E S S A Y S
Types of Poetry by Sorcha
Below you'll find various poetry types described to help you try out some and understand them when you see them.
Acrostic
This poetry is formed when the first letter of each line spells out a word or
phrase, usually the same as the title.
Ballad
A short narrative poem which usually has stanzas of two or four lines and sometimes
a refrain. The subject is often drawn from folklore or myth, but not exclusively.
Cinquain
This is a short poem which is usually unrhymed and contains twenty-two syllables
in five lines. The sequence goes: 2, 4, 6, 8, 2.
Clarity Pyramid
The pyramid is made up of two triplets and a single line, it is usually centre
aligned to create the pyramid image. The first triplet has 1, 2, and 3 syllables.
The first line is the title, displayed in capital letters. The second and
third line clarify the definition of the poem. Or they can be synonyms for
the title. The second triplet has 5, 6, and 7 syllables. Its design is based
around a life event and helps give a poetic view on the first line. The last
line is 8 syllables, and is in quotations as this line contains a quote that
defines the first word.
Clerihew
A Clerihew is a funny verse made up of two couplets and a specific rhyming
scheme, usually aabb. The poem deals with a person or character in the first
rhyme.
Concrete Poetry
Also known as shape poetry this is like Free Verse but the words are made into
a shape, or arranged in such a way that it enhances the poem. This could
mean spacing the word "down" over four lines to make the word appear
to be falling down. Or making a poem about a stake in the shape of a stake
by using word postioning.
Diamante
A Diamante is a seven-lined contrast poem set up in a diamond shape. It's confusing
to explain so it's made up by using the following steps and centre aligned
to achieve the shape of a diamond.
Line 1: Noun or subject
Line 2: Two Adjectives describing the first noun or subect
Line 3: Three -ing words describing the first noun or subect
Line 4: Four words: two about the first noun or subect, two about the antonym
or synonym
Line 5: Three -ing words about the antonym or synonym
Line 6: Two adjectives describing the antonym or synonym
Line 7: Antonym or synonym for the subject
Didactic
This poetry is intended to teach or instruct. It could form the guise of a
recipe or share knowledge, there's otherwise no set structure to the poetry.
Epic
This is a long narrative poem that celebrates the adventures and achievements
of a hero. Usually tied in with myths and folklore.
Epigram
Epigrams are short poems of a satirical nature ending with either a humorous
retort or a stinging punchline. They are mainly used for potical satire or
social critism.
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short poem of only one verse, inscribed on a tombstone. It
is usually praising a dead person but mock epitaphs can be rather black humour.
The lines are usually rhyming.
Ethere
This poetry form has ten lines and the syllables are distributed thus: 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. If you add another verse then the syllable order
is reversed starting at 10 and moving down to 1.
Fable
A fable can be in verse or prose but is a poetic story with a moral which is
summed up in the end. Often animals are used as the characters.
Free Verse
This form has no structure of traditional verse and the poet is free to choose
line breaks where they see fit.
Haiku
A complicated Japanese form of poetry, written in two sections and three lines.
It is generally thought of that the syllables are shared over the three lines:
5, 7, 5, but this is not strictly true. Generally the first line sets the
scene, and the second two phrases talk about a subject and action.
Lanturne
This is a poem with five lines in one verse, the verse is shaped like a Chinese
lantern with a syllabic pattern of 1, 2, 3, 1.
Limerick
This is a humourous rhyming, nonsense poem with five lines. The rhyming
scheme is: aabba
and then the syllables are distrubuted over the lines: 9, 9, 6,
6, 9.
Monody
This is a poem where someone laments the death of another.
Monorhyme
A Monorhyme is a poem in which all the lines have the same end rhyme.
Monotetra
Each verse contains four lines in monorhyme meaning the last word of each line
must rhyme with the others. The first three lines contain eight syllables each
and the last contains a four syllable line which is repeated twice to make
an eight syllable line. It can have as many verses as you like.
Nonet
This poetry type has nine lines and the syllable pattern is: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5,
4, 3, 2, 1.
Ode
A poem which praises or glorifies someone, thing or a place.
Palindrome
This poem is a mirror image of itself. Halfway through it will reverse itself
and be the same backwards as forwards.
Pantoum
Quatern
Quatrain
This is a poem consisting of four lines of verse with a specific rhyming
scheme. some of these rhyming schemes are: abab, abba, aabb or aaba bbcb
ccdc.
Quinzaine
Rictameter
Rondel
Rondelete
Sedoka
Senryu
Septolet
This is a poem consisting of seven lines containing fourteen words
with a break in between
the two parts. Both parts deal with the same thought and create a picture.
Sestina
Sonnet
This is a poem consisting of 14 lines in iambic pentameter with a particular
rhyming scheme. Some of the rhyming schemes used are: abab cdcd efef gg,
abba cddc effe gg, abba abba cdcd cd.
Tanka
Terza Rima
Terzanelle
Tetractys
Tongue Twister
This poetry is made up of usually one verse, with lines that are hard to say
fast. That could be because they contain lots of alliteration or words which
sound similar.
Triolet
Tyburn
Villanelle