem, very beautiful! It can as well be a warning to school girls who are prone to dating those men out there. Symbolically, the spider in the poem is a male and the fly...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (6)

  10. Long To See Your Sweet Face

    • By Kim Perry
    • Published by Family Friend Poems January 2012 with permission of the Author.

    This poem was written for our child we lost at 10 1/2 weeks due to a miscarriage. Grieving a child you never got the chance to meet is absolutely the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. With this loss there are no memories to hold on to help with the grief. This poem is an outlet for me to start that grieving process.

    in Miscarriage Poems

    Two pink lines, we knew it was true,
    Sooner than later we would meet you.
    I yelled for your Daddy and smiled just so.
    He stood there in shock and a glorious glow.

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    I fell pregnant in 2012. I had the two lines come up on the test. I was excited but my partner (now ex) wasn't. He said he would throw me down stairs to make sure the baby doesn't survive. I...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (6)

  11. Mama's Christmas Miracle

    My mother means the world to me. She is fighting for her life because she has cancer. I wanted to honor her with this poem. She came from poverty beyond what most could imagine. When she was a little girl she wrote a letter to Santa. She didn't use postage. She just placed it in the mailbox. The mail man read the letter and got together with a local church to make mom's dream come true. Her dad was a very proud man that would not except charity, however, this one time he graciously accepted.

    in Christmas Poems

    Mama told me a story a long, long time ago, not like any that I'd ever heard,
    all about a little girl mama used to know, how I remember every word.
    Seems like a lifetime ago, though I remember it so well.
    It was a Christmas Eve I'll never forget as far as I can tell.

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    I love this poem. It touched me in the heart. I read it and wept; I love this poem. This made me change my heart and perspective of Christmas and its true meaning. Thanks for making me change...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (5)

  12. Richard Cory

    Famous Poem

    A narrative poem, "Richard Cory" was first published in 1897, as part of The Children of the Night. It is one of Robinson's most popular and published poems. The poem describes a person who is wealthy, well-educated, mannerly, and admired by the people in his town. Despite all this, he takes his own life.

    in Famous Sad Poems

    Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
    We people on the pavement looked at him:
    He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
    Clean favored, and imperially slim.

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    I read this poem as one of the mandatory literary pieces while in High School. Even at that tender age something about the absurdity of life struck me and it continued to haunt me. I tried to...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (5)

  13. Cinderella

    Famous Poem

    This poem was published in Revolting Rhymes, a collection of six Roald Dahl poems published in 1982. Each poem is a parody of a traditional folk tale. He provides a re-interpretation and surprise ending instead of the traditional happily-ever-after ending. This poem shows a different side of the Cinderella story that everyone knows. It has some gory twists and turns.

    in Famous Funny Poems

    I guess you think you know this story.
    You don't. The real one's much more gory.
    The phoney one, the one you know,
    Was cooked up years and years ago,

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    Yes, Roald Dahl has a whole book of revolting rhymes like this one. You should read it. Hilarious.

    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (4)

  14. Annabel Lee

    Famous Poem

    Annabel Lee was the last poem written by Poe. Like many of Poe's poems, this one is about lost love. It was published in 1849 shortly after his death. The subject mourns the death of his young love, Annabel Lee, and blames the angels for killing her out of jealousy for their love. He has since then slept by her grave, unable to accept her death.
    Edgar Allan Poe once said that the death of a beautiful woman is "the most poetical topic in the world". In this poem, the subject's lover, Annabel Lee was killed. The subject of the poem affirms that the love between him and Annabel Lee is so strong that even death can't separate them.

    in Famous Narrative Poems

    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;

    More...
    Annabel Lee By Edgar Allan Poe

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    Featured Shared Story

    I have always enjoyed reading the poem of Anabelle Lee. One day my grandson came home and told me he had to memorize and recite it for a 7th grade competition. I was delighted to help him. In...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (4)

  15. 'Twas The Night Before Christmas

    Famous Poem

    Clement Clarke Moore wrote this poem in 1822 for his own children. It is also referenced with the title, "A Visit from St. Nicholas". The poem is the origin for many of the modern notions of Santa Claus, his plump and cheerful white-bearded look, the names of his reindeer, and even the tradition that he brings toys to children.

    in Famous Holiday Poems

    'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
    Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
    The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
    In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    I remember hearing this poem as a little youngster. I would also read this to my daughter and nephews each year right before Christmas! It is a wonderful poem to share with your family!...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (4)

  16. The Cremation Of Sam McGee

    Famous Poem

    Service was inspired to write this dark and spooky narrative poem by the stories he heard from the people of the Yukon. The poem was published in his book, Songs of a Sourdough in 1907. "The Cremation of Sam McGee" has turned out to be one of Service's most famous poems.

    in Famous Narrative Poems

    There are strange things done in the midnight sun
    By the men who moil for gold;
    The Arctic trails have their secret tales
    That would make your blood run cold;

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    I love this poem! I have been looking for something for my project, and this poem just spoke to me. It has plenty of events, emotions and feeling for me to be able to fashion a short story...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (4)

  17. The Pig

    Famous Poem

    In this poem, Roald Dahl shares about a pig that contemplates his purpose in life. When he realizes he is going to end up on someone’s dinner plate, he takes matters into his own hands. Roald Dahl’s poems and stories are known for dark humor and unexpected endings.

    in Famous Funny Poems

    In England once there lived a big
    And wonderfully clever pig.
    To everybody it was plain
    That Piggy had a massive brain.

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    I like this poem because it is contrary to what is normal, as the pig tries to eat the farmer instead of the other way around and it shows the power of humans over all other living things....

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

  18. Little Red Riding Hood And The Wolf

    Famous Poem

    This poem was published in Revolting Rhymes, a collection of six Roald Dahl poems published in 1982. Each poem is a parody of a traditional folk tale. He provides a re-interpretation and surprise ending instead of the traditional happily-ever-after ending. Read to find out the gory twist in this Little Red Riding Hood story.

    in Famous Funny Poems

    As soon as Wolf began to feel
    That he would like a decent meal,
    He went and knocked on Grandma's door.
    When Grandma opened it, she saw

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    I love a good laugh - great fun. A good choice to be poem of the day in this festive season. Ann

    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

  19. The Lost Soul

    I wrote this about a homeless man I used to see on my way to work every day. I later found out more about who he was from people in the neighborhood who knew him before he fell on hard times. It was a very sad tale and made me realize we should be careful how we judge others.

    in Compassion Poems

    Seven AM and I sat at the light,
    Watching the train chugging by.
    A day like the rest, on the way to my job,
    Just routine with no feeling inside.

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    This is great! I love it! I'm officially a student in an international school. This really helps me a LOT. It didn't only help me for my poem performance, it also teaches people morals. It...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

  20. The Ballad Of The Harp Weaver

    Famous Poem

    Edna St. Vincent Millay was an American poet who lived from 1892-1950. This poem is about maternal love and self-sacrifice. Edna St. Vincent Millay's own mother was very sacrificial. She divorced her husband and worked as a nurse to support her children. Even though they were poor, Edna's mother was an incredible support and encouragement. She made sure her children had access to a variety of reading materials and music. This poem won Edna St. Vincent Millay the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1923. At the time, she was only the third woman to receive this honor.

    in Famous Narrative Poems

    "Son," said my mother,
    When I was knee-high,
    "you've need of clothes to cover you,
    and not a rag have I.

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    The poem is a short, sweet, and precise journey of a great son-mother relationship. It takes one through the sacred and holy shares of time given by a mother in dedication to her child. The...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

  21. We Are Seven

    Famous Poem

    In this poem, Williams Wordsworth (1770-1850) addresses big questions about life and death. The speaker in the poem is talking with a little girl about her family. Two of the children in her family have died, but she continues to tell the man that she has seven members in her family. The man, however, tries to convince her that her family consists of only five now. She will not change her mind - for her brother and sister will always be a part of her family. This poem is written in the form of a ballad, which is generally narrative and follows the ABAB rhyme scheme.

    in Famous Death Poems

    ———A simple Child,
    That lightly draws its breath,
    And feels its life in every limb,
    What should it know of death?

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    I read this poem many, many years ago in a children's poem book. When my youngest brother passed...I was broken. At his funeral, someone said, "There are only 5 of you now." I thought of this...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

  22. Heirloom Of Love

    • By Angie
    • Published by Family Friend Poems May 2008 with permission of the Author.

    The mixed emotions of a father on his daughter's wedding day.

    in Wedding Poems

    There she sits before her mirror,
    Primping in excitement, her face flushed.
    Today is her day; she will never know
    How much I hurt, how scared I am

    More...

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    Featured Shared Story

    This is exactly what I went through the day of my daughter's wedding. Tears and a sort of rage that her new husband was taking her away from me. I questioned whether he could protect her as I...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

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