Types of Poetry

Poetry is an expression of ideas and emotions in compact, imaginative, and musical language.

…. tells a story. Like a short story, a poem of this kind contains the elements of setting, character, and conflict. Examples: “Casey At The Bat” “Paul Revere’s Ride”

…..is brief, focusing upon a specific theme, and demands precise usage of words. These words appeal to the senses as well as conveying meaning. Free verse does not have to rhyme. When class is nearly over, I want the bell to ring. But all I hear Is the teacher’s voice Talking on …and on… and on. And I know that It’ll be a long time Till I can go home And eat lunch.

….expresses the feelings or thoughts of a speaker rather than telling a story. Lyrics are usually short and imply, rather than directly state, a single strong emotion. Examples: “The Courage My Mother Had” “O Captain! My Captain!” “Upon The Burning of Our House”

…. two consecutive lines of verse with end rhyme. Examples: If dogs have pups Do saucers have cups? I fell and scraped my knee When I jumped from a tree. There was an ugly snake Slithering through the lake.

…. a stanza of three lines, a triplet, in which each line ends with the same rhyme. It usually conveys humor and tells a brief story Examples: I have a cat. She sits on a mat. She looks like a bat. There was a snake Who laid in the sun to bake, Then went for a swim in the lake.

….contains four lines with an a, b, a, b rhyming pattern. A bear is funny, He likes to climb trees, He likes the honey, But not the bees.

…. a five line poem influenced by haiku. Cinquains follow different patterns. The most common is: 1 st line – one word giving the title (noun) 2 nd line - two words (adjectives) 3 rd line – three action words (“ing” verb form) 4 th line – four words expressing a feeling (phrase) 5 th line – one word (noun, another word for the title)

Blossom Bright, fragrant Budding, blooming, swaying The joy of nature, Flower

….is a form of verse to be sung or recited. There is a tradition of composing story -songs about current events and personages that has been common for a long time. Examples: “The Battle of New Orleans” “The Cremation of Sam McGee”

….is the combination of triplet and couplet that has the rhyme pattern of A-A-B-B-A. It also has the following syllable pattern: Lines 1, 2, & 5: 8-10 syllable rhyme Lines 3 & 4: 5-7 syllable rhyme Example: There was a young lady of Lynn Who was so exceedingly thin That when she essayed To drink lemonade She slipped through the straw and fell in.

….a poem that is shaped like what it is about.

….a form of Japanese poetry that consists of seventeen syllables. The poem is three lines in length; the first and third lines have five syllables and the second line has seven syllables. There is no metrical pattern, and lines do not rhyme. Example: Horses running wild Mane and tails flowing freely Magnificent view