Poetry Guide, Poetry Types

Poetry Types

There is a large variety of poetry forms tailored to each poets writing style. They all differ in rhyme scheme, form and subject matter. Here is a selection of poems that you could possible experiment in:

Some familiar forms

Haiku; is a Japanese form of poetry which is composed of three non-rhyming lines. The first and third lines have five syllables each and the second line has seven syllables. They often express feelings and thoughts about nature; however, you could write about any subject!

Freeform; is a type of poetry that does not require any rhyme scheme or meter. Poems written in free verse, however, do tend to employ other types of creative language such as alliteration, words that begin with the same sound, or assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds.

Limerick; is a poem that is often silly or whimsical, written in five lines with an AABBA rhyme scheme. Often, limericks tell a short, humorous story.

Imagery; these type of poems work to draw picture in the mind of the reader, in order to give an extremely powerful image of what the writer is talking about. They work to intensify the senses of the reader.

Ballad; people sometimes refer to songs-particularly romantic ones-as ballads. In fact, ballad poems are frequently sung-or at least they are intended to be sung-and they are often about love.

Some difficult and older forms

Epic; is technically a type of narrative poem, which tells a story, epic poems usually tell the story of a mythical warrior and the great things that he accomplished in all of his journeys.

Pastoral; like the haiku, nature is often at the center of these types of poems as well. In general, pastoral poetry will focus on describing a rural place, but the terms will be peaceful and endearing. You will feel at ease after reading these types of poems.

Elegy; these express a lament, often over the death of a loved one. This makes elegies especially popular for funerals. Some elegies are written not only to be read out loud; they can be put to music and sung.

Sonnet; A sonnet contains 14 lines, typically with two rhyming stanzas known as a rhyming couplet at the end.

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•   What does everyone think of this poetry guide so far? I would love to hear feedback. Should I post more poems? And ideas for chapters? Feel free to put your feedback at the comment section down below, or you may just send me through email. I’ll be sure to read those. Also, don’t forget to follow me on twitter and Instagram, to stay connected with me.

Thanks for reading!