AP English Poetry Genres

allegory

a narrative with two levels of meaning, one stated and one unstated.

(A story with a hidden meaning.)

Ex. Animal Farm represents politics, not just animals.

Aubade

A song or poem greeting the sunrise, traditionally a lover's lament that the night's passion must come to an end.

(A love poem or song said in the morning when lovers must part.)

Ballad

genre of folk poetry, usually an orally transmitted narrative song.

(A short story in song or poem form, often passed down by word of mouth.)

Ex. A song telling about a hero's adventure.

Blason

A Renaissance genre characterized by a short catalogue-style description, often of the female body.

(A poem describing parts of the body in detail.)

Cento

A poem composed entirely of lines from other poems.

Dirge

A funeral song.

dramatic monologue

a long poem spoken by a character who often unwittingly reveals his or her hidden desires and actions over the course of the poem.

(A poem where a character speaks to someone else, showing their thoughts.)

Eclogue

A short pastoral poem

(A short poem about shepherds or country life.)

Ekphrasis

A poem that describes a work of art.

elegy

mourn, and seek consolation for, a loss of some kind: the most common form of elegy is a lyric commemorating the death of a loved one.

(A sad poem that mourns someone's death.)

epic

A long narrative poem that catalogues and celebrates heroic or historic deeds and events, usually focusing on a single heroic individual.

(A long story-poem about a hero's great deeds.)

Ex. The Odyssey

epigram

A brief and pithy aphoristic observation, often satirical.

(A short, clever, and often funny saying.)

epitaph

A tombstone inscription. Several famous poems end with the poet writing his own.

(Words written on a tomb.)

epithalamion

A song or poem that celebrates a wedding.

fable

A brief tale about talking animals or objects, usually having a moral or pedagogical point, which is sometimes explicitly stated at the end.

georgic

The agricultural cousin of pastoral, a georgic is a poem that celebrates rustic labor.

(A poem about farm life or work.)

hymn

A song of praise.

invective

A personal, often abusive, denunciation.

(A mean or insulting speech in a poem.)

lament

An expression of grief.

light verse

Poetry that is mostly for fun: this can mean anything from nonsense verse to folk songs, but typically there is a comical element to light verse.

(Fun, playful poetry.)

lyric

brief poems that emphasize musical qualities.

masque

Courtly drama characterized by elaborate costumes and dances, as well as audience participation.

occasional verse

Poetry written with reference to a particular event.

ode

A long, serious meditation on an elevated subject

(A serious and respectful poem about something important.)

paean

A song of joy or triumph.

palinode

A recantation or retraction, usually of an earlier poem.

panegyric

Poem or song in praise of a particular individual or object.

parody

A comic imitation.

pastoral

A poem about simple rural life.

psalm

A sacred song.

riddle

A puzzling question that relies on allegory or wordplay for its answer. Riddles are often short, and often include an answer to the question posed, albeit an unsatisfying one.

(A puzzle in poetic form.)

Ex. What has hands but can't clap? (a clock)

romance

An adventure tale, usually set in a mythical or remote locale.

(A story of adventure, often with love.)

Satire (genre)

Ridicule of some kind, usually passing moral judgment.

Tragedy

A story that ends sadly, with a downfall.

verse epistle

A letter written in verse, usually taking as its subject either a philosophical or a romantic question.

(A letter written as a poem.)