Forms in Poetry
Most people can recognize a poem when they see it. Poems usually consist of lines instead of sentences and
present ideas in stanzas instead of paragraphs. There are exceptions to every rule, and poems exist in many
forms.
Narrative Poems Simply put, the purpose of a narrative poem is to tell a story. “Paul Revere’s Ride” relates
a famous incident that took place during the American Revolution. “Barbara Frietchie” describes a woman’s
courageous actions during the Civil War.
Ballads A ballad tells a story, often about love, betrayal, or death, in a songlike form. The characteristics of a
ballad include a regular, steady rhythm, a simple rhyme pattern, and a refrain. These characteristics make
ballads easy to memorize so they can be sung aloud. “The Dying Cowboy” is a traditional ballad.
Epics Epics are long narrative poems about the mighty deeds of a great hero. The hero’s purpose is to embody
the important values of the society or culture he comes from. (The heroes of epics have—so far—all been male.)
Lyric Poems Lyric poems usually do not tell a story. Instead, they are written to express the personal
thoughts and feelings of a speaker, the voice talking to you in a poem. In “Birdfoot’s Grampa”, the speaker
expresses feelings about people and nature.
Sonnets A sonnet is a fourteen-line lyric poem that follows strict rules of structure, meter, and rhyme. “On the
Grasshopper and the Cricket” is a traditional sonnet.
Odes Odes are long lyric poems traditionally written to celebrate a famous person or a lofty idea. Today, many
odes, such as “Ode to Thanks,” are written to celebrate ordinary things.
Elegies An elegy is a poem of mourning, usually for someone who has died. “O Captain! My Captain!” is an
elegy for the slain president Abraham Lincoln.
Free-Verse Many poets today prefer to work in free verse. With free verse, they do not have to write in meter
or a regular rhyme scheme. Instead, they try to capture the sound of everyday speech. Free-verse poems do
include other elements of poetry, such as rhythm, imagery, figures of speech, and alliteration. “I Hear America
Singing” is a free-verse poem.
Diamante A diamante poem is a seven line poem, shaped like a diamond. Although it can be on any topic
and has many variations, it often has the following structure:
Line
Line
Line
Line
Line
Line
Line
A: Topic A (must be a noun)
B: Two vivid adjectives that describe Topic A
C: Three interesting “-ing” action verbs that describe Topic A
D: Two concrete nouns about Topic A and two about Topic G
E: Three interesting “-ing” action verbs that describe Topic G
F: Two vivid adjectives that describe Topic G
G: Topic G (must be a noun)
Example:
Light
Clear, brilliant
Glowing, shining, revealing
Mirror, candle . . . Whisper, shadow
Deepening, sleeping, shrouding
Black, quiet
Darkness