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7 Common Types of Poetry

7th grade8th grade9th gradeMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolCollege

Poetry, in its own way, is a form of artistic expression. But, did you know there are over 50 different types
of poetry? Outside of upper-level poetry seminars or in-depth studies, we mostly tend to focus on seven
common types of poetry. Popular poetry types include haiku, free verse, sonnets, and acrostic poems.
It's one thing to define each type; it's another to enjoy a sample platter. Ready to open the doors to a
world of verbal artistry? Let's dive into some of the more prominent forms of poetry while we savor a
few samples.

A list of the different types of poems

Haiku Poems

Traditionally, haiku poems are three-line stanzas with a 5/7/5 syllable count. This form of poetry also
focuses on the beauty and simplicity found in nature. As its popularity grew, the 5/7/5 formula has often
been broken. However, the focus remains the same - simple moments in life. For more, take a look at
these rules for writing haiku. Now, let's enjoy two short samples. First, "Sick on a Journey" by Basho is a
great example of a haiku:
Sick on a journey - Over parched field Dreams wander on Next, "5 & 7 & 5" by Anselm Hollo
demonstrates the 5/7/5 haiku syllable count across three stanzas:

night train whistles stars

over a nation under

mad temporal czars

round lumps of cells grow

up to love porridge later

become The Supremes

lady I lost my

subway token we must part

it's faster by air

Free Verse Poems

Free verse poems are the least defined. In fact, they're deliberately irregular, taking on an
improvisational bent. There's no formula, no pattern. Rather, the writer and reader must work together
to set the speed, intonation, and emotional pull. Here are two samples. "This is Marriage" by Marianne
Moore is a great example of free verse poetry:

This institution, perhaps one should say enterprise out of respect for which one says one need not
change one's mind about a thing one has believed in, requiring public promises of one's intention to fulfil
a private obligation: I wonder what Adam and Eve think of it by this time, this fire-gilt steel alive with
goldenness; The format of "Little Father" by Li-Young Lee contrasts "This is Marriage" considerably:

I buried my father in my heart. Now he grows in me, my strange son, My little root who won't drink milk,
Little pale foot sunk in unheard-of night, Little clock spring newly wet In the fire,little grape, parent to the
future Wine, a son the fruit of his own son, Little father I ransom with my life.

Cinquains

A cinquain is a five-line poem inspired by the Japanese haiku. There are many different variations of
cinquain including American cinquains, didactic cinquains, reverse cinquains, butterfly cinquains and
crown cinquains. Let's enjoy a sampling from the ever-popular Edgar Allan Poe, as well as a snippet from
George Herbert. "To Helen" by Edgar Allan Poe is our first five-line poem:

Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, The weary,
way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore. And here we have "The World" by George Herbert:

Love built a stately house, where Fortune came, And spinning fancies, she was heard to say That her fine
cobwebs did support the frame, Whereas they were supported by the same; But Wisdom quickly swept
them all away.

Epic Poems

An epic is a long and narrative poem that normally tells a story about a hero or an adventure. Epics can
be presented as oral or written stories. "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" are probably the most renowned
epic poems. But, let's take a different direction and check out a sampling from Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, as well as Ezra Pound. Here's an excerpt from the epic poem, "The Song of Hiawatha" by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

By the shore of Gitchie Gumee, By the shining Big-Sea-Water, At the doorway of his wigwam, In the
pleasant Summer morning, Hiawatha stood and waited. And here's another sampling of epic poetry, this
time from "Canto I" by Ezra Pound:

And then went down to the ship,

Set keel to breakers, forth on the godly sea, and

We set up mast and sail on that swart ship,

Bore sheep aboard her, and our bodies also

Heavy with weeping, so winds from sternward

Bore us out onward with bellying canvas,

Circe's this craft, the trim-coifed goddess.

Then sat we amidships, wind jamming the tiller,

Thus with stretched sail, we went over sea till day's end.

Sun to his slumber, shadows o'er all the ocean,

Came we then to the bounds of deepest water,

To the Kimmerian lands, and peopled cities

Covered with close-webbed mist, unpierced ever

With glitter of sun-rays

Nor with stars stretched, nor looking back from heaven

Swartest night stretched over wretched men there.

The ocean flowing backward, came we then to the place

Aforesaid by Circe.

Ballad Poems

Ballad poems also tell a story, like epic poems do. However, ballad poetry is often based on a legend or a
folk tale. These poems may take the form of songs, or they may contain a moral or a lesson. Let's enjoy
some beautiful imagery in the samples below. "The Mermaid," written by an unknown author, has its
roots in folklore:

Oh the ocean waves may roll, And the stormy winds may blow, While we poor sailors go skipping aloft
And the land lubbers lay down below, below, below And the land lubbers lay down below. "The Ballad of
Reading Gaol" by Oscar Wilde is another great ballad poem:

He did not wear his scarlet coat,

For blood and wine are red,

And blood and wine were on his hands

When they found him with the dead,

The poor dead woman whom he loved,

And murdered in her bed.

He walked amongst the Trial Men

In a suit of shabby grey;

A cricket cap was on his head,

And his step seemed light and gay;

But I never saw a man who looked

So wistfully at the day.

I never saw a man who looked

With such a wistful eye

Upon that little tent of blue

Which prisoners call the sky,

And at every drifting cloud that went

With sails of silver by.

Acrostic Poems

Acrostic poems, also known as name poems, spell out names or words with the first letter in each line.
While the author is doing this, they're describing someone or something they deem important. Here are
two examples to illustrate the poetic form. "Alexis" by Nicholas Gordon focuses on an intriguing woman
he may or may not know:

Alexis seems quite shy and somewhat frail, Leaning, like a tree averse to light, Evasively away from her
delight. X-rays, though, reveal a sylvan sprite, Intense as a bright bird behind her veil, Singing to the
moon throughout the night. "A Cry For Help" by 12-year-old Samar Alkhudairi is an example of an
acrostic poem that tackles the tough issue of bullying:

Brutal beatings beyond the feeling of pain Understanding this hurt might get me closer to being sane
Love is a myth Life has become like a work of Stephen King You don't know what it's like I am treated like
just some "thing" Never to be kissed, comforted, or loved Going the rest of my life never to be hugged

Sonnets

Although William Shakespeare sensationalized sonnets, the word, "sonetto" is actually Italian for "a little
sound or song." This form has grabbed poets by the heart for centuries. It began as a 14-line poem
written in iambic pentameter. Although flourishes have been made over time, the general principle
remains the same. Read up on Sonnet Examples to learn more about the different types of sonnets. In
the meantime, let's enjoy two great samples: This is a sample, "Sonnet 116," from the master himself,
William Shakespeare.

Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it
alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on
tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand'ring bark, Whose worth's unknown, although
his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's
compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of
doom. If this be error and upon me prov'd, I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd. "Ever" by Meghan
O'Rourke is a more modern sample, published in 2015:
Never, never, never, never, never. - King Lear Even now I can't grasp "nothing" or "never." They're
unholdable, unglobable, no map to nothing. Never? Never ever again to see you? An error, I aver. You're
never nothing, because nothing's not a thing. I know death is absolute, forever, the guillotine-gutting-
never to which we never say goodbye. But even as I think "forever" it goes "ever" and "ever" and "ever."
Ever after. I'm a thing that keeps on thinking. So I never see you is not a thing or think my mouth can
ever. Aver: You're not "nothing." But neither are you something. Will I ever really get never? You're gone.
Nothing, never-ever.

Related articles on YourDictionary

Sonnet Examples

Examples of Poetry Genres

Examples of Haiku Poems

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Fill Your Canvas with Words

That's all poetry is. Some people paint with paint brushes. Others fill pages with words that evoke
colorful images. If you suspect you have a knack for poetic storytelling, then the gift is already inside you.
Study each of these seven types. See which one feels closest to your heart. Then, when you're ready to
start writing, review these tips and go on out there and paint your canvas.

See similar articles

YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp

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Sonnet Examples

7th grade8th grade9th grade10th grade11th grade12th gradeMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolCollege

The sonnet is a form of lyrical poetry originating in Italy in the 13th century. In fact, "sonnet" is derived
from the Italian word sonetto, meaning "little sound" or "little song." You can spot a sonnet by its 14-line
arrangement. Within those 14 lines, you'll note that traditional sonnets also follow iambic pentameter.
That is, each line contains five iambs (or sets of two syllables) where the first syllable is unstressed and
the second syllable is stressed (i.e., he ROSE). Even though modern poets sometimes deviate from this
standard for effect, it's important to see how it all began.

Let's explore different sonnet examples, as well as a sampling from some of the greatest poetic masters.

Types of Sonnets

There are two main types of sonnets: Italian and English sonnets. From there, two other versions
evolved: Miltonic sonnets and Spenserian sonnets. Let's start with the Italian sonnet, the form that
seems to have the deepest roots.

Italian Sonnets

The first and most common type of sonnet is the Italian sonnet, otherwise known as the Petrarchan
sonnet. Giacomo da Lentini is attributed as the inventor of this form of poetry, even though they're
named after Francesco Petrarca (commonly referred to simply as Petrarch), one of the most revered
Italian poets. Giacomo de Lentini penned almost 250 sonnets. Other notable sonneteers from Italy
include Dante Alighieri, Guido Cavalcanti, and Michelangelo. These sonnets are divided into two stanzas.
The first stanza contains eight lines, or an octave; the second stanza contains six lines, or a sestet. In an
Italian sonnet, there is a "volta" or "turn," which signals a change from the proposition of the poem to its
resolution. The volta usually appears in the ninth line. Initially, the rhyme scheme for the octave was
ABABABAB. Eventually, it evolved into ABBAABBA. The sestet is either CDECDE or CDCCDC. Later, the
variation of CDCDCD was introduced. You'll note that, while Italian sonnets generally follow iambic
pentameter, the meter for the sestet tends to be more flexible. Meaning, either the first (iamb) or the
second (troche) syllable may be stressed in the two-syllable metric "foot." The rhyming nature of these
poems lent itself well to the lyricism of the Italian language. Of course, nowadays, you'll find many fine
examples written in the English language too.

Italian Sonnet Example

A great example of an Italian sonnet is the appropriately titled "Italian Sonnet" by James DeFord.

Turn back the heart you've turned away Give back your kissing breath Leave not my love as you have left
The broken hearts of yesterday But wait, be still, don't lose this way Affection now, for what you guess
May be something more, could be less Accept my love, live for today. Your roses wilted, as love spurned
Yet trust in me, my love and truth Dwell in my heart, from which you've turned My strength as great as
yours aloof. It is in fear you turn away And miss the chance of love today!

English Sonnets

The second most common form of sonnet is the English sonnet, otherwise known as the Shakespearean
sonnet. These sonnets are divided into four stanzas, comprising 14 lines in total. The first three stanzas
are quatrains, meaning they contain four lines each. The final stanza is a couplet, meaning it contains
two lines. The "volta" appears in the third quatrain and the traditional rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF
GG. English sonnets typically adhere to iambic pentameter more strictly than Italian sonnets. You'll find
each line traditionally consists of 10 syllables - divided into five pairs - with an unstressed syllable
followed by a stressed syllable. In 1591, the sonnet "Astrophel and Stella" by Sir Philip Sidney established
the form of the English sonnet. Other notable authors include Michael Drayton, Fulke Greville, and, of
course, William Shakespeare. Even though Shakespeare did not invent the sonnet, he was among the
most prolific, writing over 150 in his lifetime.

English Sonnet Example

"Sonnet Number 18" is one of the most famous sonnets by William Shakespeare, starting off with an
iconic opening line.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do
shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye
of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed, And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed: But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose
possession of that fair thou ow'st, Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal
lines to time thou grow'st, So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives
life to thee.

Miltonic Sonnets

John Milton went on to make a few refinements to the Italian sonnet. His variations became known as
Miltonic sonnets. The context of his poems was different in that they took on an air of self-reflection and
interior thinking. Beyond that, his form also varied; he would allow the octave to morph into a sestet,
wherever needed.

Miltonic Sonnet Example

"When I Consider How My Light Is Spent" is an example of a one of John Milton's better known
sonnets.When I consider how my light is spent,

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, And that one talent which is death to hide Lodged with me
useless, though my soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest He
returning chide; "Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?" I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent That
murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need Either man's work or His own gifts. Who best Bear His mild
yoke, they serve Him best. His state Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed, And post o'er land and
ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait.

Spenserian Sonnets

Sixteenth-century English poet Sir Edmund Spenser did his best to make some refinements to the English
sonnet. While his work also contained three quatrains and a couplet, he would also bridge quatrains
together by rhyming the last line of one quatrain with the first line of the next. This, in effect, created a
rhyming couplet between the quatrains. The resulting rhyme scheme became ABAB BCBC CDCD EE. In a
way, the Spenserian sonnet reorganized English sonnets into couplets, giving a nod to the Italian sonnet.
Many suppose Spenser did this to remove the pressure one felt to bring the poem to a conclusion or
resolution in the final couplet.

Spenserian Sonnet Example

Sir Edmund Spenser's "Sonnet LXV" is a fine example of his take on a sonnet.

One day I wrote her name upon the strand, But came the waves and washed it away; Again I wrote it
with a second hand, But came the tide and made my pains his prey. "Vain man," said she, "that dost in
vain assay A mortal thing so to immortalize, For I myself shall like to this decay, And eke my name be
wiped out likewise "Not so." quod I, "Let baser thing devise To die in dust, but you shall live by fame; My
verse your virtues rare shall eternize And in the heavens write your glorious name, Where, when as
death shall all the world subdue, Our love shall live, and later life renew."

Sonnet Writing Tips

With all this ancient inspiration seeping into your mind, why not try your hand at writing a sonnet of
your own? You can literally write about any topic. Milton made this clear when he branched out in the
content of his poems. Consider these tips to help you get started:

Read through as many sonnets as you can, paying careful attention to the rhyme scheme and rhythm.

Select the subject matter. Love of nature or the love between people were common themes but, in
truth, a sonnet can be written about any topic at all.

Choose between the Italian form and the English form. Consider the situation that will spark the sonnet
and the resolution or conclusion that will draw it to a close.

Compose each section, following the proper rhyme scheme. Whatever you do, don't give up. It may
seem difficult at first. In a way, you're training your brain to create artistic movements, framed within a
certain set of lines. The more you do it, however, the more your creativity will flow perfectly into this
arrangement. In no time at all, you'll create poetry that will last through the ages, just like the greats that
came before you.

Related articles on YourDictionary

7 Common Types of Poetry

Examples of Lyric Poetry

Alliteration Examples in Romeo and Juliet

More articles

Modern Sonnets

To no surprise, the modern sonnet continues to evolve and take new shapes. No matter how you're
savoring sonnets, one way you can spot them is through the 14 line format. For further explorations into
this ancient artform that continues to endure today, have a look at The Penguin Book of the Sonnet: 500
Years of a Classic Tradition in English, edited by Phillis Levin. It is an excellent resource on how you might
approach the modern day sonnet. When you're ready to continue your hand in this craft, study Examples
of Rhyming Couplets too. Something in there may inspire the closing couplet in your very own English
sonnet.

See similar articles

YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp

Link/Cite

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<a href="https://examples.yourdictionary.com/sonnet-examples.html">Sonnet Examples</a>

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MLA Style

"Sonnet Examples." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. examples.yourdictionary.com/sonnet-examples.html.

APA Style

Sonnet Examples. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://examples.yourdictionary.com/sonnet-

examples.html

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