Kinds Of Poems

Learn about the many kinds of poems. Poetry is a way to express emotions, and so many poets of old have harnessed its power to bring about the best literary pieces around. Some kinds of poems are very short, while others are longer. There are even poems that span pages of text.

Popular Kinds of Poems

Short Poems

Short poems are a joy to read because there are no complicated lines to distract the reader from the original meaning.

A lanterne is among the shortest kinds of poems. There are only five lines with a certain number of syllables per line. The first line contains a one-syllable word. The second, third and fourth lines have two, three and four syllables, respectively. The fifth line mimics the first line and comprises a one-syllable word. The title is considered the sixth line, but adding a title to this type of poetry is optional.

A haiku is a part of the Japanese culture. Japanese people are generally considered taciturn yet eloquent, and haikus are the kinds of poems that tell of this cultural trait quite well. There are three lines in a haiku, each containing a significant message. There are five syllables in the first line and there are seven syllables in the second. The last line is very significant to the poem and contains five syllables. Haiku is traditionally a poem about nature, and elements of this are always present in some way.

Acrostic

Acrostic poems are the kinds of poems that are fun to write and read. Start by picking one word and write it downwards, one letter per line. Each letter will then be the starting point for each verse. It takes skill and imagination to come up with a really stunning Acrostic poem, but with enough creativity, anyone can pull it off.

Free Verse

Free verse poems are the kinds of poems that are relatively easy to read because no consistent pattern is required when writing the poem. The poem itself reads like natural speech, and the poet can use rhymes. There are kinds of free verse poems that don’t use rhymes but read like a letter. Ordinary words are used, and color is added by using rhyming words. Many people write free verse poems, and some have even formed clubs around this kind of poetry.

Sonnets

These kinds of poems came from Italy, and were invented by Giacomo da Lentini. Traditionally, in the early days, a sonnet comprises fourteen lines all conforming to a particular rhyming scheme. The structure of this poem is strict, making it evident to the reader that this is a sonnet. William Shakespeare was the most famous sonnet writer, leading to the creation of a special sonnet type dedicated to him. A Shakespearian sonnet has fourteen lines like other kinds of poems considered a sonnet.

Ballads

Ballads are considered kinds of poems because of the structure and applicability to music. Like sonnets, ballads have a certain melancholic tone to them. Although not always about love, most ballads have love as the central theme.