African Poem Types

The kwansaba is an African American praise verse form that borrows from South African poetic traditions and celebrates the holiday of Kwanzaa. It utilizes the number seven heavily in its structure, with seven lines of seven words each that can not be longer than seven letters each, making it wholly unique as a form.

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The blues poem is one of the most notable American forms of poetry. It’s a product of the African-American musical and oral blues tradition. While blues poems often take on the themes of despair and struggles, they are not necessarily pessimistic-sounding but rather, talk about overcoming those struggles and difficulties with a strong spirit.

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