Relentless Forward Motion

Sharon Old's poem, The Race, and what her narrative poem can teach us

This Exclusive Writing Lab post breaks open the form of narrative poetry. Provides examples. And then the poem itself is torn apart for a discussion on inner and outer arc, scene, and what gives it emotional impact.

Hi and welcome:

It’s time to move into what it is and what we can learn/apply to our work.

Definition:

A narrative poem is one that tells a story using the literary devices of setting, dialogue, character, structure, plot, and antagonistic forces.

History:

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…by following the patterns of rhyme and syllabic stress, the storyteller could keep up with which line comes next, so these devices served both mnemonic and entertainment purposes. ~ Writers.com

Examples:

From The Iliad

The Iliad by Homer

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Don Juan by Lord Byron

Out, Out by Robert Frost

The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare

Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson

The links I’ve provided above go to examples, and reading a bit of each is illuminating and inspiring. This brings us to The Race which is also a narrative poem.

Construction of The Race:

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