Forms of Poetry
Lyric Poetry
Purpose
Characteristics
 Expresses the thoughts
and feelings of a single
speaker
 No specific tone
 Often in very musical
verse
 This is broad category
which includes many
specific types of poems
such as sonnets, odes,
and elegies.
Example: poeticterminology.net
Sonnets
A form of Lyric Poetry
Purpose
 Subject may vary
 Purpose is to praise
Example: “Harriet Beecher Stowe” pg. 735
sonnets.org
Characteristics



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Formal tone
14 lines
Formal tone
Rhyme
 Pertrarchan: abbaabbacdecde
 Shakespearean:
ababcdcdefefgg
 Meter: unstressed/stressed
 Lines and Stanzas
 Petrarchan: 8 then 6
 Shakespearean:
4/4/4/2(couplet)
Odes
A form of Lyric Poetry
Purpose
Characteristics
 Celebrating or
honoring :
 Formal tone
 Person
 Object
 Idea
Example: “Ode to Enchanted Light” pg. 685
Poetryfoundation.org : “Ode to Marbles”
 Rhyme and Rhythm
Elegies
A form of Lyric Poetry
Purpose
Characteristics
 Reflect on death or
other solemn, serious
themes
 Formal tone
Example: “O Captain! My Captain!” pg. 777
“To an Athlete Dying Young” poets.org
 Structure varies
considerably
Narrative Poetry
Purpose
Characteristics
 Tells a story in verse
 No specific tone
 Similar to a short story:
 Plot
 Setting
 Characters
 Problem/resolution
 Includes smaller
categories such as
epics and ballads
Epics
A form of Narrative Poetry
Purpose
Characteristics
 Exciting or inspiring story
 Serious tone that fits the
 Usually about a hero
subject
 Long narrative poem
 Often begin with an appeal
to a muse (a being that
inspires artists)
Example: “Invocation” from John Brown’s Body pg. 1078
Info on John Brown’s Body: historynet.com
Ballads
A form of Narrative Poetry
Purpose
Characteristics
 Tell a story about—
 No specific tone
 Adventure
 Structured like songs
 Tragedy
 Verses move the
 Romance
action forward
 Repeated refrains
drive the main
message foreword
Example: “John Henry” pg. 1045
“The Broken-Legg’d Man”
“The Ballad of Billy the Kid” by Billy Joel
Free Verse Poetry
Purpose
Characteristics
 Any purpose






Example: “Describe Somebody” pg. 645
poemfarm.amylv.com
No specific tone
No strict structure
No regular meter
No intentional rhyme
No fixed line length
No specific stanza
pattern
 Contains a loose
structure that fits the
poem
Limericks
Purpose
Characteristics
 Humorous
 Humorous tone
 Five lines
 Specific rhythm
Example:
grahamlester.web.caom
pattern
 Rhyme scheme: aabba
 Rhythm :
Poetry4kids.com
Concrete/shape Poem
Purpose
Characteristic
 The shape of the words
suggest a topic or idea
in the poem
 Words are arranged in
a shape
Example: “Easy Driver” pg. 643
Poetrysoup.com
 Often lighthearted or
humorous tone
 Loose structure
 No regular meter
 May rhyme
Haikus
Purpose
Characteristic
 Nature poems that are
simple yet intense
 Thoughtful or playful
tone
 Short
 Unrhymed
 Simple and powerful
 Strict structure
 Line 1: 5 syllables
Example: Poetry .org
 Line 2: 7 syllables
Poetrysoup.com
 Line 3: 5 syllables