Poems and poetry are written in numerous forms and styles, classified according to the structure, rhythm, rhythm scheme, and number of lines in a verse (meter).
There is a flourishing and diverse realm of poetry, originating from different cultures and languages across the world to showcase thoughts, emotional feelings, and appreciation with rhythmic sequence of words.
Different numbers of lines in a verse, also known as stanza, forms the structure of the poem and convey how the poetry is supposed to be read.
If you have a keen interest in writing poetry, it is crucial to understand some significant forms of poetry enlisted below.
1- Free verse
As the name shows, free verse has no strict rules for a particular rhythm sequence or the number of lines or verses. It also allows the employment of enjambment, such as breaking line in the middle of the word or sentence.
2- Sonnet
Sonnet is one of the ancient forms of poetry first written by Willaim Shakespears. It consists of a 14 line poem and internal rhythm, conventionally regarding love.
3- Haiku
Haiku is an ancient japanese oriented form of poetry with three lines stanza, adopting a 5-7-5 syllable sequence. It emphasizes on the beauty of nature and seasons, illuminating simplicity, passion, and directness of throughs and ideas.
4- Epics
Epic poetry refers to the long narrative forms of poems, symbolizing or expressing extraordinary characters (heroism) and heroic events or deeds. Poets often incorporate different rhythm styles and repetitions to lift the emotions and memorize the stanzas.
5- Ballad
This is another old form of poetry, originated from Europe and spread through different generations. It has 4 lines stanza (Quatrain) with rhythm sequences of ABAB or ABCD, such as the first and third lines with four beats per line and second and fourth lines with three beats per line.
6- Limerick
It is a type of humorous poem with 5 line stanza (Cinquain) having a unique rhythm pattern of AABBA. The first, second, and fifth lines are longer with more syllables(7-10) than the third and fourth line (5-7).
7- Elegy
It embodies the scenes of death, consolation, and mourning to articulate feelings of grief and sorrow. Elegies do not have specific patterns or rules in terms of meter, rhythm sequence, and poem structure.
8- Villanelle
Villanelle is a variation or French form of postal poetry, originated from France. It follows the strict rules of meter, rhythm, and structure, such as five stanzas of tercet (three lines) and a last stanza of quatrain (four lines). The repetition of the first line occurs in line 6, 12, and 18 and line 3 reappears in line number 9, 15, and 19.
9- Ode
Ode is written to appreciate or cherish a person, place, event, or thing with a flow of overwhelming sentiments. It is arranged in three primary parts, including strophe, antistrophe, and epode. Poets can introduce internal rhythm to feel the sense of coordination in verses.
10- Acrostic
In acrostic poetry, the first letter of each line manifests specific words in a vertical order, eliminating the need of any particular meter or rhythm pattern.
11- Ghazal
A lyric form of poetry originated from Middle East and Arabic culture with fixed stanzas or verses and repeated rhythm sequence. They are typically written to express the emotions of love on spiritual and romantic levels along with portraying the feeling of loss.
There are more than hundred types of poetry based on different cultures. The way of underscoring multiple emotions and stories with captivating and deep words allure many people with their love towards literature. You can go through the poems of your favorite poet to see what style and structure you like the most.