Last Updated on February 24, 2024
Table of Contents
Poetry varies significantly in structure, style, and content. While some poems require the writer to adhere to specific rules, others allow you to stretch your imagination, provided that you can fully express your feelings and opinions.
The following are the top ten most common types of poems, along with their defining features.
1. Sonnet
Sonnet is arguably the oldest and most common poetic form, with a history dating back to the 13th century.
Sonnet poems usually address various aspects of love, ranging from longing for love to lost love, forgotten love, married love, runaway love, to mention but a few. These poems generally feature 14 lines.
Although sonnets trace their origin in Italy, they’ve since been split into two sub-categories, including the Petrarchan (also known as Italian) and the Shakespearean (also known as Elizabethan). Petrarchan sonnets tend to have an ABBA ABBA CDE CDE rhyme scheme, whereas Shakespearean sonnets generally feature ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme schemes.
2. Villanelle
Villanelle and Sonnets share a lot in common – they’re both old poetic forms that come with plenty of stylistic rules. The fundamental difference is that villanelles allow ample room for repetition, which makes them considerably easier to write than sonnets.
After writing the first stanza, you’ll need to identify the specific line to repeat throughout the other stanzas. To ensure coherence and continuity, the line should preferably be one that carries the main theme of the poem. The repeated line should also fit seamlessly in all the stanzas.
Villanelles typically include 19 lines organized into six stanzas, whereby the first five stanzas contain three lines each and the sixth stanza contains four lines. The rhyme scheme in villanelles is ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA.
3. Haiku
Haiku is another common and fairly old poetic form. These poems originated in Japan around the 17th century and were most famously used in the writing of Matsuo Bash?.
One standout feature of haiku poems is their remarkable shortness, both in the length of their lines as well as their stanzas. A typical haiku has 17 syllables spread across three lines. The first line contains five syllables, then the second and third lines contain 7 and 5 syllables, respectively. Due to their relative shortness, haikus make common school assignments or other short writing tests.
Another notable thing about haikus is that they’re mostly based on nature, where the poet usually attempts to analyze two juxtaposed ideas.
4. Acrostic
This is another common poetic form that makes up many school assignments and short writing tests.
Also known as ‘name poems,’ acrostic poems generally spell out a person’s name, a word, or a phrase. The names or phrases are usually formed by the first letters of each line in the poem.
However, there are more complex versions of acrostic poems, including poems where the last letters in each line also spell out a name or phrase.
5. Ode
An ode is simply a poem that praises a person, thing, or event. Most ancient odes were written in praise of fallen heroes and heroines, historic events, or the grandeur of Mother Nature.
More recently, we’ve witnessed odes, especially on social networking platforms, praising parents, children, friends, celebrities, politicians, and even pets.
Odes trace their origin in Greece and like most other poetic forms, odes come in several stylistic variations. Regardless of their slight differences, most odes are known for their straightforwardness, where the poet addresses the subject in a direct and candid manner.
6. Ghazal
Ghazal has its origin in Arabic literature. This poetic form was adopted from medieval Persian poets. However, Ghazal poems now appear in several other languages, such as Turkish, Hindu, Hebrew, and Pashto.
Ghazal is similar to sonnet in the sense that both poetic forms usually address the theme of love, including requited and unrequited love, lost love, runaway love, etc. But unlike sonnets which usually feature 14 lines, Ghazal poems consist of a series of at least 5 syntactically- and grammatically-complete couplets.
In classic Ghazals, both lines of the first couplet end in a similar word. The same word appears at the end of the second line of each subsequent couplet.
7. Limerick
Limerick poems are ideal for poets with a profound sense of humor. Traditionally, limericks feature five lines per stanza.
The first two lines and the last line of each stanza are slightly longer than the third and fourth lines. Although not always the rule of thumb, poets should go for three feet for the longer lines and two feet for the shorter ones. The punch line is normally in the last line.
The visual layout of limerick poems also inspires their rhyme scheme of AABBA.
8. Sestina
Like most poetic forms on this list, Sestina boasts a fairly long history, having been around from the 12th century. Sestina is similar to villanelle in that both poetic forms feature plenty of repetition.
However, sestinas don’t necessarily have to rhyme, which makes them easier to compose than villanelles.
In terms of structure, sestinas have six stanzas containing six lines each, as well as a closing stanza of three lines. The last six words of each line of the first stanza are repeated at the line endings of all the remaining stanzas. Also, all the six words are repeated in the last three lines of the poem.
9. Ekphrastic
If you’re trying to compose a poem but don’t want to be bound by any specific rules, your poem will likely end up in the ekphrastic category. With ekphrastic poems, you’re allowed to circumvent the poetry rulebook and write your poem however way you like.
But there’s just one condition that a poem must fulfill to be considered ekphrastic – it must be about an artwork. Some of the common artworks that you can base your poem on include a painting, statue, sculpture, or a photograph.
Most importantly, the object of the poem should be described in a manner that stirs creative imagination on the part of the reader. So, instead of just highlighting the details of a photograph, describe how those details affect your feelings and opinions.
10. Elegy
Just like ekphrastic poems, elegy poems don’t have to follow any specific rules. Except that in this case, death is usually the subject. So, elegies are pretty much mourning poems.
Usually, elegies are composed in tribute of an iconic figure. The poems can also mourn a group of people. However, elegies do not even have to mourn a specific person or group. Instead, they can simply address the topics of death, grief, and loss in their broader senses.
In most cases, the first few stanzas of an elegy capture the tragedy of death, whereas the last ones offer a message of hope and consolation.
Conclusion
One of the best things about poetry is that it’s an ever-evolving genre. Poetry also features lots of subgenres to suit the interests of any aspiring poet or avid poem reader.
Tags: a fixed verse poem contains lines that are in length a good poem a group of lines in a poem is called a poem is a poem that has 14 lines a poem with 20 lines a poem written in praise of someone a story narrative in poetic form about poetry abstract poetry adobe master class aesthetic poems aesthetic poetry books all of it is you poetry all poetic devices all poetry all types of poems alliteration poems for kids alliteration synonym anatomy of a poem ancient mariner summary another word for poem another word for stand out aristotle poetics summary aspects of poetry ballad definition literature ballad synonym basic poem structure be free lyrics best 10 poems of all time best 4 line poems best nature poems best poems ever made best poen best poetry lines best types of poems best written poems between the world and me poem billy basics billy definition blank blank lyrics blank definition blank meaning bobbi brown eyewear bobbi brown glasses can free verse poems rhyme categories of poetry classical reflection closed form poetry closed form poetry definition collins definition common be lyrics common lyrics common poems common types of poems components of poetry consolation synonym cool definition cool poems cool short rhymes cool types of poems couplet poem examples couplet poems for kids create a poem with your own words creative poems creative writing styles define poem define revere definition of master definition poem example descriptive poem examples difference between poem and poetry different formats different forms different forms of poetry different forms of writing different kinds different kinds of different kinds of haiku different kinds of poems different kinds of writing different poem structures different poems different styles of poetry different typed different types different types of different types of haikus different types of poems different types of poems and how to write them different types of poems for kids different types of poetry styles different types of sonnets different ways to write poems different writing dissonance synonym do all poems have to rhyme do all poems rhyme do odes have to rhyme dylan thomas lyrics easiest poems to write easy how to write a poem easy poem formats easy poems to understand easy poems to write easy types of poems ekphrastic poem examples ekphrastic poetry definition elegy lyrics element lyrics elements of harmony elements of poetry elements of poetry examples emotion classification emotion rhymes emotions lyrics emphasis definition english 101 book english poem epic and dramatic music epic lyrics example of blank verse poem about love example of poem examples of poems for kids examples of short poems external rhyme famous 2 stanza poems famous ballad poems famous cinquain examples famous cinquain poems famous couplet poems famous free verse poems famous limerick authors famous long poems famous poetry lines famous rhyming poems famous short couplet poems fantasy rhyme features of poetry find a poem by first line five centuries of verse fixed form poetry fixed form poetry definition form and structure form definition english form definition literature form types formal poetry formal thought forms of forms of poetry found poem definition free form writing free poem free verse is often used by poets to free verse poem examples free verse poem examples for kids free verse poem ideas free verse poem rules free verse poems about life free verse poems about nature free write poems funny epitaphs that rhyme genres of poetry give two example good poem ideas group of lines in a poem haiku rhyme scheme hard poems how does the structure of these poems differ how long does a poem have to be how long is a poem how many lines are in a poem how many lines are in a stanza how many lines are in each stanza how many lines is a stanza how many meters in how many poems how many stanzas are in a poem how many stanzas does this poem have how many stanzas in a sonnet how many types of how many types of poems are there how to make a poem about yourself how to right a poem how to structure a poem how to write a list poem how to write a non rhyming poem how to write a poem about a person how to write a poem for her how to write a short poem how to write a simple poem how to write an easy poem how to write poetry for beginners pdf humanity synonym humorous poem definition i am from poem examples i am from poem template answers i am poem examples for 8th graders i learned from you lyrics i was the type of person poem identifying poetic devices if i could tell you poem if you think you can poem imagery synonym in poetry in the poem inner thoughts synonym interesting def interesting poems is poetry a genre is poetry art is poetry literature japanese poem types japanese poems of 5 lines kind of definition kind of love lyrics kinds of poetry kinds of writing learn about learn of learning poetry levity synonym like poems limerick poem structure line poetry examples lines and stanzas in a poem list of poem types and examples list poem definition list poem examples literary elements of poetry literary work poetry loem long a poem long poems long poems about life long poems in english long t words longer lyrics longfellow design build love poem template lyrical devices lyrical synonym make me a poem meaning of poetry medium poetry meter synonym midnight cats lyrics milton mamet modern poker theory pdf monologue synonym more lyrics most popular poems name poem examples narrative descriptive and reflective refer to three narrative synonym new relationship poems non rhyming poems number 10 poem number writing poems ode poem examples for high school ode to joy letter notes one stanza poem onomatopoeia poems for kids open form poetry definition paper rhyme parts of a poem pastoral synonym pattern lyrics paul revere lyrics pithy synonym poem poem about literature poem about me poem about yourself poem about yourself examples poem and poetry poem construction poem describing yourself poem layout poem name ideas poem outline poem poem poem rules poem structure examples poem structures poem style examples poem styles poem topics poem types list poem vs poetry poem writing styles poems 10 lines or less poems about purpose poems about work poems poems poems shaped like things poems with poetic devices poetic devices poetic devices definition poetic devices list poetic devices with examples poetic devises poetic elements definition poetic elements list poetic form definition poetic form examples poetic forms list poetic structure definition poetic thoughts poetry 101 poetry definition poetry definition and examples poetry definition literature poetry essay example poetry forms and structure poetry is written in what form poetry lines poetry major poetry meaning poetry notes poetry pdf poetry pieces poetry structure terms poetry templates for adults poetry that doesn t rhyme poety popular poems popular short poems prose synonym really good poems reflection lyrics reflection meaning in english reflection of me lyrics reflection rhyme reflective essay english 101 rhymes with grade rhymes with loss rhymes with ten rhyming poem format rhyming quotes rhythm lyrics rhythm synonym romantic rhymes rules of poetry composition sample poem sarcastic poems scene meaning scheme define scheme definition scheme synonym sentient synonym shape poem definition shape poem examples short couplet poems short form poetry short free verse poems short poem in five lines short poem structure short poems 10 12 lines short poems for beginners show me an example show me different simple definition of poetry simple poem format simple short rose poem skeem definition soliloquy lyrics some poems sonnet checker sonnet requirements sonnet stock special poems stand out definition stanza poem example stanza synonym stanzas with no specific pattern structural elements of poetry subgenres of poetry subject of a poem subvert synonym summary of the poem syllabic poem syllable poem types tempo synonym ten line poems that type of love poem the rime of the ancient mariner summary the type of there their meaning things that rhyme thought definition thought meaning in english thoughts rhyme thousand words lyrics thousand years song lyrics top 10 poems top poems topic rhyme traditional poetic forms traditional poetry traditional poetry definition traditional poetry examples two types type writing types of types of description types of examples types of haiku types of lines in art and their meaning types of lyric poetry types of modern poetry types of odes types of peoms types of poem structures types of poems types of poems and examples types of poems for kids types of poems for middle school types of poems haiku types of poems to write types of poems with examples types of poetic devices types of poetry forms types of poetry pdf types of rhyming poems types of short poems types of sonnet types of stanzas types of there types of verse types og typesof u thought under rhyme unique poems unmissable synonym verse form verse meaning verse poem examples verse poetry definition villanelle poem definition what are poetic devices what are the 3 types of poetry what are the 7 different forms of art what are the characteristics of poetry what are the different types of poems what are the elements of poetry what are the two major forms of love what are the types of what are the types of poetry what does a poem look like what does elucidate mean what does form mean in poetry what does poetry mean what is a 3 stanza poem what is a 5 stanza poem what is a line in a poem called what is a list poem what is a paragraph in a poem called what is a rhyming poem called what is an example of a stanza what is form in poetry what is form list the four categories of form what is poetry what is poetry in literature what is the definition of poetry what is the structure of a poem what is the structure of the poem what is the subject of a poem what kind of poems are there what kind of word is and what kind of word is that what kind of word is the what kind of word is this what makes a poem a poem what rhymes with 14 what rhymes with emotion what rhymes with grade what rhymes with loss what rhymes with ride what rhymes with ten what rhymes with world what type od what type of what type of poem is this what type of poem tells a story what type of word is from what types of poems are there what's a poem whats a stanza in a poem when you thought i wasn t looking poem where did haiku originate where i m from poem examples where i m from poem ideas word for in the moment word for stand out words from thought words that rhyme with block words that rhyme with emotion words that rhyme with everything words that rhyme with fantasy words that rhyme with loss words that rhyme with nineteen words that rhyme with plant words that rhyme with present words that rhyme with reflection words that rhyme with ride words that rhyme with sauce words that rhyme with seven words that rhyme with space words that rhyme with state words that rhyme with thousand words that rhyme with top words that rhyme with tune words with line in them write me a poem writing a poem template you poen your world poem Posted by:Igor Ovsyannnykov
Igor is an SEO specialist, designer, photographer, writer and music producer. He believes that knowledge can change the world and be used to inspire and empower young people to build the life of their dreams. When he is not writing in his favorite coffee shop, Igor spends most of his time reading books, taking photos, producing house music, and learning about cinematography. He is a sucker for good coffee, Indian food, and video games.
ncG1vNJzZmihnqi9qr7AraCoppaasqV6wqikaJyZm7OmvsSnq2asqaWytHnOn2Spp5WiwHA%3D
Share!