English literature A1 poetry glossary: FORM

key terms+ definitions

Ballad

a poem that tells a story similar to a folk tale or legend and often has a repeated refrain

Blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

Dramatic monologue

a poem written in the voice of a fictional character and delivered to a fictional listener, instead of in the voice of a poet to their readers. Robert Browning is one of the most famous dramatic monologue writers. They are “dramatic” because they can be acted out like a play and they are monologues because they consist of just one person speaking to another person.

Elegy

a poem that laments the death of a person, or one that is simply sad and thoughtful

Free verse/ “vers libre”

poetry composed of either rhymed or unrhymed lines that have no set meter

lyric

a poem, such as a sonnet or an ode, that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the poet, may resemble a song in form or style , short, non-narrative poems

Narrative

telling a story, e.g. ballads or epics are narrative poems

pastoral

a poem that depicts rural life in a peaceful, idealised way , poems about nature or simple country life