Poetry 101: Learn About Poetry, Different Types of Poems, and Poetic Devices With Examples

Poetry has been around for almost four thousand years. Like other forms of literature, poetry is written to share ideas, express emotions, and create imagery. Poets choose words for their meaning and acoustics, arranging them to create a tempo known as the meter. Some poems incorporate rhyme schemes, with two or more lines that end in like-sounding words.

Today, poetry remains an important part of art and culture. Every year, the United States Library of Congress appoints a Poet Laureate to represent the art of poetry in America. From Shakespearean sonnets to Maya Angelou’s reflective compositions, poems are long-lived, read and recited for generations.