12 terms
Different Types of Poetry - Definitions (Pack 2)
Learn more about different poetry forms and styles.
A type of poem that describes something without actually naming what it is, leaving the reader to guess. It may actively involve the reader.
Riddle
A type of ode with no consistent stanza pattern.
Irregular Ode
A type of sonnet which appeared in the 16th century and are composed of three quatrains and a final couplet, with a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. Written generally in Iambic Pentameter.
Shakespearean Sonnet
A French form poem, which usually has three stanzas of seven, eight, or ten lines and a shorter final stanza of four or five lines.
Ballade
Verse that has no rhyme scheme but has a regular meter.
Blank Verse
A short poem consisting of five, usually unrhymed lines containing, respectively, two, four, six, eight, and two syllables. The modern form was inspired by Japanese haiku and tanka.
Cinquain
A type of poem where certain letters spell out a word or phrase.
Acrostic
Poems written in rhyming couplets or quatrains. Each line within the poem consists of only eight syllables.
Kyrielle
A type of sonnet divided into two quatrains and a six-line "sestet," with the rhyme scheme ABBA ABBA CDECDE (or CDCDCD).
Petrarchan Sonnet
A modern poetry form which has only five lines. Each line adds another syllable until the last line.
Tetractys
A type of poetry in which the visual appearance matches the topic of the poem, often adding meaning to the poem.
Concrete Poetry
A broad category of poetry, along with drama and epic.
Lyric