Get to know all about the finesses in poetry. From poetry terms to poetry types to decisive differences in poetry.
Categories: Poem Types
The Rondeau is a fixed poem type of French origin. It is composed of 15 lines that are divided into three stanzas namely, a quintet, a quatrain, and a sestet. The first and the last lines of a rondeau are identical and it follows the aabba aabR aabbaR rhyme scheme.
A cento is, in essence, a collage poem because it consists entirely of poetic lines taken from poems written by other authors. Cento is in fact from a Latin term that means “patchwork garment”.
The sapphic verse is a poem type consisting of four-line stanzas of any number. The term sapphic is derived from the name of the ancient Greek poet Sappho. Sappho wrote and left behind fragments of verses from which, apparently, sapphic poems have developed.
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.
A triolet is a French poem that consists of eight lines utilizing the ABaAabAB rhyming scheme. This poem type is called triolet because the first line is repeated thrice. Triolet poems were most likely invented in medieval 13th-century France.
An epistle or epistolary poetry is a letter in either poem or prose form. These literary letters are addressed to a particular person or group. This poem type dates back to as far as the Roman empire. From letters written during that era, it was further developed and popularized by the great Roman poets, Horace and Ovid.
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.
A ballade is an old verse form of French origin. It usually consists of three main stanzas with eight lines, and an envoi that consists of four lines. The ballade has several variations including the double ballade, double-refrain, ballade supreme, and chant royal or grand ballade.
Ekphrastic poetry is a written expression of a visual form of art. In ancient Greece, they use the ekphrasis technique to write about or verbalize momentous events, history, or a work of art. Because ekphrastic poems are a way to creatively articulate art or significant scenes or events, this poem type is usually imaginative, vivid, and quite dramatic.
A tanka is a short Japanese free verse consisting of 31 syllables. While they don’t necessarily rhyme, tankas follow a specific syllable pattern. Tanka literally means “short poem or song”, with themes that are usually about nature, seasons, and desires. Hence, tankas tend to evoke strong and powerful imagery.
A pantoum is a type of poem consisting of repeating quatrains, or four-line stanzas. Pantoums can be of any length. The pantoum is of Malay origin, specifically the Malay poetic verse form pantun berkait.
Prose poems are a creative piece of writing that combines both poetic and prose writing style elements. While prose poetry does not break lines into verses, it shows features such as figures of speech, metaphors, and symbolism, which are common to poetry.
A sestina is a very specific verse form of French origin, consisting of six stanzas with six unrhymed lines each, usually concluded by an envoi with three lines. Sestinas originated with the lyric poets (troubadour poets) of Southern France.
Terza rima is a verse form of Italian origin consisting of tercets, or three-line stanzas. Terza rima poems are a demanding form of poetry as it uses a complex rhyming scheme usually in iambic pentameter.
Theme is the underlying message or meaning that an author or artist wants to communicate through his work. Whereas mood is a literary tool that writers or artists use to evoke an emotional response from their audience.
Minimalist poetry is an artistic movement without clear origins. Minimalist poetry may have been influenced by other more traditional poetry forms such as the Japanese haiku and concrete poetry amongst others.