The Narrative & Lyric Poem Types of Poetry The Narrative & Lyric Poem

Narrative vs. Lyric Poetry Definitions + Examples

Narrative Poetry Narrative poetry tells a story, a sequence of connected events. It propels characters through a plot. It is always told by a narrator.

In medias res In medias res is Latin for "in the middle of things." Narratives are not always told in sequence. Many stories start in medias res and jump about chronologically. (“In medias res” usually describes a narrative that begins somewhere in the middle of a story-- usually at some crucial point in the action.)

Famous Narrative Poems The following slides present excerpts from well-known narrative poems. If you want to read the entire text of the poem, copy and paste the website address into your browser. Enjoy and be inspired!

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door- Only this, and nothing more." Want more? Go to: http://www.bartleby.com/102/84.html

Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friend, "If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light,-- One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm." Want more? Go to... http://poetry.eserver.org/paul-revere.html

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1798 Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. Water, water, every where, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink. The above is an excerpt – “In Medias Res” Want more? Go to: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/stc/Coleridge/poems/Rime_Ancient_Mariner.html

"Because I could not stop for Death" By Emily Dickinson Because I could not stop for Death— He kindly stopped for me — The Carriage held but just Ourselves— And Immortality. We slowly drove — He knew no haste — ... The above is just an excerpt. Want more? Go to: http://www.bartleby.com/113/4027.html

Warm Up 3.1.2011 Respond to this quote in your Daybook- if you don’t have your Daybook, write on a piece of paper and transfer in later… “We write because we believe the human spirit cannot be tamed and should not be trained.”

Lyric Poetry A lyrical poem is a comparatively short, non-narrative poem in which a single speaker presents an idea, state of mind or an emotional state. Did you know... The term “lyric” comes from “lyre,” a musical instrument that accompanied ancient Greek poets?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snMHNH9i5mc Lyric poetry typically describes the poet's innermost feelings or candid observations and evokes a musical quality in its sounds and rhythms.

Famous Lyric Poems The following slides present excerpts from well-known lyric poems. If you want to read the entire text of the poem, copy and paste the website address into your browser. Enjoy and be inspired!

To an Athlete Dying Young by A.E. Housman To-day, the road all runners come, Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town. Smart lad, to slip betimes away From fields were glory does not stay And early though the laurel grows It withers quicker than the rose. The speaker says the boy is smart to “slip away” (die) young Because no one can be champion forever, it’s better to die while still on top than to grow old and be forgotten. These are only the 2nd and 3rd stanzas. To read the entire poem, go to: http://www.bartleby.com/103/32.html

Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

One Inch Tall by Shel Silverstein If you were only one inch tall, you'd ride a worm to school. The teardrop of a crying ant would be your swimming pool. A crumb of cake would be a feast And last you seven days at least, A flea would be a frightening beast If you were one inch tall. This is only the first stanza. Want to read more? Go to: http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/shel_silverstein

Poet Analysis: Nikki Giovanni Read the background information on page 404-407 in the LOL book - Respond to what you learned about her past in your Daybook: Half to ¾ of a page Make sure you are writing in complete sentences

Stations/Analysis of Poet Nikki Giovanni 6 Stations/Different Poems READ and then analyze the following about each poem: Metaphors Tone/Mood Personification Theme Speaker http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snMHNH9i5mc

Warm-Up 3.2.2011 In great lyric poetry, the poet should capture… How did Nikki Giovanni capture this?

Now time to Write your Own…  Using what you have learned about lyric poetry this week, you now need to create two pieces. Read Giovanni’s poems “Journey” on page 423 and “Knoxville, Tennessee” on page 424. You need to create one poem about a JOURNEY you have taken, a special path in life, using ellipses (…) like Giovanni. 15 line minimum/color/computer paper Then create a poem about the most special place you have lived in. What did it look like? Smell like? What could you hear there? Use vivid imagery to create a unique piece that reflects how this place has shaped you. 15 lines, computer paper, ink, color On the back you need to create a collage that symbolizes what your poem was conveying on the front. Paste the lines/explain how the image is representing the poem. Rough draft – Thursday 3.3.2011 Final- Friday 3.4.2011

Think about creating your own poem... Narrative? Lyric? End of presentation.