Poetry Genres

叙事诗 – Narrative

A narrative poem that tells a series of event or a story - something that has a plot. It contains characters, setting, and conflict. A narrative poem differs from a story in that the poem uses devices such as compact language, rhyme, etc ("Narrative").

《Thoughts on a Still Night》– Li Bai

Before my bed, the moon is shining bright,

I think that it is frost upon the ground.

I raise my head and look at the bright moon,

I lower my head and think of home.

咏史诗 – Epic

An epic poem is a narrative poem that describes a significant historical event. Usually, an epic poem is centered on a heroic deed that is related to the belief and culture of a particular society. Epic poems are generally quite long relative to regular narrative poems ("The Epic").

A non-Chinese example of an epic poem is "Beowulf."

References

"Narrative Poetry." Pflugerville Independent School District. Web. 01 Feb 2012. <http://www.pflugervilleisd.net/curriculum/ela/grade9/documents/Narrative_Poetry_Lesson.pdf>

"The Epic" Sandra Effinger -- MsEffie's LifeSavers for English Teachers. Web. 01 Feb 2012. <http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/assignments/beowulf/epic.html>