How To Write Poetry

Narrative Poems - Definition And Examples

Narrative Poems are a genre of poetry that tell a story. Popular narrative poems usually have a strong sense of narration, characters, and plot.

Narrative Poems

Tynea Lewis By more by Tynea Lewis

What is a Narrative Poem?

A narrative poem tells the story of an event in the form of a poem.

  • It has a beginning, middle, and end.
  • There is a strong sense of narration, characters, and plot.
  • It may or may not rhyme.
  • It could be short or long.

Examples of Famous Narrative Poems


Paul Bunyan by Shel Silverstein

He rode through the woods on a big blue ox,
He had fists as hard as choppin' blocks,
Five hundred pounds and nine feet tall...that's Paul.

Talk about workin', when he swung his axe
You could hear it ring for a mile and a half.
Then he'd yell "Timber!" and down she'd fall...for Paul.

Talk about drinkin', that man's so mean
That he'd never drink nothin' but kerosene,
And a five-gallon can is a little bit small...for Paul.

Talk about tough, well he once had a fight
With a thunderstorm on a cold dark night.
I ain't sayin' who won,
But it don't storm at all...round here...thanks to Paul.

Read Complete Poem

A good narrative poem can be read aloud to others and usually is written with a particular rhyming pattern which enhances the listener's enjoyment. Some of these popular famous narrative poems have been entertaining people for over a century.


More Examples of Famous Narrative Poems


Examples of Narrative Poems



More Examples of Narrative Poems

Advertisement

ABOUT THE POET:

Tynea Lewis is an editor for Family Friend Poems and helped to develop the National Poetry Month Resources for Family Friend Poems. She started her career as an elementary teacher and has had a passion for writing since she was in 1st grade.

For over a decade, she was the...

Read More

more by Tynea Lewis

  • Stories 0
  • Shares 907
  • Favorited 3
  • Votes 1055
  • Rating 3.83

Back to Top