This work gives an overview of Montenegrin poetry from the second half of 19th and early 20th century. The Author stresses key poetic, typological, and genre characteristics of an epoch that followed Petar II Petrović Njegoš. The period is characterized by a strong influence of people's literature, and dominated by poems of patriotic and didactic character, as well as epic heroic poems, verse drama and, at the end of the epoch, first indications of modernist trends. The most significant and influential poet of this period is Montenegrin king Nikola I Petrović, while other interesting poets include Stefan Perović Cuca and Jovan Sundečić.