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Narrative poems

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Narrative means story and a narrative poem tells a story. Lots of poems are mainly about thoughts and feelings and not about telling a story, so this is a key difference.

Key features of narrative poems

  • In a narrative poem, a story is told, but there is also rhythm and rhyme.

  • Rhythm and rhyme give the narrative energy so that it is more exciting.

  • Some narrative poems also contain repetition to add rhythm and make it more predictable.

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Watch: Narrative poems

What are narrative poems?

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Watch: Free verse poems

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A free verse poem is different to lots of other poems as it has no set rhyme or rhythm. Instead, they follow the natural rhythms of speech.

Watch this video to understand how free verse poems are different from lots of other types of poem.

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What are free verse poems?

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Are narrative and free verse poems the same?

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  • Free verse and narrative poems can sometimes seem similar, but they are not the same.

  • One key difference is that narrative poems often include some poetic devices such as rhyming, rhythm (by counting syllables) or repetition.

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What is a stanza?

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A stanza is a group of lines within a poem. A stanza is similar to a paragraph. Just like a paragraph, they contain related information and introduce new thoughts or ideas.

Key features of stanzas

  • Poems can contain a number of stanzas. They are separated by missing a line.

  • Like all poems, stanzas can rhyme, but they do not have to.

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Activity 1

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Activity 2

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Check your understanding. Listen to the two poems below. Can you identify which poem is a free verse poem and which is a narrative poem?

Poem 1 鈥 First Day at School by Roger McGough.

Poem 2: - Chocolate Cake by Michael Rosen.

Super challenge

Write down some of your ideas about each poem:

  • what you enjoyed
  • what you would improve
  • examples of repetition
  • examples of rhyming
  • explain why one of the poems is a free verse poem
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Activity 3

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It鈥檚 your turn! Write your very own narrative poem.

Remember:

  • A narrative poem tells a story, but it has rhythm, rhyme and repetition.

  • Separate each new idea by using stanzas.

  • It鈥檚 ok to make mistakes! Experimenting with words, editing and redrafting are all part of the writing process.

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Activity 4

Playing with words with Joseph Coelho.

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Once you have written your awesome narrative poem, try performing it to a member of your family or a friend.

For tips on how to perform poems in an interesting or exciting watch the video this video.

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Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers. game

Use grammar, punctuation and spelling skills to explore jungles, caves and tombs on your mission!

Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers
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More on Poems

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