Acrostic
First letter of each line vertically spells out a name, word, or phrase
Acrostic - First letter of each line vertically spells out a name, word, or phrase
Ballad
Tells a dramatic or emotional story; ABAB or ABCB rhyme scheme
Ballad - Tells a dramatic or emotional story; ABAB or ABCB rhyme scheme
Blackout poetry
Large portions of an existing text are blacked out to reveal the remaining visible words that form the new poem
Blackout poetry - Large portions of an existing text are blacked out to reveal the remaining visible words that form the new poem
Concrete poetry
Designed to take a particular shape or form on the page; spacing or layout is often manipulated to emphasize a theme or element in the text, or sometimes make the physical shape of the poem’s subject
Concrete poetry - Designed to take a particular shape or form on the page; spacing or layout is often manipulated to emphasize a theme or element in the text, or sometimes make the physical shape of the poem’s subject
Didactic Cinquain
Five lines, eleven words, non-rhyming.
Line 1: one word - noun
Line 2: two words – two adjectives that describe line one
Line 3: three words – includes action
Line 4: four words – longer description
Line 5: one word – noun that relates to line one
Didactic Cinquain - Five lines, eleven words, non-rhyming.
Line 1: one word - noun
Line 2: two words – two adjectives that describe line one
Line 3: three words – includes action
Line 4: four words – longer description
Line 5: one word – noun that relates to line one
Ekphrastic poetry
Vividly describes a painting, sculpture, drawing, or other form of visual art
Ekphrastic poetry - Vividly describes a painting, sculpture, drawing, or other form of visual art
Elegy
Written in mourning after a death; often consisting of several two-line stanzas
Elegy - Written in mourning after a death; often consisting of several two-line stanzas
Epic
Very long poem which tells a story about a character’s adventures, accomplishments, and daring feats
Epic - Very long poem which tells a story about a character’s adventures, accomplishments, and daring feats
Epigram
Short, witty, and satirical
Epigram - Short, witty, and satirical
Epitaph
Short phrase written in memory of a person whose died, often inscribed on a tombstone or grave marker
Epitaph - Short phrase written in memory of a person whose died, often inscribed on a tombstone or grave marker
Free verse
No rules
Free verse - No rules
Haiku
Japanese poetry consisting of three lines; may or may not rhyme.
Line 1: five syllables
Line 2: seven syllables
Line 3: five syllables
Haiku - Japanese poetry consisting of three lines; may or may not rhyme.
Line 1: five syllables
Line 2: seven syllables
Line 3: five syllables
Limerick
Funny or shocking; AABBA rhyme scheme; lines 3 and 4 are shorter than the other lines; the last line is the punchline
Limerick - Funny or shocking; AABBA rhyme scheme; lines 3 and 4 are shorter than the other lines; the last line is the punchline
List poetry
List of things; funny or moving last line
List poetry - List of things; funny or moving last line
Lyric poetry
Expressive, songlike poem that is centered on emotions and focused on the poet’s state of mind and personal themes rather than narrative arc
Lyric poetry - Expressive, songlike poem that is centered on emotions and focused on the poet’s state of mind and personal themes rather than narrative arc
Narrative poetry
Shorter yet fully developed story that focuses more on plot instead of emotion or adventure, often with a specific rhyming scheme
Narrative poetry - Shorter yet fully developed story that focuses more on plot instead of emotion or adventure, often with a specific rhyming scheme
Ode
Usually short; written to praise a person, thing, or event; often ten lines
Ode - Usually short; written to praise a person, thing, or event
Palindrome poetry
Poem that reads the same forward or backward with a word in the center as the reversal point
Palindrome poetry - Poem that reads the same forward or backward with a word in the center as the reversal point
Pantoum
Poem that consists of four-line stanzas that repeat in a pattern; changes in punctuation, verb tense, pronouns, word order, homonyms, and plurality are allowed when repeating lines
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5 – repeat line 2
Line 6
Line 7 – repeat line 4
Line 8
Line 9 – repeat line 6
Line 10
Line 11 – repeat line 8
Line 12
Line 13 – repeat line 10
Line 14
Line 15 – repeat line 12
Line 16
Final stanza continues same pattern but ends with a repeat of line 1 as the final line in the poem.
Pantoum - Poem that consists of four-line stanzas that repeat in a pattern; changes in punctuation, verb tense, pronouns, word order, homonyms, and plurality are allowed when repeating lines.
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5 – repeat line 2
Line 6
Line 7 – repeat line 4
Line 8
Line 9 – repeat line 6
Line 10
Line 11 – repeat line 8
Line 12
Line 13 – repeat line 10
Line 14
Line 15 – repeat line 12
Line 16
Final stanza continues same pattern but ends with a repeat of line 1 as the final line in the poem.
Sonnet
Fourteen lines; typically about love, romance, or desire; sonnet rhyme schemes:
- ABBA ABBA CDE CDE
or
- ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
Sonnet - Fourteen lines; typically about love; sonnet rhyme schemes:
- ABBA ABBA CDE CDE
or
- ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
Villanelle
Nineteen lines; ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA rhyme scheme; certain lines are repeated
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6 – repeat line 1
Line 7
Line 8
Line 9 – repeat line 3
Line 10
Line 11
Line 12 – repeat line 1
Line 13
Line 14
Line 15 – repeat line 3
Line 16
Line 17
Line 18 – repeat line 1
Line 19 – repeat line 3
Villanelle - Nineteen lines; ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA rhyme scheme; certain lines are repeated
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6 – repeat line 1
Line 7
Line 8
Line 9 – repeat line 3
Line 10
Line 11
Line 12 – repeat line 1
Line 13
Line 14
Line 15 – repeat line 3
Line 16
Line 17
Line 18 – repeat line 1
Line 19 – repeat line 3
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