Types of Poems
As the poet chooses the different elements he wants to include in his poems, he also chooses the style of poetry he wants to write. The styles of poetry are defined by the number of lines in each stanza, the syllables used in each line or the structures of rhyme used and so on. Here is a list of the main types of poetry commonly used by poets all over the world.
Limerick: A limerick is a short and witty poem. This poem has five lines in a stanza. The first, second and fifth line have the same structure and they rhyme with each other. They contain seven to ten syllables each. The third and fourth lines have the same structure and they rhyme with each other. These lines contain five to seven syllables.
Rap: Rap is a musical art form written to be spoken in a rhythmic manner; usually with the accompaniment of percussion sounds and/or music called Hip Hop. Rap may rhyme consistently or on occasion. Rap is generally informal and written to express an opinion or point of view. Raps can be lively, sad, simple, or mad. Raps often address socially-charged issues.
Spoken Word: Spoken Word is poetry intended for onstage performance, rather than exclusively designed for the page. While often associated with hip-hop culture, it also has strong ties to storytelling, modern poetry, and monologue theatre, as well as jazz, blues, and folk music.
Free Verse: This is a method of writing poetry, which does not essentially follow any structure or style. There is no fixed meter and no structure regarding rhyme and lines in each stanza. This kind of poetry is quite popular with modern poets.
Couplet: Perhaps the most popular type of poetry used, the couplet has stanzas made up of two lines which rhyme with each other.
Haiku: This is again a very structured method of writing poetry. This has its origins in Japan. This method does not use rhyme. There are three lines of five, seven and five syllables each. The poem must essentially talk about some aspect of Nature.
Ballad: This is an old style of writing poetry, which was used to tell stories. A ballad usually has stanzas made up of either seven or eight or ten lines, and ends with a short four or five line stanza. Each stanza ends with the same line, which is called ‘a refrain’.
Quatrain: This kind of poem has four lines in a stanza, of which the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other and have a similar syllable structure.
Cinquain: This is another unique type of poetry style. As the name suggests, it is made up of five lines. The first line is just one word, which is often the title of the poem. The second line has two words which describe the first line. The third line has three words, and is mostly the action part of the poem. The fourth line is four words describing the feelings. And the fifth line, again, has just one word which is the title of the poem.
Iambic Pentameter: This is a very complicated style of writing poetry, but was often used by classical poets. This style uses the syllable stresses to create the musical sound. There is one short sounding syllable followed by one long sounding syllable, at the end of each of the five stanzas in a row.
Sonnet: This type of poem contains fourteen lines and follows conventional structures of rhyme.
Epic: This poem is usually a long and descriptive one which tells a story. Epics usually are longer than most poems and may even take up a book. Example: Homer’s ‘Iliad’.
Limerick: A limerick is a short and witty poem. This poem has five lines in a stanza. The first, second and fifth line have the same structure and they rhyme with each other. They contain seven to ten syllables each. The third and fourth lines have the same structure and they rhyme with each other. These lines contain five to seven syllables.
Rap: Rap is a musical art form written to be spoken in a rhythmic manner; usually with the accompaniment of percussion sounds and/or music called Hip Hop. Rap may rhyme consistently or on occasion. Rap is generally informal and written to express an opinion or point of view. Raps can be lively, sad, simple, or mad. Raps often address socially-charged issues.
Spoken Word: Spoken Word is poetry intended for onstage performance, rather than exclusively designed for the page. While often associated with hip-hop culture, it also has strong ties to storytelling, modern poetry, and monologue theatre, as well as jazz, blues, and folk music.
Free Verse: This is a method of writing poetry, which does not essentially follow any structure or style. There is no fixed meter and no structure regarding rhyme and lines in each stanza. This kind of poetry is quite popular with modern poets.
Couplet: Perhaps the most popular type of poetry used, the couplet has stanzas made up of two lines which rhyme with each other.
Haiku: This is again a very structured method of writing poetry. This has its origins in Japan. This method does not use rhyme. There are three lines of five, seven and five syllables each. The poem must essentially talk about some aspect of Nature.
Ballad: This is an old style of writing poetry, which was used to tell stories. A ballad usually has stanzas made up of either seven or eight or ten lines, and ends with a short four or five line stanza. Each stanza ends with the same line, which is called ‘a refrain’.
Quatrain: This kind of poem has four lines in a stanza, of which the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other and have a similar syllable structure.
Cinquain: This is another unique type of poetry style. As the name suggests, it is made up of five lines. The first line is just one word, which is often the title of the poem. The second line has two words which describe the first line. The third line has three words, and is mostly the action part of the poem. The fourth line is four words describing the feelings. And the fifth line, again, has just one word which is the title of the poem.
Iambic Pentameter: This is a very complicated style of writing poetry, but was often used by classical poets. This style uses the syllable stresses to create the musical sound. There is one short sounding syllable followed by one long sounding syllable, at the end of each of the five stanzas in a row.
Sonnet: This type of poem contains fourteen lines and follows conventional structures of rhyme.
Epic: This poem is usually a long and descriptive one which tells a story. Epics usually are longer than most poems and may even take up a book. Example: Homer’s ‘Iliad’.
