What are the characteristics of poems telling a story?

Another characteristic is the use of dialogue or monologue. In some narrative poems, characters speak directly. Take 'My Last Duchess' by Robert Browning. The duke's monologue reveals a lot about his character and the story of his relationship with his late duchess.

Well, these poems usually have a plot. Just like in a short story, there is a problem or conflict. In 'Casey at the Bat', the conflict is Casey's need to hit the ball to win the game. They also tend to have a narrative arc. Starting from an introduction, like in 'Paul Revere's Ride' where we are introduced to Paul Revere, then rising action such as his ride through the night, a climax when he warns the people, and a resolution. Moreover, the language is often descriptive to bring the story to life, for instance, the vivid descriptions in 'Goblin Market' of the goblin fruits.

One characteristic is a clear narrative arc. Just like in a short story or a novel, there is a beginning, middle, and end. For example, in 'The Highwayman', it starts with introducing the highwayman and his love for Bess, then there's the conflict when the redcoats come, and finally the tragic end. Another characteristic is the use of vivid imagery to bring the story to life. In 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', the descriptions of the sea, the ice, and the strange creatures make the story more engaging. Also, there is often a central character or characters that the story revolves around.

Narrative poems may also convey a moral or lesson. 'The Tortoise and the Hare' is a well - known fable in poem form. It tells the story of the overconfident hare who loses the race to the slow but steady tortoise. This story imparts the lesson that slow and steady wins the race.

One example is 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It tells the story of a mariner who kills an albatross and then endures a series of supernatural and psychological punishments at sea. Another is 'The Highwayman' by Alfred Noyes, which is a tragic love story set against the backdrop of highway robbery in England.

A long story telling usually has a complex plot with multiple subplots and characters. It takes time to develop and resolve these elements fully.

The authenticity in Lebogang Mashile's poems is key. When you read them, you feel that they come from a real place, and this makes it easier for your own real experiences to connect with the poem. It's like she's speaking directly to you about things you've felt.

These poems may also rely on the power of suggestion. Instead of telling a story, they give hints and let the reader's imagination fill in the blanks. For example, a poem might describe a strange object and leave it up to the reader to decide what it means or what it might be related to, rather than spelling out a story.

Sure. 'Bonny Barbara Allan' is a well - known ballad poem. It tells a tragic love story. Another one is 'Sir Patrick Spens', which is about a knight who is sent on a dangerous sea journey.

Long poems that tell a story often have complex characters. Since they have more space to develop, the characters can be multi - dimensional. For example, in 'The Divine Comedy', Dante encounters various figures in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, each with their own backstories and personalities. Another characteristic is the elaborate plot. These poems can cover a wide range of events and time periods, like in 'The Odyssey' which spans Odysseus' many years of wandering.