I used to teach Children’s Literature courses as part of the local community college’s Library Science program. They have since discontinued this program. One of the courses focused on Poetry for Children. One of the things we talked about in the course was Poem Types.
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Poem Types
Acrostic Poem
In an acrostic poem, the letters of the subject are written down (vertically) to form the word of choice. Next to each letter the poetic statement is written horizontally to express the subject in innovative ways.
Blank Verse
Blank verse does not rhyme, but it does have meter. Usually each line in blank verse has ten syllables. The first syllable is often unaccented and the second is accented. After that, every other syllable is accented.
Cinquain Poem
The Cinquain is an unrhymed form of poetry. The original cinquain had a set number of five lines and a syllabic pattern of two, four, six, eight, two on respective lines.
Line 1 – Topic (2-syllables)
Line 2 – 4 syllables describing topic
Line 3 – 6 syllables expressing action
Line 4 – 8 syllables expressing feeling
Line 5 – 2 syllables – a synonym for the topic
Couplet
Two lines that rhyme are known as a couplet. A complete idea may be expressed in a couplet or a long poem may be made up of many couplets. These poems can be humorous or serious.
Definition Poem
The word to be defined begins the poem in a question; the rest of the poem answers the question.
Diamante Poem
This poetic form takes the form of a diamond when it is completed. There are two patterns to choose from – both of which must be viewed visually to appreciate. Pattern 1 develops one topic. Pattern 2 starts out with one theme and in the middle begins to move toward an opposite theme.
Pattern 1
Line 1 – choose a topic (noun)
Line 2 – use two describing words (adjectives)
Line 3 – use three action words (verbs or –ing words)
Line 4 – use a four-word phrase capturing some feeling about the topic
Line 5 – use three action words (verbs or –ing words)
Line 6 – use two describing words (adjectives)
Line 7 – use a synonym for an ending word (noun, strong word or hyphenated word for the topic)
Pattern 2
Line 1 – choose a noun as your title and an opposite word (antonym for the ending word of your poem)
Line 2 – use two adjectives (describing words) for the title
Line 3 – use three verbs (action words or –ing words) for the title
Line 4 – use two words to express the title noun – then two words to express the opposite ending noun. The theme changes in this line!
Line 5 – choose three action words for the ending noun
Line 6 – use two words to describe the ending noun
Line 7 – use one word – the antonym (opposite) you decided upon in line one
Free Verse
Free verse is poetry that does not have a regular meter and does not contain rhyme.
Haiku
A Haiku is a Japanese verse in three lines. Line one has 5 syllables, line two has 7 syllables, and line three has 5 syllables. The 17 syllables are a compressed form which is a composition in praise of nature.
Limerick
A Limerick is a five-line written in anapestic rhythm (a metrical foot composed of two short syllables followed by a one long one). Lines 1, 2, and 5 contain three beats which rhyme aa, bb, a. lines 3 and 4 contain two beats that rhyme.
List Poem
List poems use repetition as their structure. They are also a kind of comparison or a paying attention to small details we might not always notice.
Narrative Verse
Narrative Verse were originally composed as a way of telling stories.
Nonsense Verse
This unusual type of poetry takes familiar things and puts them in unfamiliar settings. Nonsense verse also often features words that the writer has completely made up but that we can somehow understand. Jabberwocky is an example of this form.
Sonnet
The sonnet has a fixed form of 14 lines of 10 syllables each. It is usually written in iambic pentameter – much like the rhythm of natural speech. There are two parts of a sonnet, consisting of three quatrains and an ending couplet. The sonnet explores a subject of particular interest to the poet. The rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, efef, gg. The summing up of the theme is expressed in the last couplet.
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