Poetry(Intro)

Poetry Forms - Definitions and Examples

Sonnet - a short rhyming poem with 14 lines.  The original sonnet form was invented in the 13/14th century by Dante and an Italian philosopher named Francisco Petrarch. The form remained largely unknown until it was found and developed by writers such as Shakespeare. Sonnets use an iambic meter in each line and use line-ending rhymes.

Limerick - a five-line witty poem with a distinctive rhythm. The first, second and fifth lines, the longer lines, rhyme. The third and fourth shorter lines rhyme. (A-A-B-B-A).​

Haiku - This ancient form of poem writing is renowned for its small size as well as the precise punctuation and syllables needed on its three lines. It is of ancient Asian origin.

Haiku is composed of 3 lines, each a phrase. The first line typically has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 and the 3rd and last line repeat another 5. In addition, there is a seasonal reference included.​

Narrative - A narrative poem tells the story of an event in the form of a poem. There is a strong sense of narration, characters, and plot. 

Epic - a lengthy narrative poem in grand language celebrating the adventures and accomplishments of a legendary or conventional hero.

Couplet - two lines of verse which rhyme and form a unit alone or as part of a poem

Free Verse - A Free Verse Poem does not follow any rules. Their creation is completely in the hands of the author. Rhyming, syllable count, punctuation, a number of lines, a number of stanzas, and line formation can be done however the author wants in order to convey the idea. There is no right or wrong way to create a Free Verse poem.