page contents
Acrostic: In acrostic poems, the first letters of each line of the poem are aligned vertically to form a word. Generally, the word formed thus, is the subject of the poem.

Ballad: Ballads are narrative poems that are supposed to be sung. The narrator usually starts with a dramatic scene and relates the narrative with dialog and actions.

Cinquain: Cinquain poems are five lines long. They do not rhyme.

Concrete: In this kind of poetry, the topographical arrangement of words supports the meaning conveyed by the poem. The poems form a picture of the topic on which they are centered.

Diamante: This type of poetry is one of the simplest ones to write. The first line of a diamante is a single word; the second line consists of two adjectives describing that word, third line contains three words about the subject while the fourth line contains four. The fifth line and the lines that follow consist of a similar pattern of words describing the idea opposite to the subject of the poem. It seems this kind of poetry writing is simple and interesting. Doesn't it?

Dramatic Poetry: A drama that is written in the form of verses to be recited or sung refers to the dramatic genre of poetry. This form of poetry has evolved from Greek and Sanskrit literature.

Epic Poetry: This genre of poetry is a type of narrative literature that narrates stories of mythological heroes. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and the great Indian epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana are a few of the noteworthy examples of epic poetry.

Free Verse: Free verses refer to the different styles of poetry, wherein the poems do not carry a specific meter. Free verses are a poet's expressions, which are free from any rules or restrictions pertaining to the rhyme schemes of the poem.

Haiku: It is an unrhymed form of poetry that is native to Japan. It contains three sections that can be written in a single line, but are written in three lines instead. The way it is broken into, is in essence the poetic effect of this poetic form. This kind of poetry contains a cutting word, which is known as a kireji and a season word, known as a kigo.

Limerick: Limerick is one of the very popular kinds of poetry. A limerick is a funny little poem with a rhyme scheme of 'aabba'.

Lyric Poetry: Lyric poetry is of a personal nature, wherein a poet expresses his/her perceptions and ideas through poetry. Lyric poems deal with subjects like love, peace, loss and grief. T. S. Eliot is one of the prominent names in lyric poetry.

Narrative Poetry: This is a genre of poetry that involves story-telling and is one of the very old forms of poetry. The content of these types of poems is intended to appeal the masses. Ovid, William Langland, Alexander Pope and Shakespeare are some of the notable figures in the field of narrative poetry.

Ode: Originally developed by the Greek and Latin poets, Odes soon began to appear in different cultures across the world. Odes possess a formal poetic diction and deal with a variety of different subjects.

Prose Poetry: This genre of poetry blends prose and poetry. It is very similar to a short story. However, its concise nature and the use of metaphor in it are sufficient to classify it as a poetical form.

Sestina: In this kind of poetry, there are six stanzas, each consisting of six lines without an element of rhyme. The words that appear at the end of the lines in the first stanza are repeated in other stanzas. A concluding stanza of three lines wherein the repeating words reappear in a peculiar way is an important characteristic of Sestina.

Sonnet: Derived from Occitan and Italian words meaning 'a little song', Sonnet was originally a fourteen-line song that was based on a strict rhyme scheme and structure. Shakespeare, who wrote 154 sonnets, was one of the most important figures in the field of sonnets.

Villanelle: The poems of this type consist of nineteen lines made up by five triplets and a concluding quatrain. This form of poetry has received impetus since the late 19th century, giving rise to poets like Elizabeth Bishop and Dylan Thomas.