For as long as there have been words there has been poetry. Poems are a way for mankind to share experience, legend, emotion, and/or creativity. Traditional poetry had set rules for the different styles such as the structure of the lines or the rhythm of the words. Over time writers have taken artistic liberties in the writing of verse creating new and different styles. Everybody on this planet has a story to tell and poetry may just be the way for them to tell it. As a poet you should write what feel and try to evoke those feelings from the reader. Many poems have a duality to their message which can speak to different readers in different ways. I have compiled this short list of different styles of poetry to inspire and guide the inner storyteller in all of us. This is only a list of known styles/forms of poetry. Time changes all things and if you feel a different rhythm for your words then follow your heart. There is no wrong way to share your story.
Sonnett
(Traditional)A sonnet is a fourteen line poem with ten syllables per line. At it's invention the sonnet would form a question and answer in the body. The first eight lines (the octave) form the problem and the last six lines (sestet) forms the resolution with the ninth line being the turning point in the tone of the poem. There are several different variations on the rhyme scheme of a sonnet. This is one example:
When I consider how my light is spent (a)
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, (b)
And that one talent which is death to hide, (b)
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent (a)
To serve therewith my Maker, and present (a)
My true account, lest he returning chide; (b)
"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" (b)
I fondly ask; but Patience to prevent (a)
That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need (c)
Either man's work or his own gifts; who best (d)
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state (e)
Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed (c)
And post o'er land and ocean without rest; (d)
They also serve who only stand and wait." (e)
As you can see above the two quatrains (four lines)of the octave follow a rhyming scheme of a,b,b,a and the two tercets (three lines) have rhymes that correspond with one another. This form of poetry was popularized in Italy in the 13th century and over time has evolved and changed in form, scheme, and style so much that the first line of this explanation is the only true constant of the sonnet.
Epic
(Traditional)An Epic is a narrative style of poem which tells a grand story in detail of an event. Epics are often a way of documenting a historical event but can also be written about legendary or even mythological events. The rules for an epic poem structure are lengthy and can be seen here.
Ode
(Traditional)An Ode is basically a tribute poem to a particular feeling, person, or object. There really are no rules as to scheme or style in this type of poetry other than repeating the structure of the first stanza (group of written lines) with each succeeding stanza in order to give the work a rhythmic flow.
Elegy
(Traditional)An Elegy is like an Ode except it deals exclusively with emotional sadness. It is a tribute style poem but is written in remembrance to someone lost. Elegies are a blank verse style of poetry but generally follow a elegiac stanza which is rhyming every other line (a,b,a,b). This is a very personal type of poetry and can be very therapeutic when dealing with the death of a loved one.
Blank Verse
(Traditional, Contemporary)Blank Verse is a style of poetry which has unrhymed lines but follows a specific meter set with the stanzas. The need to express one's feelings and views sometimes falls outside of the rules; this style evolved out of traditional styles of poetry and has since become it's own style. It is not as liberal as free verse in its execution but still lacks the constraints of a rhyming scheme in it's flow.
Free Verse
(Traditional, Contemporary)Free Verse goes one step further in breaking away from traditional poetry stylings in that it has no rules whatsoever other than stanza forms. Each stanza of this style of poetry can have a different meter.
Haiku
(Traditional [Japanese], Contemporary [Western Style])A Haiku is a short Japanese style of poetry which is written in seventeen on - 'sounds' (syllables) in a single vertical line of 5-7-5. English haiku uses words and are written in three horizontal lines with a syllable count of 5-7-5. Haiku has been altered to an inverted style of poetry (7-5-7) called a Ukiah (named for the city where it was created Ukiah, California. They have an annual ukiah festival).
Limerick
(contemporary)A limerick is a short humorous rhyming poem that follows a specific rhyme scheme. It is 5 lines total where the longer lines 1,2, and 5 rhyme with each other and the two shorter lines 3 and 4 share a different rhyme creating a lyrical flow when spoken.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
And down he run,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
Acrostic
(creative contemporary)An acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first letter of each line forms a word when read horizontally. The easiest way to write an acrostic poem is to choose the word you want to appear horizontally then decide on the vertical lines as you progress. The body of the poem should refer to the horizontal word in some way.
Blackout
(creative contemporary)Blackout poetry uses an already established text to create a poem by crossing out certain words in the text to form a new work. The poem rarely has anything to do with the source material. When writing blackout poetry the words have to stay in the order that they appear in the source material. You can shorten longer words to fit into the poem (e.g. mechanical becomes me by blacking out -chanical, destination can become in or at by blacking out all letters not needed{destination can not become den or dent because the letters do not form the complete word together in the larger word}). This form of poetry can be useful in trying to clear your mind when you have a focus block. That is when you are stuck on a particular idea that has no place to go but you just can't let it go. Or do only I get them?
Regardless, this is a fun form of poetry that is highly creative.
There are thousands of different ways to express yourself through verse. These are just the styles that I personally use when I'm feeling the word bug biting. Except the sonnet, I haven't written one of those. It is included here because, in my opinion, it is the grand daddy of all poetry. Let me know in the comments if there is some form of creative poetry you use which you think I might enjoy. I love to challenge my mind. Thanks for reading this blog post.
For more styles of poetry and examples you can check out this page - Different Styles of Poetry.
