Elements of Poetry 2

verse

Refers to any single of poetry & and any composition in lines of more or less regular rhythm (in contrast to prose)

lyric poetry

a short, subjective poem expressing thoughts and feelings of a single speaker (who may or may not represent the poet)

sonnet

from the Italian “sonneto,” meaning “little song.” It is a traditional and widely used verse form especially for love poetry.

Shakespearean sonnet

also called the English sonnet. Has a rhyme scheme organized into three quatrains with a final couplet: abab cdcd efef gg

Petrarchan sonnet

also called the Italian sonnet. Has a rhyme scheme divided between an octave and a sestet: abba abba cde cde (or cd cd cd)

ode

a lyric poem characterized by a serious topic and formal tone but no prescribed formal pattern

elegy

a lament or a sadly meditative poem

epigram

a very short poem, often comic, usually ending with a sharp turn of wit or meaning

aubade

a love poem in which the coming of dawn is either celebrated or denounced as a nuisance

sestina

a challenging form in which rather than simply rhyming, the actual line-ending words are repeated in successive stanzas in a designated rotating order. It consists of 6 six-line stanzas, concluding with a three-line “envoi.”

villanelle

the name derives from the Italian “villano” (peasant) and also means “rustic song or dance.” A fixed form consisting of nineteen lines divided into six stanzas- five tercets and one quatrain

triolet

A short, French, lyric poem of eight rhymed lines that includes two rhymes and two refrains (ABaAabAB)

limerick

A short and usually comic verse form of five anapestic lines usually rhyming aabba

acrostic

A poem in which the initial letters of each line, when read downward, spell out a word or words.

haiku

A Japanese form that has three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables.

tanka

A Japanese form that has five unrhymed lines based on the following syllable pattern: five, seven, five, seven, seven

idyll

(also called a pastoral poem or eclogue)- a short poem that describes rustic or pastoral life

terza rima

(Italian for third rhyme)- a verse form made up of thee-line stanzas that are connected by an overlapping rhyme scheme (aba, bcb, cdc, ded, etc.)

Narrative poetry

A poem that tells a story

epic

a long narrative poem usually composed in an elevated style tracing the adventures of a legendary or mythic hero

ballad

traditionally, a song that tells a story, was originally an oral verse form

folk ballad

Anonymous narrative songs, usually written in ballad meter, that were originally transmitted orally

literary ballad

A ballad not meant for singing, written for literate readers by poets

ballad stanza

the most common pattern of ballad makers consists of four lines rhymed abcb

dramatic poetry

A poem that presents the voice of an imaginary character (or characters) speaking directly, without any additional narration by the author.

dramatic monologue

A poem written as a speech made by a character at some decisive moment