Abstract
“Narrative and poetry working together” shows how the Bible brings narrative and poetry together as complementary forms to maintain and make use of the distinctive literary resources of each. The poetic insets in narrative contexts can be used as markers of structure; to add certain weight, gravitas, or solemnity to the speech of the characters; to introduce both figurative language and the expression of thought and passion into a literary form where it is otherwise mostly absent; or as an expression of interiority—the expression or intensification of a character’s emotional life, his or her thoughts, feelings, and commitments. Examples from the book of Job are given.
