Allegorical poetry refers to any poem in which allegory is a major element, but when calling an entire poem an “allegorical poem” we would usually understand it to mean that the entire poem is an allegory. Specifically, this means it is a poem with a specific moral, political, or spiritual message as its main purpose.
The sijo is an old Korean verse form that has roots as far back as the Goryeo era (around the 14th century). Modern interpretations describe a 42-48 line poem divided up into three lines, with a caesura on each line. Older interpretations are far more strict, encompassing a very specific arrangement of syllables.
Palindrome poems, or mirrored poems, describe a category of poems that revolve around the idea of the palindrome (words, phrases, or sentences that read the same backwards as forwards). This concept can be taken in several different directions, with mixed results, so there’s no absolute definition of this poem type.
Tautogram poems are written by starting every word with the same letter. There are variations on the concept but tautograms have appeared in various written languages over the years all over the world, in one form or another, likely owing to the relative simplicity of the concept.
The nonet is a nine-line poem that gradually gets shorter as the poem continues. It starts with a nine-syllable line, then eight, then seven, and all the way down to one at the last line. The origin of the poem is currently shrouded in mystery, but it has been jumping from website to website in recent years.
Echo verse is written by repeating the last sound of each line right after the line to literally produce an echo effect within the poem. There are no other prerequisites and ways to write out the echo can vary, but it’s generally accepted that the form only achieves its full potential when read out loud.
Praise poetry refers to a genre of poetry in which a person or a god is praised by the poet, usually featuring the use of hyperbole. Praise poems can also refer to any poem that has a tone of gratefulness and humility and can potentially be about broader subjects, such as praising a nation or a city.
Contrapuntal poems utilize a combination of multiple poems to create one larger composition that attempts to be more than the sum of its parts. While they are comprised of two or more distinct poems, contrapuntal poetry is done by clever formatting and writing so that they “converse” with each other.
Monostich poems are single-line poems. By looking at the prefix “mono” (meaning single, one, only) we can quickly tell this poem is a one-liner. Due to its length, some scholars debate on whether monostich poetry should even be considered a true poem or not.
A found poem is a poem type created by borrowing texts from various sources. Found poetry is in essence a “literary collage” where a writer takes existing texts from various sources like articles, speeches, letters, or even other poems, and then reorganizes them into a brand new poem.