Narrative poetry is generally a nondramatic style of poetry in which the author tells a story. In Fiddler Crab, Jacobsen tells a story about the life of a fiddler crab on a beach. The construction of the narrative is simple. Jacobsen witnesses the crab's activities and motion on the beach, battling the surf. She describes the beauty of the water, the rocks, and the frothing waves. Jacobsen brings herself into the narrative, imitating the crab with her hand and casting a shadow across the beach.