The main function of didactic literature is not to provide the reader with entertainment, but to teach. Didactic poems give the reader crucial life lessons through the use of a moral or a theme. The poet writes an inspirational piece, flowing with information that may help in teaching the reader how to act in a certain moral way, or follow a certain religion rightly. The poet expects the reader to pick up on skills that he wishes to pass on through the didactic verses. Ancient Greek writer Hesiod is said to have been the founder of didactic poetry.
Hesiod lived around 700 B.C., very soon after Homer. It is known that he was raised in a small Greek village called Ascra. Hesiod's writing of the "Works and Days" revolved around an argument between Hesiod and his younger brother Perses regarding the division of their father's land. The "Works and Days" is rich with moral guidelines, myths and tales which were all greatly appreciated and praised by the ancients. The use of morals in his poetry characterized it as "didactic".
Didactic poetry was always written in Dactylic hexameter, which was a popular meter in Ancient Greek poetry. It was strongly connected to epic poetry and so it is not surprising that the word combination "dactylic hexameter" often signifies epic poetry. Dactylic hexameter is defined as a line of poetry made up of six feet, each made up of dactyls.
Today, didactic poems can take many different forms, whether that be a poem providing the reader with basic and particular instructions on how to catch a fish, such as "The Seasons" by James Thomson, or Alexander Pope's "Essay on Criticism," which offers a load of advice regarding critics and criticism. By infusing knowledge into creative works, the poet can play with dramatic works, satire, parody and many others to come up with an instructive and enjoyable didactic poem.