TYPES OF POEMS

ABC Poems An ABC poem has 5 lines that create a

mood, picture, or feeling. (some can have more)

Lines 1 through 4 are made up of words, phrases or clauses - and the first word of each line is in alphabetical order from the first word.

Line 5 is one sentence, beginning with any letter.

A,B,C,D or O, P, Q, R

Ballad A poem that tells a story similar to a folk tale or legend It often has a repeated refrain. Often has four lines per verse- with lines two and four rhyming

Example:I'll tell a tale, a thrilling tale of love beyond compareI knew a lad not long ago more gorgeous than any I've seen.And in his eyes I found my self a'falling in love with the swain.Oh, the glorious fellow I met by the ocean with eyes of deep-sea green!

Blank Verse Any verse (division of a poem) comprised

of unrhymed lines all in the same meter (number of feet(sequence of syllables) in a line)

Unrhymed iambic pentameter Often resembles the rhythms of ordinary

speech

Free Verse Similar to blank verse but it is not written

in iambic pentameter The rhythm of free verse varies

throughout the poem. Though the words don't rhyme, they flow

along their own uneven pattern.

Cacophony Unpleasant spoken sound created by

clashing consonants Harsh mixture of sounds Example: Lewis Carroll-

http://www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/jabberwocky.htm

Kinds of Feet Foot- is a sequence of syllables Iamb- metric foot of poetry of an unstressed

syllable followed by a stressed one (di-dah) Anapest- metric foot of poetry of two

unstressed (short) syllables followed by one stressed (long) one

Dactyl Spondee Pyrrhic Trochee

Meter Meter determined by number of feet in

line Dimeter- two Trimeter- three Tetrameter- four Pentameter- a line of verse consisting of

five metrical feet

Cinquain A cinquain has five lines. Line 1 is one word (the title)

Line 2 is two words that describe the title.Line 3 is three words that tell the actionLine 4 is four words that express the feelingLine 5 is one word that recalls the title

Quatrain A stanza or poem consisting of four

verses/lines This means that the 1st and 3rd lines

rhyme together and the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme together

OR any combination there of For example- it could also be: 1st and 2nd

lines rhyme and the 3rd and 4th lines rhyme

The rhyming lines should have the same number of syllables

Iambic Pentameter The most common type of meter in

English poetry  Iambic pentameter is a line made up of

five pairs of short (unstressed) or long (stressed) syllables

Example: Da-Dum/da-Dum/da-Dum/da-Dum/da-Dum

Couplet A couplet is a pair (couple) of lines of meter in

poetry It usually consists of two lines that rhyme and

have the same meter Shakespeare’s sonnets usually ended in a

couplet Not all couplets have to rhyme Example:Sir Lancelot was the first knight of the round table,Saying he was a coward is a complete fable. 

Concrete Poem Also known as visual poetry It forms a picture of the topic or follows

the contours of a shape that is suggested by the topic

Simply: The poem looks like what it is about

Example: See My Book

Dialect Simply- it is poetry that employs dialect

or direct speech usually quoted The author is usually speaking directly to

the reader- asking questions, making statements, etc.

Example: See My Book

Elegy A sad and thoughtful poem

lamenting(expressing grief) the death of a person

Epic A long narrative poem (story) about a

hero/heroine and his/her journey The Odyssey

Haiku A Japanese poem composed of three

unrhymed lines The lines are five, seven, and five

syllables Haiku’s usually reflect on some aspect of

nature.

Limerick A short humorous poem Consisting of five lines Lines 1, 2, and 5 have seven to ten

syllables and rhyme with one another. Lines 3 and 4 have five to seven syllables

and also rhyme with each other.

Lyric A poem that expresses the thoughts and

feelings of the poet The term lyric is now generally referred

to as the words to a song

Name Poem A poem that tells about the word It uses the letters of the word for the first

letter of each line Example: Nicky Nicky is a Nurse

It's her chosen careerChildren or Old folksKindness in abundanceYear after year

Ode A long and serious poem written to a set

structure- some form of rhyming pattern Written for an occasion or on a particular

subject Contains the word “Ode” in the title

Sonnet Fourteen lines that follows a strict rhyme

scheme and specific structure Lyric poems that fall into three coordinate

quatrains( four lines or verses) and a concluding couplet (pair of lines- rhyming)

Prose Poetry Prose  is the most typical form of written

language with ordinary grammatical structure and a natural flow of speech (ordinary form of spoken and written language)

Poetry written in prose instead of verse but still has poetic qualities- heightened imagery and emotional effect