NARRATIVE POETRY.pptx

NARRATIVE POETRY.pptx

1. NARRATIVE POETRIES TAMSA PANDYA RESEARCH SCHLOAR MKBU WHAT IS A NARRATIVE POEM? DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES

2. So, what is a narrative poem?  Narrative poem definition: “A form of literature that combines the elements of poetry with the elements of storytelling”

3. AN INTRODUCTION The narrative poem is the oldest form of poetry, and one of the oldest forms of literature. Epics like  The Iliad and the Odyssey ,  The Epic of Gilgamesh , and  The Mahabharata   are ancient and long narrative poem examples. Long before the written word and the invention of mass publishing, storytellers told their stories in verse, and have done so since (at least) 2,100 B.C. Today, the narrative poem has evolved to accommodate the storytelling needs of poets , without (necessarily) the constraints of meter and rhyme scheme . We’ll take a look at some contemporary narrative poems later, charting the evolution of this form against its ancient backgrounds.

4. TYPES OF NARRATIVE POETRY 4. THE LAY 1. THE EPIC 5. THE NOVEL IN VERSE 2. THE BALLAD 6. H eroic poetry 3. THE IDYLL

5. THE EPIC The epic poem is a long narrative poem that usually recounts stories of heroism. The protagonists of epic poems are often kings, knights, heroes, or else extraordinary people who change the fate of history. In ancient times, epic poetry primarily dealt with the gods, with war, or with other events which define a people’s nationality. The  Mahabharata , for example, tells a story of two groups of cousins fighting against each other to determine the successors of the Hastinapura throne, in Ancient India. Interwoven through this story are tales of morality, national identity, and the gods, culminating in a sprawling epic which, to this day, influences certain aspects of Indian culture. There are few epic poems in today’s literary landscape, partially because the epic poem fulfilled cultural needs of the past that aren’t germane to contemporary society. Examples of epic poetry include  The Mahabharata ,  Beowulf ,  The Aeneid and the Odyssey ,  The Epic of Gilgamesh,  and  The Shahnameh , among many others.

6. 2. THE BALLAD Among narrative poems, the ballad is more modern than most forms, though it’s evolved quite a bit over several centuries. Originating in Europe, likely England, the late Middle Ages, ballads were narrative poems set to music, intended to accompany dances and entertain large audiences. Similar to epics, the narratives in ballads were about extraordinary individuals, such as Robin Hood. Much later, in the 19th century, the ballad form was adopted by Romantic and Victorian-era poets who admired the folksy yet literary attributes of ballad poetry. Because this evolution spans centuries, the meter and topicality of ballad poetry varies, but most ballads were intended to tell stories and entertain. Ballads aren’t nearly as popular in the 21st century, but some great 19th century ballads include  The Rime of the Ancient Mariner  by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and  The Ballad of Reading Gaol  by Oscar Wilde.

7. 3. THE IDYLL The word “idyllic” describes something reminiscent of rural and pastoral life. Idyll poems, thus, are narrative poems which celebrate, describe, and explore rustic life. Idyllic poetry is typically short, but it still builds a narrative, and often a group of idylls will be stringed together to form a larger story. For example, 12 idylls together form Tennyson’s  Idylls of the King , which retells the story of King Arthur, his love for Guinevere, and the story of his kingdom. Perhaps a better example, stylistically, is Friedrich Nietzsche’s  Idylls from Messina . These 8 poems describe different facets of the idyllic life as Nietzsche observed while writing in Sicily. Although the writing is a bit more lyrical than most idylls (and although Nietzsche was not a poet by trade), the simplistic, storytelling style of idyllic poetry can be observed in the speaker’s word choice and simple rhyme schemes.

8. 4. THE LAY The lay is a somewhat long narrative poem that, like other forms of poetry, evolved through several centuries. The earliest recorded lay poems were written by Marie de France, a French woman, and lays were often stories of romance, chivalry, and emotional experiences. Lay poetry was typically written in octosyllabic verse, meaning each line had 8 syllables. Before Marie de France’s time, some Celtic poetry was lay and involved aspects of Celtic theology, telling stories of fairies and the supernatural. Lay poems always rhyme, and rarely exceed 1,000 lines. Also spelled “ lai ,” lay poetry is mostly confined to the Middle Ages, as few poets dabbled in the form outside of Middle English.  The Canterbury Tales  includes instances of lay, namely The Franklin’s Tale, which explores issues of truth and magnanimity.

9. 5. THE NOVEL IN VERSE Among contemporary narrative poems, the novel in verse rules. A verse novel is exactly what it sounds like: a novel-length story told through lines of poetry, not prose. (If you’re not sure about the distinction between the two, take a look at our article on  Prose Vs Poetry .) Because a novel in verse is largely experimental, there are no solid rules for how to write one. However, many verse novels tend to have first person narrators, short chapters, and non-linear storytelling. Additionally, verse novels emphasize internal dialogue and emotions, sometimes employing stream-of-consciousness techniques. Some examples of these long narrative poems include:  Autobiography of Red  by Anne Carson,  The Poet X  by Elizabeth Acevedo,  Omeros  by David Walcott,  Inside Out & Back Again  by Thanhha Lai, and  Dreaming of You  by Melissa Lozada-Oliva.

10. 6. H eroic poetry H eroic poetry , narrative verse that is elevated in mood and uses a dignified, dramatic, and formal style to describe the deeds of aristocratic warriors and rulers. It is usually composed without the aid of  writing  and is chanted or recited to the accompaniment of a  stringed instrument . It is transmitted  orally  from bard to bard over generations.

11. CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVE POETRY 1…… An emphasis on storytelling 2….. Experimental language:   3….. Non-linear story structure:   4….. Contemporaneous forms 5….. Mythological elements 6….. Internal characterization

12. CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVE POETRY An emphasis on storytelling:  narrative poems convey plot, setting, characters, and other key elements of stories. Experimental language:   the unexpected, experimental  word choice  in narrative poems should surprise, delight, awe, transfix, move, inspire, and/or captivate the reader. Non-linear story structure:   narrative poems rarely follow a single narrative thread or linear structure. These poems might jump forward or backwards in time, start in the middle, or trace completely disparate events before stitching them into one unified story.

13. COUN…. Contemporaneous forms:   you may have noticed that no two types of narrative poetry are written in the same way. Each has its own form, and that form is dependent on the poem’s story, the year it was written, and the region it was written in. Contemporary narrative poems tend to be  free verse . Mythological elements:   Most of the narrative poetry written in antiquity dwelled on mythology. Even some contemporary examples, like Anne Carson’s  Autobiography of Red , is a retelling of Greek myth, though modern day verse novels aren’t uniformly interested in myth. Internal characterization:   Many narrative poems focus on the internal. The poetic language of the form allows writers to capture thoughts, feelings, and internal challenges that prose might not properly capture. Modern novels in verse are usually told from the 1st person, or from a very limited 3rd person  point of view .

14. NARRATIVE POEM EXAMPLES The Glass Essay  BY ANNE CARSON The Glass Essay  is a bit hard to define. It is technically a narrative poem, though Carson herself has called it a lyric essay, and like much of Carson’s work, this piece is a bit impossible to define by genre alone. Nonetheless, Carson’s poem has a certain “totality of life” to it, discussing love, family, poetry, and the essence of the soul, all while detailing the poet’s visit to her mother.

15. Aurora Leigh  BY ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING Aurora Leigh  BY ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING Aurora Leigh  is a 9-part novel in verse about its titular protagonist, Aurora, and her life from childhood to her present. Its publication in 1856 catapulted Elizabeth Barrett Browning into the spotlight. This long narrative poem’s lengthy text deals with questions of class, gender, and social equality, issues that were captivating Europe and the United States at that time.

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17. WOEK SITED https://writers.com/narrative-poem-definition Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia . "heroic poetry".  Encyclopedia Britannica , 19 Apr. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/art/heroic-poetry. Accessed 27 August 2023.