What is Poetry

Poetry (the term derives from a variant of the Greek term, poiesis, "making") is a form of
literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language—such as phonaesthetics,
sound symbolism, and metre—to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic
ostensible meaning.

ELEMENTS OF POETRY

1. FIGURES OF SPEECH
Simile
-a comparison using the words like or as
Ex. (He is like a dog the way he treats her.)
Metaphor
-a comparison that does NOT use “like” or “as”
Ex. (He is a dog the way he treats her.)
Alliteration
-Two or more words which have the same initial sound
-repeated sound in the first letters of each word in the sentence
Ex. (Tiny Tom tipped the tall tree onto the table.)
Assonance
-A partial rhyme which has the same internal vowel sounds amongst different words
Onomatopoeia
-formation of a name or word by imitating the sound associated with the thing
designated, as in buzz, hum, cuckoo, slap, splash, bang, etc.
Repetitions
-poets often choose to repeat sounds, words, phrases or whole lines in a poem. This
helps the poet emphasize an idea or give a certain feeling (think of your favorite song
that repeats the same line during the chorus section)
Hyperbole
-A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect
Personification
-Giving an animal or object human-like qualities (the rough edge on the desk ate away at
his arm as he took the exam)

2. RHYME
-The repetition of sounds within different words, either end sound, middle or beginning
-poets often choose to repeat sounds, words, phrases or whole lines in a poem. This
helps the poet emphasize an idea or give a certain feeling (think of your favorite song
that repeats the same line during the chorus section)

3. RHYTHM
-is the poem’s beat; a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
-The flow of words within each meter and stanza

4. SYMBOL
 -Something that represents something else through association, resemblance or
convention
-Often poems will convey ideas and thoughts using symbols.
- A symbol can stand for many things at one time and leads the reader out of a
systematic and structured method of looking at things.
-Often a symbol used in the poem will be used to create such an effect.

5. THEME
-This is what the poem is all about.
-The theme of the poem is the central idea that the poet wants to convey.
- It can be a story, or a thought, or a description of something or someone – anything
which is what the poem is all about.

6. STYLE
-The way the poem is written. Free-style, ballad, haiku, etc.
- Includes length of meters, number of stanzas along with rhyme techniques and
rhythm.

7. METER
-This is the basic structural make-up of the poem. A poem is made up of blocks of lines,
which convey a single strand of thought. Within those blocks, a structure of syllables
which follow the rhythm has to be included. This is the meter or the metrical form of
poetry.

KINDS OF POETRY

ABC POEM
-An ABC poem has a series of lines that create a mood, picture, or feeling. Lines are made up of
words and phrases. The first word of line 1 begins with an A, the first word of line 2 begins with
a B etc.
CINQUAIN
-Cinquain Poetry Type has five lines. Line 1 has one word (the title). Line 2 has two words that
describe the title. Line 3 has three words that tell the action. Line 4 has four words that express
the feeling, and line 5 has one word which recalls the title.
ACROSTIC
-Poetry that certain letters, usually the first in each line form a word or message when read in a
sequence.
TANKA
-Tanka is a Japanese poetry type of five lines, the first and third composed of five syllables and
the rest of seven. Tanka is the oldest type of poetry in Japan.
CONCRETE
-In this kind of poetry, the topographical arrangement of words supports the meaning conveyed
by the poem. The poems form a picture of the topic on which they are centered.
LIMERICK
 -A short sometimes vulgar, humorous poem consisting of five anapestic lines. Lines 1, 2, and 5
have seven to ten syllables, rhyme and have the same verbal rhythm. The 3rd and 4th lines have
five to seven syllables, rhyme and have the same rhythm.
COUPLET
-It is a very simple form of a verse, which contains two rhyming lines.
HAIKU
-Haiku Poetry Type is a Japanese poem composed of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and
five syllables. Haiku poetry originated in the sixteenth century and reflects on some aspect of
nature and creates images.

DIAMOND
-This type of poetry is one of the simplest ones to write. The first line of a diamante is a single
word; the second line consists of two adjectives describing that word, third line contains three
words about the subject while the fourth line contains four. The fifth line and the lines that
follow consist of a similar pattern of words describing the idea opposite to the subject of the
poem.
EPIC
-Epic Poems are long, serious poems that tell the story of a heroic figure. This genre of poetry is
a type of narrative literature that narrates stories of mythological heroes.

TYPES OF POETRY

LAY POETRY
-Lay Poetry Types are long narrative poems, especially those that were sung by medieval
minstrels and French trouveres.
CLASSICISM POETRY
-Poetry which holds the principles and ideals of beauty that is characteristic of Greek and Roman
art, architecture, and literature.
ROMANTICISM POETRY
-Nature and love were a major themes of Romanticism favoured by 18th and 19th century poets
such as Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats. Emphasis in such poetry is placed on
the personal experiences of the individual.
IDYLL POETRY
-Idyll Poetry Types are either short poems depicting a peaceful, idealized country scene, or long
poems that tell a story about ancient heroes. The word is derived from the Greek word
'eidyllion' meaning "little picture". Also spelled Idyl.
CANZONE POETRY
-anzone Poetry Type is usually a medieval Italian lyric poem, with five or six stanzas and a
shorter concluding stanza (or envoy). Canzone literally means "song" in Italian.
NARRATIVE POETRY
-Narrative Poetry is found in different types of poetry such as Ballads, Epics, and Lays.
RHYME ROYALE POETRY
-Rhyme Royal Type is a type of poetry introduced by Geoffrey Chaucer consisting of stanzas of
seven lines in Iambic pentameter.
ANALOGY
-An Analogy is a likeness or similarity between things (a subject and an analog) that are
otherwise unlike. Analogy is the comparison of two pairs which have the same relationship.

Source:
http://www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/kinds-of-poetry.html
http://www.poemofquotes.com/articles/poetry_forms.php
http://basar.longwoodteachers.com/poetry.htm
http://www.poemofquotes.com/articles/elements-of-poetry.php
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/basic-elements-of-poetry.html