Poetry

Sonnet~ A highly structuralized type of poem consisting of 14 lines. Often, it will contain a set meter (Iambic Pentameter). It always has an end rhyme scheme. There are two main types of sonnet, Shakespearian (Elizabethan) sonnet and Petrachan (Italian) sonnet. The Shakespearian Sonnet is written in iambic pentameter with an end rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. It is composed of three quatrains (4 lines)  and a rhyming couplet (2 lines).  The Petrachan Sonnet is written a rhyme scheme of abba abba cde cde. It is composed of an octave (8 lines) and 1sestet (6 lines). A problem is presented in the octave, the solution is found.

Ballad~ Often referred to as "Folk Ballad" because of its traditional roots in Folklore.  A narrative poem composed of stanzas divided into quatrains, often with a refrain at the end of every stanza . Usually sung, they are also an ancient form of oral poetry. Ballads have an end-rhyme scheme and can be categorized as classical, broadside, and modern.  

Epic~ A long narrative poem/ it has a hero/protagonist and an evil nemesis (arch rival/antagonist) usually contain elements of the supernatural. There is always a great struggle where the fate of the nation or world rests in the hands of the protagonist.

Oral Composition~ Poetry that is passed on by word of mouth. It may exist in written form but the general mode of composition and transmission is oral.

Free Verse~ No set rhyme scheme, form, or pattern. It is open to every author to write as s/he wants/feels.

Blank Verse~ No set rhyme scheme but structured. It uses iambic pentameter. It was popularized by Shakespeare, and appears in a lot of his plays.

Light Verse ~  Basically, light verse refers to funny or comedic poetry.  It originally referred to the playful poetry that was not considered as profound as serious poetry during the Romantic Period.

Acrostic ~ A type of poetry wherein certain letters of each line form a new word or words.

Recitation ~ An oral form of poetic text, spoken by a single person.  A type of narrative verse in the form of (usually) a lengthily monologue, usually having a rhyme scheme. 

Villanelle~ A poem of six stanzas -- five triplets and a quatrain.  Has a set rhyme scheme: aba, aba, aba, aba, aba, abaa.  Additionally, in terms of structure, the first and third lines are repeated entirely, three times, as a refrain.  Line 1 appears again as lines 6, 12, and 18 whereas line 3 appears again as lines 9 15 and 19.  Perhaps the most famous example of a Villanelle is Dylan Thomas' Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.

Pantoum~ a poetic form that is similar in style to the Villanelle.  It consists of an indefinite number (author's choice) of abab quatriain stanzas. (the pattern doesn't repeat, but exists within each stanza... in other words, in each stanza lines 1 and 3 rhyme, and lines 2 and 4 rhyme).  Beyond the rhyming pattern, the second line of each stanza, in its entirety, is repeated as the first line of the following stanza;  likewise, the fourth line of each stanza becomes the third line of the following stanza.

Lyric~ One of the oldest types of poetry. A poem that uses figurative language to express powerful emotions, feelings, thoughts, or moods.

Ode ~ A type of Lyric poetry in which the speaker addresses a person or thing. Often has end rhyme although no set scheme exists.  This form comes from Greece (eg. the choral ode in tragic plays - c.f. Antigone) where the Ode was meant to be sung.  Often Odes were sung in honour of great victories.  A good example of an Ode would be Ode on a Grecian Urn or one of my favourite Odes Intimations of Immortality From Reflections of Early Childhood by Wiliam Wordsworth.

Limerick ~ A five lined (usually humourous) poem which has an end rhyme scheme of aabba.  Particularly, the first, second, and fifth stanzas are written in trimeter and the rhythm being anapestic.  The most common Limericks are those which begin with such things as "There once was a man from Nantucket..."  A regular occurance in limerick is to have the first line end with a strange word or (more precisely) a name and continue to write the poem.

Haiku~ A kind of Japanese poetry that conveys a single thought or idea (image). It is a 17 syllable poem set out in 3 lines, in a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Haiku often capture a moment in nature.  The form of the Haiku is deceptively simple... it begins by describing a concrete image in the first line and moves to the third line for a more abstract and profound meaning which can be drawn from that image.  This is no easy task for either the author or the reader.

Sestina ~ A quite complex form of poetic verse.  A sestina consists of six six-lined stanzas and a single three lined stanza.  Instead of rhyme, the six words at the end of lines in the first stanza are repeated in a specific, shifting order as line-end words in the other five six-line stanzas.  Then all six words are used again in the final triplet, three of them at line-ends, three of them in the midline.  the order of the line-end words in the stanzas may be transcribed this way 1-2-3-4-5-6, 6-1-5-2-7-3, 3-6-4-1-2-5, 5-3-2-6-1-4, 4-5-1-3-6-2-, 2-4-6-5-3-1; and in the triplet (2)-5, (4)-3, (6)-1.

Concrete~ A poem whose shape or visual appearance contributes to and enhances its intended meaning.

Terza Rima ~ A poem written in rhyming triplets with a repeating pattern of aba bcb cdc ded... etc.  Often this form of poem is written in Iambic Pentameter.

Found~ A poem created from words selected from various public communications (i.e. Information Texts) and arranged in poetic form. It can be a re-written prose, piece, or grouped words.  This is a fun kind of poetry which can lead to some very intriguing experiences... to write found poetry, one must literally find subtle inconstancies, contradictions, or anything that appeals to the poetic eye.  It brings the notion that poetry is all around us into a very real circumstance.  I teach two kinds of found poetry writing: (i) where words are selected from a single text and re-constructed in poetic form (eg. from a newspaper article); (ii) where words and phrases are selected and actually/physically removed from various texts and re-arranged to suit the theme a poet has selected.  This kind of found poetry is really fun and surprising... especially when the words are arranged on poster-board and displayed on a classroom wall.

Dramatic Monologue~ When a speaker (usually on stage) addresses an unseen audience or someone/something that is not present. This type of poetry usually involves poetic device of "Apostrophe".

Cinquain ~ Similar to a Diamante, this is a type of poem consisting of five lines which stipulates the kind of diction used and the number of syllables in each line.  Line 1 consists of two syllables and one word (becomes the title);  Line 2 has four syllables and two words, both of which describe the title; Line 3 has six syllables and three words, all of which are participles; Line 4 has eight syllables and four words which express emotions associated with the title; Line 5 has two syllables and consists of a single word which can be either the title or a synonym for the title.

Diamante ~ Simiiar to a Cinquain this is a type of poem consisting of seven lines which stipulates the kind of diction used.  Line 1 contains a single noun;  Line 2 contains two adjectives; Line 3 contains three participles; Line 4 contains four transitional nouns or a noun phrase; Line 5 contains three participles which indicate change; Line 6 contains two adjectives; Line 7 contains a single noun which contrasts with the one used in the title.