Writing good poetry can be incredibly challenging, and sometimes just trying to understand it can be tiresome. But if you think writing poetry requires a minor in rocket science, think again.
There are so many different types of poems, and many have very few rules. All you have to do is select a style that appeals to you and let your creativity flow!
12 Different Types of Poems
Below is a list of some of the most common types of poetry, their main characteristics, and famous examples of each.
You may prefer to read certain types of poems, while for other types you may enjoy writing your own! Familiarize yourself with these different styles and see if any spark your imagination.
1. Sonnet
Sonnets are practically synonymous with Shakespeare, but there are actually two different kinds of this famous poetic form. Having originated in 13th century Italy, the sonnet usually deals with love and has two common forms: the Petrarchan (named for its famous practitioner, the poet Petrarch) and the Shakespearean (also known as the English sonnet). Each type contains 14 lines but comes with its own set of rules.
Petrarchan Sonnet
Characteristics and Rules:
- 2 stanzas
- Presents an argument, observation, or question in the first 8 lines
- Turn (or “volta”) between 8th and 9th lines
- Second stanza answers the question or issue posed in the first
- Rhyme Scheme: ABBA, ABBA, CDECDE
Shakespearean Sonnet
- 3 quatrains (4 lines each) and a couplet (2 lines)
- Couplet usually forms a conclusion
- Rhyme scheme: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG
Example of a Sonnet
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130
My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask’d, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
2. Villanelle
Villanelles have even more specific rules than sonnets. Luckily, many of the lines are repetitions, but this means you’ll have to take care to make those lines meaningful.
Villanelle Characteristics and Rules
- 19 lines
- 5 stanzas of 3 lines each
- 1 closing stanza of 4 lines
- Rhyme scheme: ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABAA
- Line 1 repeats in lines 6, 12, and 18
- Line 3 repeats in lines 9, 15, and 19
Examples of Villanelles
3. Haiku
You might remember writing a few of these back in grade school, because not only are these poems short, but they can be very fun to write.
The haiku originated in 17th century Japan. Although they usually refer to nature, the only real rule applies to the number of syllables in each line, so you can let your imagination run wild with this one.
Haiku Characteristics and Rules
- 3 lines
- Line 1 contains 5 syllables
- Line 2 contains 7 syllables
- Line 3 contains 5 syllables
Example of Haiku
Matsuo Bashō, “By the Old Temple”:
By the old temple,
peach blossoms;
a man treading rice.
4. Ekphrastic Poems
Ekphrastic poems don’t really have specific rules, but they do speak of another work of art.
Ekphrasis comes from the Greek word for “description,” and that’s exactly what this poem should do: vividly describe a painting, statue, photograph, or story. One famous example is found in the Iliad, where Homer refers to Achilles’ shield.
Examples of Ekphrastic Poetry
5. Concrete Poems
Concrete poetry is designed to take a particular shape or form on the page. Poets can manipulate spacing or layout to emphasize a theme or important element in the text, or sometimes they can take the literal shape of their subjects.
Example of Concrete Poetry
“The Altar” by George Herbert was intended to resemble a church altar:
A broken ALTAR, Lord, thy servant rears,
Made of a heart and cemented with tears;
Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
No workman’s tool hath touch’d the same.
A HEART alone
Is such a stone,
As nothing but
Thy pow’r doth cut.
Wherefore each part
Of my hard heart
Meets in this frame
To praise thy name.
That if I chance to hold my peace,
These stones to praise thee may not cease.
Oh, let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,
And sanctify this ALTAR to be thine.
6. Elegy
The elegy is another type of poem that lacks particular rules, but it usually is written in mourning following a death. They can be written for a particular person, or treat the subject of loss more generally.
Example of an Elegy
One famous example of an elegy is Walt Whitman’s “O Captain, My Captain,” which Whitman wrote following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln:
O Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
7. Epigram
Epigrams are short, witty, and often satirical poems that usually take the form of a couplet or quatrain (2-4 lines in length).
Example of an Epigram
An example of this wit is provided by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:
Sir, I admit your general rule,
That every poet is a fool,
But you yourself may serve to show it,
That every fool is not a poet.
Epigrams are not exclusive to poetry. They are also commonly used as literary devices and in speeches. John F. Kennedy’s famous quote, “Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind” is one such example.
8. Limerick
Limericks are humorous poems that have a more distinct rhythm. Their subject matter is sometimes crude, but always designed to offer laughs.
Limerick Characteristics and Rules
• 5 lines
• 2 longer lines (usually 7-10 syllables)
• 2 shorter lines (usually 5-7 syllables)
• 1 closing line to bring the joke home (7-10 syllables)
• Rhyme scheme: AABBA
Examples of Limericks
There once was an old man of Nantucket
Who kept all his cash in a bucket
His daughter, called Nan,
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.
—Anonymous
A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill can hold more than his beli-can.
He can take in his beak
Food enough for a week
But I’m damned if I see how the heli-can.
—Dixon Lanier Merritt
9. Ballad
Ballads usually take a narrative form to tell us stories. They are often arranged in quatrains, but the form is loose enough that writers can easily modify it.
Ballad Characteristics and Rules
• Typically arranged in groups of 4 lines
• Rhyme scheme: ABAB or ABCB
Examples of Ballads
“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe (first two stanzas):
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love—
I and my Annabel Lee—
With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me.
Some songs fit the ballad definition and have been passed down today. See this excerpt from the Irish ballad “Danny Boy”:
Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer’s gone, and all the flowers are dying
‘Tis you, ‘tis you must go and I must bide.
10. Epitaph
An epitaph is much like an elegy, only shorter. Epitaphs commonly appear on gravestones, but they can also be humorous. There are no specific rules for epitaphs or their rhyme schemes.
Examples of Epitaphs
From William Shakespeare’s gravestone:
Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves by bones.
“Epitaph” by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Heap not on this mound
Roses that she loved so well:
Why bewilder her with roses,
That she cannot see or smell?
She is happy where she lies
With the dust upon her eyes.
11. Ode
Odes address a specific person, thing, or event. The ode is believed to have been invented by the ancient Greeks, who would sing their odes. Modern odes follow an irregular pattern and are not required to rhyme.
Example of an Ode
“Ode to the West Wind” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Scatter, as from an unextinguish’d hearth
Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind!
Be through my lips to unawaken’d earth
The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
12. Free Verse
Free verse is exactly what its name implies. There are no rules, and writers can do whatever they choose: to rhyme or not, to establish any rhythm. Free verse is often used in contemporary poetry.
Example of a Free Verse Poem
“A Noiseless Patient Spider” by Walt Whitman
A noiseless patient spider,
I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.
Tips for Writing Poetry
Still need a little extra nudge to get started? There’s no better way to learn than by reading some great poetry.
You can also check out our post on how to write a poem so you can get inspired to start writing.
Do you have a favorite poem? Feel free to share it with us in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
- 10 Ways to Write Better Poetry
- How to Publish a Poem: 3 Ways to Become a Published Poet
- How to Make Money Selling Poetry
- 181 Best Literary Magazines: A Directory for Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story Publications
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
You threw your water bottle at me It hit me in the face
at least the bottle was empty but it left a mark, it left a trace
I didn’t say a word I turned around and left
I took your bottle with me you can call it petty theft
I sat down in the garden and allowed myself to cry
Should I fight back? Should I even try?
I sat amongst the flowers the plants and pebbles too
Ran my hands around the rocks and I knew what I had to do
I filled my hand with pebbles and filled your bottle up
My tears turned to his smile dropping rocks down in your cup
I had the perfect plan after all you hit me first
I’ll throw that rocky bottle at you and pray it doesn’t burst
I walked back in the room bottle in my hand
Smelled your sickening perfume
And I did what I had planned
I didn’t hesitate
Hell I almost laughed
vengeful and vindictive revenge
my perfect craft.
Could someone tell me what type of poem this is?
someone, please explain how ” peach blossoms;” is 7 syllables.
It is written in Japanese and translated to English, the syllables have been lost in translation
I would tell you if I did, but I don’t. Sorry.
Who are your favourite poets Kaelyn? And maybe cite two of your favourite poems? Just the titles, not the whole poems.
This post provided exceptional value while reading each poetry style. I’m learning more about each one, so when I write, I can pick which groups my writing fits.
Most of my poetry rhymes or use strong imagery and occasionally rhymes. However, I wouldn’t expect it to have a unique layout or game plan while constructing a poem. Now I am more than ready to go back through my writing and make serious edits, or getting a frugal idea how to use my words appropriately.
Glad you liked this post, Eternity! I think you have a solid understanding of your own writing style, which really helps with the writing process. Good luck!
BULLING
They force me
they pressure me
they feel like killing me
they feel like toturing me
I feel my heart is going to burst
I start to cry for help but no one answers
I feel paralised and ashamed of my self
I pray that someone helps me, but am lonely
Thanks for sharing your poem, Tanjiro! It’s sad, but poignant. I hope you’re not experiencing these things now!
The True Way Of Life in Modern Days
Forgot the reality of last decade
Nobody cares about what they did;
Everyone wishes to be calm
Everyone wants to be in heaven
But, where the True Way Of Life lies;
No one cares about what they are doing
Steps deeply with no thought
Some forgot what they were built for
Some remember what they are made for;
But never satisfied
But kept those non-permeable materials;
The Evil is here
But no one cares;
The Evil’s end
We live
The True Way Of Life
Even in a Modern Culture
Is it publishable?
Hi Raj, thanks for sharing your poem! We don’t publish poetry, but you can definitely publish it on your own website or check our our list of poetry publishers :)
Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!
When the stars threw down their spears
And water’d heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
What poem is this?
COLD
I feel cold, it’s not winter,nor harmattan.
This depressing urge to cover my face,
so I won’t be seen nor looked upon.
To cover my face so I won’t have to face what I’ve faced again.
I’m cold,from the pain,the depression,the weakness,the emotional trauma.
oh! what’s this disdain,
Deep freeze from within,
trying not to loose my reason for existing.
Pls what kind of poem is this?
Hi Adam, it looks like free verse to me :)
Lyric.
A Song from the Marooned
Mem’ries materialized
Tears trickled
Miseries realized
Heart’s sickled
Painful revelations
Epiphany’s real
Surging emotions
Making me reel
They have departed
Weeps are muffled
I remained bolted
Legs are shackled
Seeing their home
Missing my home
What poem is this?
Hi Ken, this looks like a Shakespearean Sonnet :)
How do we call a poem with 25 lines
Hi Tumse, I don’t think there’s a specific name for poems with 25 lines.
Dear sir,
My name is Lina Qurbanzada.
I am the English literature 4th year student.
My monograph is about differences betweem poetry and verse please can
You sent to my gmail more information about poetry and verse
Or address me some books about my monogrph topic.
Look to this day:
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence.
The bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendour of achievement
Are but experiences of time.
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
And today well-lived, makes
Yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day;
Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!
by Kalidasa
what type of poem is this? Thankyouuuu i need it for my report
Hi Trixie! I believe it’s just a free verse. I don’t see any recognizable rhyme scheme or structure.
Like a wishbone
or the instep of your foot
this parabolic love curves,
wings starring
in the neck of a crane
at marsh’s edge,
or bends its back into a kite
arching the membrane of blue flight.
You breath me out
I breathe you in
the smell of your skin.
is salt and tide and tin
The half-open door
tilts cooler light
upon the floor
and the outside sounds come in
an olive thrush
through the hibiscus bush
last evening note throating me under you.
This much as all we have:
shadows gathering,
fugitive grace,
and the deep body as our penumbral space.
What type of this poem?
Hi Musa, this looks like free verse to me, as I don’t see any consistent rhyme pattern :)
1997
I lost…
Myself,
For, several years.
I found…
Myself,
Again, now.
2021
By Cee Lee
I think possibly an Epigram or Free Verse. What is your professional opinion?
Hi Cee Lee, I would say it’s free verse, but I guess it could also be an epigram. Epigrams are usually humorous or satirical, so it depends on your intention
A cosmic joke
A man sees a flower, one he thinks will give him power, so beautiful and rare in the eyes of this beholder, he holds on tight to love, cherish and protect her. He loves what he has found, giving her a ring and hoping it stays bound, forever unchanged all around, the one he falls in love with on that special day, it’s her he hopes and prays she’ll stay, that same girl he met on that special day!
A woman sees a man’s potential, she’ll break him, mold him, and make him her perfect Temple, she’ll straighten his back and trim his nails, fix his hair and tell him Tales, cooking meals and feeding him well making his belly swell, slowing him down and keeping him on the ground, until working home is where he’ll always be found. She’ll make it clear there’s no more play and for now on you’ll do it her way…
This beautiful flower he once knew has changed into something new he has lost the one he fell in love with, what did he do?
Complicated and Confused even to herself, the temple she thought she could mold is now lazy, fat, boring and old. She kept him grounded, fed his belly and took his play all because she didn’t love the man she met that day. The one still like a boy wanting to play, She loved the potential of some imaginary Temple, she fell in love with a man that didn’t exist plain and simple. Now this bor she has created is no longer a man just someone to hold open a door, so she turns her back and walks away looking for her new prey…
Dazed and Confused, tired and beaten, this man just lost all life’s reasons, he gave her what she demanded outright commanded changing everything about him so she would love him and still she up and left him!
Conclusion: A woman gets with a man for who she thinks she can make him become.
A man falls in love with the woman he meets, who she is at the time.
The Irony: The man stays the same, the woman changes. A cosmic joke on us all but the men aren’t laughing!
Robert M Miller
2018
thanks for sharing, Robert!
Good afternoon I wanted to know if there was any kind of poem format that resembled an acronym or formatted in that way. E.g
F.riendships
R.emain
A.nd
N.ever
C.an
E.nd
Hi Tajwaun, that is known as an acrostic poem :)
Is this same free verse and Blank verse.
Hi Mona, both free verse and blank verse are free of a set rhyme scheme, but blank verse does have a consistent meter (usually iambic pentameter), whereas free verse does not
Life is an endless sea of pain,
only one drop of hope remains,
hearts as cold as rain,
and all the hope has drained,
What type of poem is this?
Hi Violet, I don’t think it’s a specific type of poem, but it can be described as a quatrain (4 lines) with an AAAA rhyme scheme
Hi! Is this a free verse?
Two days, oh no!
I miss you so…
Still, it makes no sense to you
Why I would feel so overdue.
Hi Diana, if that’s the whole poem, I don’t think it’s a specific type (so I think it would be free verse), but this can be described a quatrain with an AABB rhyme scheme :)
Maam pls help.
Ozioma Ogbaji Apr 2015
COLOUR ME COLOURS
Like the heavens and the skies
Like the deep seas so wide
When I am confident and true
When I have faith in you
Colour me blue, colour me blue
Like the royals of Great Britain
Like the noble in truth and ambition
In my wisdom, dignity and pride
In my mystery and grandeur so wise
Colour me purple, colour me purple
Like fire and blood
Like the intensity of a flood
In my strength and passion
In my desire, love and emotion
Colour me red, colour me red
Like the warmth of the tropics
Like the sun, my daily tonic
When I am determined and creative
When I am happy and attractive
Colour me orange, colour me orange
Like a smile so warm
Like joy even in a storm
When I am cheerful and happy
In my intellect, when I am savvy
Colour me yellow, colour me yellow
When I am all these and more
When I am despised or adored
With the colours of the rainbow
With the colours that make me glow
Colour me colours, colour me colours
Hi Riya, thanks for sharing that beautiful poem! How can I help you?
That was a good poem
That was a good poem my dear stranger.
I was sitting in my room
“Let me go!…You’re hurting me”
The glass vase shatters
From the passage, my body falls to the floor
“Stop…you’re hurting me!”
Her screams echoed through the house
Mom, why does daddy hurt you?
Because he” loves us”
But is that enough?
Is love enough?
Enough to heal black and blue bruises
Is love enough?
Enough to drown out your cries for help when I have homework doing
Is love enough?
When I can’t focus in class because I keep seeing your bruised face
Is love enough?
when I have to miss school because you cannot walk
Is love enough
When I have to lie to teachers
“Where is your mom?”
“She is ok”
If that is love
Then I should choke my wife
If that is love
Then I should break my wife’s jaw
If that is love
Then I should call my wife a…
If that is love, mom
Should I do that to my child?
Mom that is not love.
Love should heal
Love should bring joy
Love should be kind
Love should make you smile
What type of poem is this?
Hi Micah, I’d say it’s a free verse that features refrain (the repeated “Is love enough?” lines).
A sad and depressing poem, but well written.
What type of poem is this one by Jack London?
“Old longings nomadic leap,
Chafing at custom’s chain;
Again from its brumal sleep
Wakens the ferine strain.”
Hi Alex, I believe it’s an epigram
Is it the Kingfisher?
Marjorie Evasco
This is how I desire God on this island
With you today: basic and blue
As the sea that softens our feet with salt
And brings the living wave to our mouths
Playing with sounds of a primary language.
“God is blue,” sang the poet Juan Ramon Jimenez,
drunk with desiring, his hair, eyebrows,
eyelashes turned blue as the kingfisher’s wings.
It is this bird that greets us as we come
Round the eastern bend of this island;
Tells us the hairbreadth boundary between us
Is transient in the air, permeable to the blue
Of tropic skies and mountain gentian.
Where we sit on this rock covered with seaweeds,
I suddenly feel the blueness embrace us,
This rock, this island, this changed air,
The distance between us and the Self
We have longed to be. A bolt of burning blue
Lights in my brain, gives the answer
We’ve pursued this whole day:
Seawaves sing it, the kingfisher flies in it,
This island is rooted in it. Desiring
God is transparent blue – the color
Which makes our souls visible.
May I know what type of poetry is this? Why? :)
this is free verse :)
This information was very useful as i have to do a poetry assesment at school.
Mine’s in two hours
I hope it went well and that this post was helpful! :)
I’m so glad you found it helpful, best of luck on your assessment!
Hi, May I know what type of poetry is this?
WHERE IS MY MAY?Fernando Ma. Guerrero
My happy days have passed away.
The hills and woods have lost their flower.
Where is my May?Where are its sweet and charming hours?
Cheer me, my star, and give me light,To see at least a pleasant way,
Show me your eyes so fair and bright
To and my way.
With thoughts of care I bend my head,
Where is my May?
I am alone, I eat my bread
Away from you, so far away
I don’t think this one is a particular type either, but it does have ABAB rhyme structure :)
Hello! May I know what type of poetry are these?
Lament for the Littlest Fellow – Edith Tiempo
Where is My May? – Fernando Ma. Guerrero
Is It the Kingfisher? – Marjorie Evasco
The Conversion – J. Neil Garcia
Thank you <3
LAMENT FOR THE LITTLEST FELLOW
The littlest fellow was a marmoset.
He held the bars and blinked his old man’s eyes.
You said he knew us, and took my arms and set
My fingers around the bars, with coaxing mimicries
Of squeak and twitter. “Now he thinks you are
Another marmoset in a cage.” A proud denial
Set you to laughing, shutting back a question far
Into my mind, something enormous and final.
The question was unasked but there is an answer.
Sometimes in your sleeping face upon the pillow,
I would catch our own little truant unaware;
He had fled from our pain and the dark room of our
rage,
But I would snatch him back from yesterday and
tomorrow.
You wake, and I bruise my hands on the living cage.
Hi Krishna, I’m really not sure. It has 14 lines and starts out like a sonnet (rhyme scheme ABAB, CDCD), but then changes, so it might be free verse?
Hi Krishna! I think The Conversion is free verse as there doesn’t seem to be a rhyme pattern. I’ve answered your comments above for the other poems :)
Sorry to ask, but What type of poem is this?
Maybe we’ll find a way
To jump with out coming down,
To speed without crashing,
To fly without falling,
To float without drowning,
To fight without cowardice,
To love without doubt,
To smile without hidden sorrow,
To think without worrying,
To sleep without nightmares,
To exist without questioning.
Maybe we’ll find a way to be and do all the things we promised ourselves when we were younger.
Maybe we’ll find a way to forgive ourselves and be okay.
Hi Adli, I believe that’s free verse:)
Hi! Does anybody know what type of poem is this?
You ask me how much I love you
Ah, lovely inquisitive lips!
You would want to fathom the ocean
And scale the infinite blue sky above us.
Shall I count the sands on the seashore,
Or pick the numberless stars of heaven
Like some sweet woodland blossoms?
Ask then the bold eagle of the air
If he could soar the ends of the distance,
Or the worm of the ground if it could crawl
Down to the very core of earth.
And you ask me how much I love you,
Ah, lovely inquisitive lips!
You would want to fathom the ocean
And scale the infinite blue sky above us.
Read! Read the answer in my eyes
And in the quiverless muteness of my lips…
For there are things that are voiceless
And would be told only in the silence!
I remember having to interpret this poem during my freshman days :) This is a free verse poem as far as I can see.
what is the structure of that poem?
what is a poem with 32 lines called as?
4 lines each para and has 8 paras totally…
please clear my doubt
Sorry, Sanjana, I couldn’t find exactly what you’re looking for. The closest I found is the L’Arora, a 32 line poem. It’s composed of an octave made up of a sestet and a couplet though.
Good evening, I’m Shecku from Sierra Leone. I really found this content profound and helpful. With intense enthusiasm I seek to know whether there is a platform(especially from WhatsApp medium), where we’d gets to meet and develop ourselves as poets?
Hi Shecku, thanks for your comment! I don’t know of any Whatsapp groups, but we have a list of online writer clubs that you might want to check out :)
please help me identify what this poem is ,is it Limerick A bad case of the sneezes
Last night I had the sneezes,
I was really feeling ill.
I went to see the doctor
who prescribed a pinkish pill?
At eight o’clock I went to bed.
I then turned out the light.
I used up one whole box of tissues
by sneezing through the night.
I sneezed and sneezed throughout
the night.
I didn’t get much rest.
So that’s the reason, teacher,
that I failed my spelling test.
Bruce Lansky (adapted)
Hi Shymore, yes, I think it would be a limerick
Hi, I just discovered I had a poetic writing interest. I have read the above however I am not absolutely certain if these 2 poems I wrote are sonnets. I would say close to a sonnet but not the exact rules as mentioned above.
Thank you for assisting..
Poem 1:
Wondering if she’d lost her mind..
So what is she did?
Most are that way inclined
Her mind actually far from lost…
Kindly stepped back so she could move passed
She thanked her mind and walked beyond..
A little scary but she felt a bond
Walking towards a very dark place..
She started to trust,
more than this material place.
Poem 2:
Not sure who she is in this space..
Is she the alien, or this place?
Sick to her stomach and so she writes..
A poetic insight of her life
Tears fall down
Her heart bleeds
She longs for something..
not what she thought she needs
To find connection is what she seeks..
In people and places but never succeeds
Where does she look if not there?
Perhaps within, a whisper dared..
Hi Megan, neither are these are quite sonnets. While you can label the rhyme scheme you’ve created in this poem, I think they’re best classified as free verse (which isn’t a bad thing). Thanks for sharing your lovely poems! :)
INDEED THEY ARE
I have written over 50 poems right now in draft form. I would like to recognize the different styles of poems. And would like to publish sometime this year once I get the manuscript polished.
Hi Verene, that’s great! We have a list of poetry publishers you might find helpful :)
Hi, Include these styles in your poetry style parts: https://www.poetrysoup.com/poetry/new-poetic-forms.aspx
Thanks for sharing, we’ll check it out!
Hi
I have been able to write 35 poems successfully
Thanks
that’s great, congratulations! :)
moonchild
looking up at moon,i know quite well
the only peace,i will ever get
battle in the darkness
i,suffer in a daylight like a hell
my mind full of galaxies
tired of creating the place that doesn’t exists
no need of caffeine to wake me up
more I stay,i baptized by nights
am i alright?is i ask myself
surviving like a dead breathing human
hopeless is kind of hopeuntil you
yourself have felt its light
mysterious moon and her child
knows the depth or secrets of her own
doesn;t want to share the world
and holds what light she can
the connection between them
makes them strong and not to give up
always make sure that her darkness doesn’t make her drain
it’s the world that makes her tears rain.
can you tell me which form is this?
Hi Riya, it doesn’t look like there’s a consistent rhyme scheme. I would say it’s free verse
Catching covid
Over germed
Very dangerous
It will kill you
Do you stay protected?
Up above is a acrostic poem about covid
very clever, mariam! thanks for sharing!
I would love to be a poet person after looking at this!
you definitely can! :) check out our tips on how to write a poem if you’re wondering how to start
Thank you for this post! I don’t really know what to call my writings.. I also never really call them poems.. I used to write a lot when i was young (10 years ago or so). only recently I’ve started writing some again:
They comfort my soul
The scent of magical sweetness
The colors of their faces
Fragile at their touch
Moments of happiness
—-
Everything I do
Seems to be nothing
Everything I am
Seems to be no one
Everything I want
Seems to be gone
Everything I think
Seems to be thoughtless
Everything I found
Seems to be lost
Thanks for sharing your writing, Freya! Personally, I would describe them as poems. Great work! :)
Hey. I once read about a type of poetry in which the first words of each line formed the last line. Now i can’t seem to remember the type. I would be glad if you could help me identify the type. Just the name would do.
Its called villanelle
Thanks for your comment! I can’t seem to find anything about a poem like that. I do see that a “loop” poem is when the last word of the first line becomes the first word of the second line, and it continues like that.
hi. I wanted to know what will you say the ” Please , take photographs’ by Sindiwe Magona poem will you refer to .Like what type of poem is this one?
Hi Setu, unfortunately I can’t find a sample of the book to determine what types the poems are.
can i have the type of praise poetry
Sorry, I don’t understand your question! Do you want an example of a praise poem?
Ode to My Brothers
My Brothers, You are Survivors
You Both are Brave as the
Bold Fox watching and waiting,
For the Rabbit to Run by.
My Brothers, You are my Shadows
You Follow me into Hell with no questions.
Then you keep Following me.
Both of you put all of your Trust in me.
My Brothers, You are my Secret Keepers
In the locked box of your Minds.
It is sealed Off from pressing eyes.
Of the Evil in the World
My Brothers, You are my Sanity
You keep me in the light.
When I want to go into the Dark.
And never return.
My Brothers, You are my Roots
You hold me Stable in the Earthquake.
When others around us have fallen
Into the darkness
My Brothers, You are my Family
You always help me in dark times
For you are the light I need
In the dark tunnel of Life.
Hi Minerva, thank you for sharing your two poems! great work
Thank you
Ode to Blood
My Blood, You are like a Shadow.
You are always with Me.
My Blood, You Save me from the
Darkness
You are as Strong as the Oak Tree
My Blood, You are my Garden.
Even when you are gone
Forever.
My Blood, Just Stay with me
Till the Sunset is over.
My Blood, In the Blood Colored Sunset
You are the Most wonderful thing I see.
Ode to My Brothers
My Brothers, You are Survivors
You Both are Brave as the
Bold Fox watching and waiting,
For the Rabbit to Run by.
My Brothers, You are my Shadows
You Follow me into Hell with no questions.
Then you keep Following me.
Both of you put all of your Trust in me.
My Brothers, You are my Secret Keepers
In the locked box of your Minds.
It is sealed Off from pressing eyes.
Of the Evil in the World
My Brothers, You are my Sanity
You keep me in the light.
When I want to go into the Dark.
And never return.
My Brothers, You are my Roots
You hold me Stable in the Earthquake.
When others around us have fallen
Into the darkness
My Brothers, You are my Family
You always help me in dark times
For you are the light I need
In the dark tunnel of Life.
I have also written this.
huh
hey love it poetry is great
you’re missing some of the poem types.
Hi Jocelyn, thanks for your comment! I know there are more than this, originally I just wanted to include the most common types, but I’m thinking about updating it with more :)
Hi! This was really helpful! Thanks!
Glad you found it helpful, Sam! :)
Hi, what kind of poem is usually about war?
An Epic
Hi kaelyn thanks for this post.
Was thinking if I could get your email address, I’d like to share my first writing with you
Hi Prince, I hope you found the post helpful! If you’d like to share your poetry, you’re welcome to enter our poetry contest, or post your poem here :) If you’d like to submit a manuscript, you’ll find our submission guidelines here.
I still can’t figure out what type of poem I wrote….if I can’t figure out what it is would it be considered free verse then???
Hi Katie, while our post only covers 12 types of poems, these are among the most common. If it doesn’t look like one of these, there’s a good chance it’s free verse (which many poems are)
this was not that helpful
Hi Emily, I’m sorry you didn’t find the post helpful. Is there anything we could include to make it more helpful?
Thank you. I have just written my first Villanelle.
I have always written poems but never specifically using any poetic style. Now I can successfully structure my poems. After reading your article, it just comes natural to me. This is unbelievable because I am 44yrs old and have written all my life! Please keep up the great work.
I’m so glad you found the post helpful, Mel! :) Keep up the great work with your poetry! If you’d like, feel free to share some here sometimes too :)
hi Kaelyn ,
dedicated to Hidding street,
A STRANGE MOOR
A real moor, lone moor,
At Hidding beehive corner, call it street
glance of gusto, classy stride,
Face staunch, glossy dark skinned.
It was the back I saw, swaying,
Long trouser, not fitting to ankle,
A peacock stride , yet in haste
A clock, clock, stride .
The gown or kanzu hanged fittingly,
Almost a secret hunchback,
The eyes not glassed but gazed
Head not capped, a funny moor.
What alarmed… was the age.
You couldn’t tell his frail…,
Moved with vigor like a bull,
Hair locked, rastas hanging low.
Uhm, a smile on my cheek
A black rastad moor at Hidding street
Dangled straight, not looking aside
No cough no sneeze ,on smoky lane.
Oh moor, at Hidding Africa ,
You’re lost?, going home or in tour ?
forgot the cap …formal sacred hat ,
He didn’t wave or greet like others .
Others hummed greetings ,shouted Godisgreat,
Called neighbours,more greetings,
More chewingKhat, mouth dancing
More this or that .
Thanks for sharing your poems, Zephaniah! I can see you really love writing poetry :)
That nice lady, nice as a dog
Boy, she sure can Jog!
She definitely likes Soy on her rice!
She’s lucky there’s no price when you’re beautiful
Here she comes as usual
She instantly humms a jolly tune
I’m lucky I got her
It probably only happens once in a blue moon
Im dying
Thank you for sharing your poem, George! :)
Thank you. Now I believe the style of my writings would be free form. They are inspired by the Holy Spirit.
I hope you found the post helpful, Sheila :) keep writing poetry!
not complete
What’s not complete?
They were saying that there are more poems than this
Thanks Emily! Yeah originally I just wanted to include the most common types, but I’m planning on expanding this soon :)
These poems were
really cool!!!
glad you enjoyed them, Trinity! :)
THE HIDDING STREET MAN
It was hot not normal hot
Dizzy breezeless hot only normal day
At the street eyes flickered
The eyes flickered again the man lost
In the buzz the cozy hardened whiskers
Eyes dry arms hanged walked dangling
Dangling dingling I thought theyd fall
The arms and back bit hunched
Past hidding I looked with wonder .
with wonder yes hairs loosely
Wobbled and drooled he had rastas
Slight coloured brownish white gown
A white brown gown , wasn’t long
It flared and danced as he strode
Robotically flip flop flip flop
Thanks for sharing, Zephaniah!
PEACE WITHIN THE TEMPEST
A ballad
The waters roared
And lighting flashed
Twelve men at ores
As billows crashed
Terrified they pressed on
Under nights dread veil
Oh for a glimpse of the sun
Or end to the gale
Then at once upon the sea
Appeared a vissage walking
They cried out “Oh what can it be
But a spirit upon us lighting?”
Now these men all sore afraid
Cried out at once for fear
But Jesus said “don’t be afraid,
It is I. Be of good cheer.”
Peace be still, peace be still
The Master there is standing
Amidst the wind and slashing waves
Stands PEACE within the tempest.
From Matthew 14:24-27
Beautiful, thank you for sharing, Douglas :)
I love poems:
sample:
SOCKETS IN RIVERSIDE
The reason titled tilted
Its teddy bear’s obsession which reason listed
No truth meter zipped or sanevuletts
Thames rivulets of heads steadiness
He would peck peck and peck
Honey peck pocket peck money peck
The lovepeck was more its tilted
roars and huhs wonders and hi’s
they loved either it and dismayed
the slots filled and taunted and haunted
they’d laugh and laughed
Thames is “iron peck” and greasy grity hands
The grit never mattered the slots
The honeybees swarm and sang
They also sang Thames peck peck song
Honeypeck pocket peck moneypeck
Its the woodpeckers dance,
I would laugh to learn the song
It was nice to sing to Thames
Who loved and danced at the peck peck sound . ahahahahahahahahah thanks
I write a lot of poems but the problem I’ve got is, how to identify or sort them into different categories or types they belong.
Hi Sanda, that’s great that you enjoy writing poetry! :) The guidelines above might help you determine which types of poems they are by looking at the rhyme scheme and other structural details. However, your poems might also be free verse, which is when there is no set rhyme scheme or set meter.
Pls how can I learn all the rules of writing all the types of peoms?
Hi Emmanuel, the specific rules for each type of poem are outlined above (rhyme scheme, number of lines, etc.). If you’re looking for more general guidelines, you can check out our post on how to write a poem :)
How can I sell poem online
Hi Timilehin, we have a post on how to make money selling poetry with some good tips. I hope that helps! :)
Thanks Kaelyn. This is a lot of good information about poetry. I didn’t know there existed so many different types of poems. In our church meetings, one of the brothers would read his poems very time. They have only one stanza and about 20 (even number of) lines. The rhyme scheme is always AA BB CC DD … depending on the number of lines. The closest type for his poems seems to be Epigram, but then you said epigram is short. So maybe it is really a Free Verse. Also, what is the rhyme scheme in the JFK example used for epigram? I would appreciate your thoughts.
Hi Yuqin, yes, it sounds like those poems might be free verse, with lots of couplets. And the JFK examples is not actually a poem — epigrams can also just be short, clever remarks :)
Thanks again, Kaelyn! It all makes sense now.
Of course! Glad I could help :)
I’ve been writing poems for years Just thought I’d get your opinion.
2/11/2021
TIME
Woke up this morning
Thinking of time
Using it now
Constructing this rhyme
It moves very swiftly
But it used to be slow
We use it all day
Where ever we go
We attempt to save it
But that can’t be done
It continues to pass
If we walk or we run
It “ waits for no one”
Use wisely, spend well
We say, “not enough”
We say, “it will tell”
We ask where it goes
‘Cause it never stops
Yet promised to no one
And it’s when the “ball drops “
The big equalizer
No one gets more than you
Yet some is cut short
How can both things be true?
Some things take too much
We ask where it goes
We run out of it
And, oh, how it shows
Unstoppable, yet steady
“Once upon a time”
Invested and wasted
And put in a line
Everyone uses it
Every thing takes it up
Most can tell it
Makes memories erupt
A precious gift
We can’t buy or obtain
Yet life depends on it
And it’s hard to explain
Hi Rebecca, I really enjoyed reading your poem! Very clever, and you did a great job creating the rhyme scheme.
We have been using this piece for our writing group. We try to produce a poem .
I hope you’ve found the content helpful! :) Please let us know how it goes and if you have any questions!
Poem is a very likelyitem to read very nice and intresful❤
We love poetry here too! :)
I really love this piece on types of poems. I’m an aspiring poet with many unpublished poem.
Hi Billy, I’m glad you enjoyed the post! :) Have you thought about publishing your poems before?
Hello I’m a published poet in Gogyohka USA and Romania in the Gogyohka style, a Japanese 5 line freestyle poem developed by Enta Kasukabe in 1952. Lines should be short and succinct. We also do Gogyohka mirror, which you use the poems last line first to start the second half. And Gogyohkabun a story or poem which ends in a Haiku. We accept tanka, Haiku any form of Japanese poetry and original art. We also have a Community blog Soul Moments and a Youtube channel where submissions are presented. Gogyohka is a very freeing style of poetry that many people from different countries have fallen in love with .
Hi Cheryl, thanks for sharing! Sounds great:)
rosis ar rad vilot ar blue if you go out with me you will lake me to.
Very helpful
Glad you found the post helpful! :)
That long night :
There I stood in a dusk,
Wandering like a vagabond.
Finding ways to escape,
Surrounding so numb,
I fumbled.
Time was fleeting fast,
I could smell the breeze,
As it kissed my lips.
Darkness of the night,
Mocked at my sight.
In that stillness of night I stood,
The waves of trees were shaking hands.
It created a magical spell on me.
I shivered in that cold chilly night.
I escaped a beat to find ray of light.
Ah! That long night surrounded me,
With darkness all around.
My legs refused to move,
Dullness loaded alcove.
And there, I stood terrified in that long night.
Can anyone tell me which form is this.