I adore writing poetry. I’ll arm myself, with pen and paper at the ready, and accept any challenge of conquering a new poetry form.
Last year was the first time I questioned whether or not I could meet the challenge and bury it on the battlefield. Sure, I’m a perfectionist, but what could make a person who’s played with poetry for almost thirty-five years hesitate before charging? It was the narrative form.
I’m not talking about the ballad or epic – which are types of narrative poetry – or other rhyming narratives . I’m referring to the more modern, freer, narrative poetry. It was different than anything I’d ever done before. To me, it seemed more like a story than a poem. I even remember wondering how they could get away with calling it poetry.
EXAMPLES TO READ: (both easy to find on Google if you aren’t familiar with them)
Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
The Wood-pile by Robert Frost
I write stories and poetry, but when I write a poem – I’m in poetry mode, and I felt stuck in neutral. How could the Poet-in-Me mix the two?
Stephen Minot said, in Three Genres – The Writing of Poetry, Fiction, and Drama, “ Narrative is as natural a structure for poetry as it is for prose.”
Poet-in-Me then rationalizes that Story-Writer-in-Me borrows stuff from the “Poet’s Toolbox” to write more effective stories, so why not knock on her door and borrow a couple of things?
Narrative Poetry Basics in Brief
BRIEF HISTORY
Narrative Poetry is poetry that tells a tale and can be traced back to Homer’s Iliad and possibly beyond.
MUST HAVES
*Tell a story.
*Pay particular attention to rhythm and sound.
COULD HAVES or What’s The Poet’s Choice In All This?
*YOU choose the form or whether or not to even use a particular form (aka ballad, etc.)
*Imagery – depth of imagery up to the author – but keep in mind that a primary part of poetry is imagery, and you are writing a poem that tells a story, not a short story.
*Rhyme – use it or not – internal, external or none.
Since I’ve tried using narratives in my poetry, I feel as if I’ve written some of the best work I ever have in my life. It has opened a door I never knew was locked and I crossed a threshold into a land I never knew existed.
Simply, It has helped me grow as a writer.
WRITING EXERCISE: If you are a writer that really considers yourself more of a poet, try out narrative poetry as a way to build a bridge to story writing . If you consider yourself mainly a storywriter, use the narrative form to ease your way into poetry.
