Types
of Poetic Forms
From
sonnets and epics to haikus and villanelles, learn more about literature’s most
enduring types of poems.
1.
Blank verse. Blank verse is poetry
written with a precise meter—almost always iambic pentameter—that does not
rhyme.
2.
Rhymed poetry. In contrast to blank
verse, rhymed poems rhyme by definition, although their scheme varies.
3.
Free verse. Free verse poetry is
poetry that lacks a consistent rhyme scheme, metrical pattern, or musical form.
A Free Verse Poem does not follow any rules. There is no right or wrong way to
create a Free Verse poem.
4.
Epics. An epic poem is a lengthy,
narrative work of poetry. These long poems typically detail extraordinary feats
and adventures of characters from a distant past.
THE 20 GREATEST EPIC POEMS OF
ALL TIME:
1. The Epic of Gilgamesh (~2000 BCE)
2. The Homeric Poems – The Iliad (~800
BCE)
3. The Homeric Poems – The Odyssey (~800
BCE)
4. The Mahabharata (350 BCE)
5. Virgil – The Aeneid (19 BCE)
6. Ovid – Metamorphoses (8 AD)
7. Firdawsi – The Shahnameh (11th
century)
8. Beowulf (~8th-11th century CE)
9. The Nibelungenlied (13th century)
10. The Song of Roland (11th-12th century)
11. The Saga of Grettir the Strong (The Icelandic
Sagas) – (13th-14th
century)
12. Ludovico Ariosto – Orlando Furioso (1532)
13. Dante – The Divine Comedy (1308-1321)
14. Luis de Camoëns – The Lusiads (1572)
15. Edmund Spenser – The Faerie Queen (1590)
16. John Milton – Paradise Lost (1667)
17. Alexander Pope – The Rape of the Lock (1714)
18. Epic of Manas (Published in 1792 – Actual Date Unknown)
19. Lord Byron – Don Juan (1819)
20. Ezra Pound – The Cantos (1915-1962)
5. Narrative
poetry. Similar to an epic, a narrative poem tells the story of an
event in the form of a poem. There is a strong sense of narration, characters,
and plot. It may be dramatic, with objective and diverse characters. Narrative
poetry may be short or long, and the story it relates to may be simple or
complex. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
exemplify this form.
SEE https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/collection/narrative-poems/
SEE https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/collection/narrative-poems/
6. Haiku. A haiku is a three-line
poetic form originating in Japan. The first line has five syllables, the second
line has seven syllables, and the third line again has five syllables.
SEE https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/article-how-to-write-a-haiku
SEE https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/article-how-to-write-a-haiku
7.
Pastoral
poetry. A pastoral poem is one that concerns the natural world,
rural life, and landscapes in a peaceful, romanticized way. These poems have
persevered from Ancient Greece (in the poetry of Hesiod) to Ancient Rome
(Virgil) to the present day (Gary Snyder). One famous example of pastoral
poetry is Christopher Marlowe's poem, The Passionate Shepherd to His
Love.
8.
Sonnet. A sonnet is a 14-line
poem, typically (but not exclusively) concerning the topic of love. Sonnets
contain internal rhymes within their 14 lines; the exact rhyme scheme depends
on the style of a sonnet.
English (Shakespearean) Sonnet
- 14-line poem
- 3 quatrains (4 line stanzas)
followed by 1 couplet (2-line stanza)
- Rhyming scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
Spenserian
Sonnet
- 14-line poem
- 3 quatrains followed by 1
couplet
- Rhyming scheme of ABAB BCBC CDCD EE
Italian (Petrarchan) Sonnet
- 14-line poem
- 1 octave (8-line stanza)
followed by 1 sestet (6-line stanza)
- Rhyming scheme of ABBAABBA CDCCDC (or CDECDE)
9.
Elegies. An elegy is a poem that reflects upon
death or loss. Traditionally, it contains themes of mourning, loss, and
reflection. However, it can also explore themes of redemption and consolation.
10.
Ode. Much like an elegy, an ode
is a tribute to its subject, although the subject need not be dead—or even sentient,
as in John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn”.
11.
Limerick. A limerick is a five-line
witty poem with a distinctive rhythm. The first, second and fifth lines, the
longer lines, rhyme. The third and fourth shorter lines rhyme, with an AABBA rhyme scheme.
12. Lyric poetry. Lyric poetry refers to the broad category of poetry
that concerns feelings and emotion. Lyric poetry is made of two main
types: elegy and ode. This distinguishes it from two other poetic categories:
epic and dramatic.
13.
Ballad. A ballad (or ballade) is a
form of narrative verse that can be either poetic or musical. It typically
follows a pattern of rhymed quatrains. From John Keats to Samuel Taylor
Coleridge to Bob Dylan, it represents a melodious form of storytelling.
14.
Soliloquy. A soliloquy is a monologue
in which a character speaks to him or herself, expressing inner thoughts that
an audience might not otherwise know. Soliloquies are not definitionally poems,
although they often can be—most famously in the plays of William
Shakespeare. ‘To be or not to be, that is the question’ is the
most famous soliloquy in the works of Shakespeare – quite possibly the most
famous soliloquy in literature.
15.
Villanelle. A nineteen-line poem
consisting of five tercets and a quatrain, with a highly specified internal
rhyme scheme. Originally a variation on a pastoral, the villanelle has evolved
to describe obsessions and other intense subject matters, as exemplified by
Dylan Thomas, author of villanelles like “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good
Night.”
16.
Acrostic.
An acrostic poem is a fun poetry form that can be written about any topic. It's
a poem where letters within the lines of that poem (at the beginning, middle,
or end) spell out a specific word. That word is reflective of the topic or
theme of the poem.
17.
Bio
poem.
A bio poem gives information about a person to form a short biography of that
person’s traits and life.
18.
Cinquain.
A cinquain poem is a five-line poem using nouns, verbs, and adjectives to
describe a topic. It ends with a phrase about the topic and a synonym for the
topic. Line 1 has one word (the title). Line 2 has two words that describe the
title. Line 3 has three words that tell the action. Line 4 has four words that
express the feeling, and line 5 has one word which recalls the title.
19.
Diamante.
A diamante poem is a seven-line poem that uses nouns, verbs, and adjectives to
contrast two topics. Lines 1 and 7 have just one word. Lines 2 and 6 have two
words. Lines 3 and 5 have three words. Line 4 has four words. Lines 1, 4, and 7
have nouns. Lines 2 and 6 have adjectives. Lines 3 and 5 have verbs. The text
forms the shape of a lozenge or diamond.
20. Concrete. A concrete poem, also known as "size
poetry" or "shape poetry," uses typographical arrangements to
display an element of the poem. This can either be through re-arrangement of
letters of a word or by arranging the words as a shape.
Basic Poetic Techniques
Stanzas - Examples of
Couplets, Tercets and Quatrains
Stanzas
give poems structure and organization. They break apart different parts of the
poem based on rhyming scheme or thoughts. Stanzas of 2 lines are called Couplet,
Stanzas of 3 lines are called Tercet and Stanzas of 4
lines are called Quatrain.
Just like other forms of writing, poetry needs to be
organized. Stanzas provide a structure for that organization. Each stanza is
made up of a varying number of lines, just like paragraphs are made up of
sentences. Each line can be a phrase or complete sentence, depending on the
format of the poem. When put together in a stanza, these lines convey a larger
idea.
Many poets use one of these common formats to create
stanzas. Certain types of poems also use a combination of them.
Quatrain
A quatrain is a set of four lines that may
or may not rhyme.
With
a symphony of colors
Spread
on her wings,
She
strolls in the garden
With
a light footprint.
Tercet
A tercet is a set of three lines that may or may not rhyme.
Everyone, young or old,
Needs someone to listen
As their stories are told.
Couplet
A couplet is a set of two lines that usually rhyme.
When the sunny skies turn from blue to gray,
I can't help but wonder just what you would say?
Lines
A line of a poem is one row of text.
OOW
2020
