Narrative Poetry Isn’t Boring Anymore! - Guest Post from Author Blair Gowrie

The stories in the Canterbury Tales make fascinating reading even though, without the explanations on the side of the page, they are somewhat difficult to understand. However, one cannot but admire Chaucer’s skill in story-telling, in meter and in rhyme. Also, it’s remarkable to find how little the English language has changed in over 600 years.

Of course, since Chaucer’s time, a lot of narrative poetry has been written but most of it is pretty turgid stuff, little read these days outside the classroom.

My story, The Adventures of George, is more akin to Chaucer than to later writers. It moves along at a rapid pace and is easy to read, with one tale flowing into the next, making it entertaining from start to finish. Just like in Chaucer’s work, the tales are sometimes humorous, sometimes ironic and sometimes satirical. Here are a few lines –

“Yes,” said the cook, “Mother Russia is big,
please allow me to salute her with a small swig
of a brew which has become my favourite tipple,
brandy distilled from the best Georgian apples.”
Saying this he pulled his flask from his smock,
poured out a measure and held it aloft,
“First in space, and victor in wars,”
and downed his drink to much applause.

In The Adventures of George, the characters resemble real people. The reader will be able to judge for himself who these people are from their descriptions and their names. For example, it is clear enough just who the character Mustafa bin Maden is based on. And readers with long memories will remember an African dictator by the name of Idi Amin – well, in the story there is another African despot, this time by the name Didi Damin! And this man, together with Senator Borrock Sobama, sets up DAPE – the Damin African Promotion Exchange – to promote African history and culture to African-Americans.

And so I think we can say that the art of telling stories in the form of narrative and rhyming poetry is alive and well. All that is needed is more people to appreciate it.

Social Media Links

Facebook Page

Website

Amazon Author Page