1. Types
There are many different types of poetic forms; however, we will only be discussing the following types of poems: Limerick, Haiku, Free Verse, Sonnet, and Ballad,

2. Limerick A limerick has 5 lines The rhyme scheme is aabba
Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme; lines 3 and 4 rhyme
A limerick is funny
A limerick tells a story, although the story is really short with a twist at the end.

3. Examples of Limericks Old Man Ted The Mouse Who Got a Spouse
Rose from the dead
He chases us very far
We got in the car
To see that he had no head!
By:  Caitlin
The Mouse Who Got a Spouse
There was a mouse,
Who lived in a house.
He went for cheese,
But had to sneeze.
Instead he got a spouse!
By:  Lacey

4. Haiku
A three line poem that originated in Japan that is written with 17 syllables
The traditional haiku format has syllabic form
Line 1 has 5 syllables total, line 2 has 7 syllables, and line 3 has 5 syllables
They usually focus on imagery from nature
Can you write a haiku?
Example:
The sky is light blue.
Resting peacefully high.
Wings would let me go.

5. Free Verse
Free Verse poems have no rules. The writer makes his or her own rules
The writer chooses how the poem looks, feels, and sounds (without profanity or vulgarity).
Similar to free-style rap

6. Sonnet Example of a Shakespearean Sonnet: Handout
Comes from the Italian word sonetto, which means “a little sound or song”
Traditionally the sonnet is a 14-line poem
Two types: Italian (Petrarchan) and English (Shakespearean)
The Shakespearean Sonnet has three quatrains and a couplet that follow this rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd, efef, gg
Example of a Shakespearean Sonnet: Handout

7. Ballad Example: Handout
A narrative composition in rhythmic verse suitable for singing
A ballad has ballad stanzas
The stanza has four lines in which the second and fourth lines share a rhyme, but the first and third lines do not share a rhyme.
Example: Handout

8. Resources