poetry terms - genres of poetry

ballad

songlike poem

tells a story; often adventure or romance

didactic

a poem which purpose is to teach, guide or instruct

elegy

sad, mournful, melancoly poem for the dead

epitaph

serious or funny poem on a gravestone

free verse

poetry not written in a certain way

not bounded by conventions of most poetry

haiku

5 7 5 (syllables)

consists of 17 syllables

japanese verse

limerick

consists of 5 lines w/ rhyme scheme (aabba ex..)

nonsense verse

lyric

expressing observations and feelings (of a speaker)

strong emotions involving

does not tell a full story

narrative

tells a story in verse form

ode

form of lyric poem

statement of praise for someone or something

sommet

lyric poem of 14 lines

concrete

a visual poem shown through shapes, pics, patterns printed on the page

ex. a poem in a shape of a heart

tanka

traditional Japanese poem

made of 5 lines

with a syllable pattern of 5/7/5/7/7 on each line

personification

a type of poem where things/ideas are given human characteristics