A poetic form is a set structure used to shape a poem. It defines features such as rhyme scheme, meter, length, and stanza pattern. Poetic forms guide how a poem is written and help create rhythm, meaning, and style across different works.
a
- AcrosticAn acrostic is a piece of writing in which letters form words or messages. The โacrosticโ is most commonly associated with poetry.
- AnacreonticAnacreontics are metered verses in the style of the Greek poet Anacreon. His poetry often dealt with themes of love and wine.
- Arte MayorArte mayor is a term used to describe a type of Spanish verse. It uses lines ranging in length between eight and fourteen syllables. Some sources describe arte mayor poetry as only that which has more than nine syllables per line.ย
b
- BalladA ballad is a kind of verse, sometimes narrative in nature, often set to music and developed from 14th and 15th-century minstrelsy.
- BalladeA ballade is a medieval and Renaissance verse form that is distinct from the far more common โballad.โ It was commonly used in France during the 13th-15th centuries.ย
- Blank VerseBlank verse is a kind of poetry that is written in unrhymed lines but with a regular metrical pattern.
- Block FormThe term โblock formโ is used to describe a poem that is not separated into stanzas or verse paragraphs. These poems are contained within one โblockโ of text.ย
- Burns StanzaThe Burns stanza is named for Scottish poet Robert Burns who popularized its use. It is a six-line stanza form that uses a rhyme scheme of AAABAB, and lines of tetrameter and dimeter.
c
- CantoA canto is a subsection of a long narrative or epic poem. It is made up of at least five lines but it is normally much longer.
- CanzoneThe word โcanzoneโ means โsongโ in Italian and was first used to refer to a verse form in Italy and France in the medieval period.
- Chaucerian StanzaThe Chaucerian stanza, also known as rhyme royal, is a stanza form introduced by English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. It's seven lines long and uses the rhyme scheme ABABBCC.
- ChokaChoka is a traditional form of Japanese poetry that dates back to the 1st century. The word โchokaโ means โlong poemโ and is usually compared to a tanka, which is a โshort poem.โ Today, itโs far more common to see tanka (or see the term โwakaโ used to describe choka poems).ย
- CinquainA cinquain is a poetic form that makes use of a pattern of five lines.
- Closed FormThe term โclosed formโ in literature refers to poems that use a closed, specific structure or pattern. This includes poems written in the form of a sonnet, villanelle, haiku, limerick, and more.
- Concrete PoemConcrete poetry, also sometimes known as visual poetry or shape poetry, is focused on the visual effect that linguistic elements have when theyโre arranged in a certain way.
- Country House PoemA country house poem is a piece of poetry that praises another personโs property. They were usually written for wealthy friends or patrons in order to gain favor.ย
- Curtal SonnetThe curtal sonnet, or the contracted sonnet, is an eleven-line sonnet that follows a pattern of either ABCABCDCBDC or ABCABCDBCDC.ย
d
- Diamante PoetryDiamante is a popular poetic form that is made up of seven lines. They are formatted into the shape of a diamond and used to compare two opposites.
- DirgeA dirge is a song or poem composed after someone's death. These songs are usually shorter and more concise than elegies.
- Double DactylA double dactyl is a form of verse that uses eight lines, each of which contains two dactyls. These are arranged into two stanzas.ย
- Dramatic MonologueA dramatic monologue is a conversation a speaker has with themselves, or which is directed at a listener or reader who does not respond.
e
- EpistleAn epistle is a letter that comes in the form of either prose or poetry.
- EpitaphAn epitaph is a short lyric written in memory of someone who has died. Sometimes, epitaphs serve as elegies.
- EpodeThe epode is the third part of a classical Greek ode, following the strophe and antistrophe. It often introduces a contrasting tone or resolution and may feature a shift in meter.
f
- Found PoetryFound poetry is a type of poem thatโs created using someone elseโs words, phrases, or structure.
- FourteenerA fourteener is a line of poetry that contains fourteen syllables. They are usually composed of seven iambs.ย
- Free VerseIn free verse, lines are unrhymed and there are no consistent metrical patterns. But, that doesn't mean it is entirely without structure.
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- GhazalA ghazal is a type of poem that is constructed with couplets, repeated words, and rhyming words.
- Golden Shovel Poetic FormThe golden shovel poetic form uses lines from another author's poetry. Each word of those lines ends one line of a new poem.
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- HaibunA haibun is a traditional form of Japanese poetry that combines prose and haiku.ย
- HaigaHaiga is a style of Japanese poetry that combines haiku or senryu with a painting or drawing.
- Haiku PoemA haiku is a three-line Japanese poem that follows a syllable pattern of 5-7-5.
- HeptastichA heptastich is a stanza that contains seven lines in poetry. These lines can be written in any rhyme scheme or metrical pattern.
- HeterometricHeterometric describes stanzas that mix lines of different lengths or metrical patterns. Itโs more common today than its opposite, the isometric stanza.
- Horatian OdeA Horatian ode is one of three common ode forms. It is a simple stanza form in which all stanzas use the same pattern, chosen by the poet.
- Hymn StanzaA hymn stanza uses a rhyme scheme of ABCB and alternates between iambic trimeter and iambic tetrameter.
i
- In Memoriam StanzaThe โIn Memoriamโ stanza is a poetic form that originated with Alfred, Lord Tennysonโs long poem, โIn Memoriam: A.H.H.โย
- Irregular OdeAn irregular ode is a common ode form that does not conform to the characteristics of the Pindaric or Horatian ode forms.
- Isometric StanzaAn isometric stanza is a set of lines, all of which are the same length. It could be as long or as short as the poet wants.ย
k
- KatautaKatauta is a traditional Japanese poetic form that has been popular for centuries. With its strict syllable count and focus on themes such as love, nature, and the seasons, Katauta poems offer readers a window into the beauty and complexity of Japanese culture.
- KyลkaKyลka is a traditional Japanese poetic form that emerged in the 15th century. It is a playful and humorous variation of the tanka, a five-line poem with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5-7-7.ย
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- Lai (Lay)A lai (also spelled โlayโ in English) is a medieval French lyric or narrative poem, typically written in octosyllabic couplets. It often blends romance, chivalry, and the supernatural. A few English examples also survive, influenced by French originals.
- LamentA lament is an expression of grief or sorrow, often taking the form of a poem, song, or speech, mourning a lossโwhether of a loved one, a homeland, or time itself. Common in elegiac poetry, laments are typically emotional and introspective, revealing the speakerโs deep anguish or regret.
- LimerickA limerick is a short, humorous poem consisting of five lines with a distinctive AABBA rhyme scheme. It typically features a playful or absurd narrative and a bouncy rhythm, most often written in anapestic meter (two short syllables followed by a longer one).
- LitanyLitany is a poetic or rhetorical form built on repetition and a chant-like rhythm, often listing items or phrases. Rooted in religious prayers with repeated responses like โLord, have mercy,โ it evokes rhythm, solemnity, or emotional intensity.
- LullabyA lullaby is a soothing song that is sung to put children to sleep. Lullabies are often used in the evening, just before bedtime. The most common type of lullaby is one that has a slow and gentle rhythm.
m
- Miltonic SonnetMiltonic Sonnet is a type of sonnet developed by John Milton. It retains the Petrarchan structure (an octave and a sestet), but flows freely between sections, breaking strict thematic divisions. Milton used it for political, philosophical, and religious themes rather than romantic ones.
- MonostitchA monostitch is a poem that's made up of one line of verse. It can be as long as the poet wants it to be, but it's restricted to one line.
n
- Narrative PoemA narrative poem contains all the elements of a story and is normally longer than average.
o
- OctastichAn octastich is a stanza with eight lines. These lines might be written in free verse or conform to a specific rhyme scheme or metrical pattern.ย
