The world of poetry is vast where you will find different types and topics.
Different poets have used different methods and forms of poetry to convey similar themes to their audiences.
Refer to this page if you want to experience different types of poems of similar themes.
If you want to be a poet or want to understand this art of literature in a better way, you should be aware of different forms of poetry.
It will help you to analyze and write poems without any difficulty.
So, let’s glance at the famous types of poetry.
1. Haiku:
Haiku is the easiest form of poetry to write and understand. It is an ancient form of Japanese poetry.
This poem contains only three lines that don’t rhyme. The first and last line should have five syllables while the second one should have seven syllables.
You can discuss any instance or mood in this form of poetry. You can capture any special feeling or moment in the three lines.
2. Ghazal:
Ghazal roots back to Persian and Arabic literature and is mostly used by Arabs, Indians, and Pakistanis.
It contains five to fifteen couplets (two-line stanzas) which are independent but are linked to each other due to their theme and structure.
It follows the Petrarchan sonnet structure. Couplets should have the same rhyming scheme, and the last word of each line of a couplet should rhyme with the last words of other couplets.
This literature mostly discusses the theme of love and loss. There are many postmodern themes too which are discussed in Ghazal.
3. Ballad:
Ballad is also an old and traditional form of poetry that came from Europe in the late Middle Ages.
It has typically four lines and has a rhyme scheme of ABCB or ABAB.
But, you can edit this rhyme scheme according to your needs too.
A lot of pop singers nowadays use ballads.
4. Elegy:
Elegy is an ancient Greek Metrical form of literature. It doesn’t have any strict structure but has a defined theme-death.
This form of poetry is used to mourn the death of any loved one or a group. It is also used to express grief in certain aspects of life.
There are three stages of elegy. The first stage is to lament where poets express sorrow. Then, there is appreciation and praise for the dead person, and at last, the poet gave his consolation.
Elegies end on a hopeful note which lightens its grief and dark tone.
5. Ode:
Ode is a Greek word that means “chant or to sing”. It is an ancient form of literature and was originally performed with musical instruments.
This lyrical poetry is often used to praise or celebrate a person, thing, event, or object. You can praise your pet or celebrate any special moment of your life in an ode.
Modern odes are mostly rhyming with the irregular meter. It has three to five stanzas and each stanza must have ten lines.
6. Sonnet:
Sonnet is an old form of literature that became famous due to William Shakespeare. He had written a lot of sonnets in his life which are famous and loved by his readers.
Sonnets’ main theme is love. It is used to praise your beloved and to express the helplessness of lovers.
There are two types of sonnets. One is Petrarchan and the other is Shakespearean.
Petrarchan sonnets follow the rhyming scheme: ABBA ABBA CDE CDE.
Shakespearean sonnets have the following rhyming scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
7. Free Verse:
It is the modern form of literature that gives you full freedom to express any thought or emotion you want.
There are no rules or specifications in free verse. Your poem can rhyme or it can’t. There can be any topic or theme in free verse.
Many poets of social media use free verse forms of poetry and are famous among the poetry community.
Though it may seem easy to write a free verse poem, the lack of rules can make it a bit tricky to tackle for beginners.
8. Villanelle:
Villanelle comes from France and has a lot of rules. It has nineteen lines and a total of six stanzas.
The first five stanzas should contain three lines and the last stanza should have four lines.
The rhyme scheme of this poem is ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA.
There will be a lot of repetitions of lines in this form of poetry which makes it a bit challenging.
Wrap Up:
So, these are eight famous forms of poetry that are widely used by different poets around the globe.
Though there are other forms of poetry too, mostly these forms of poems are used.
I will suggest you remember these forms of poetry and their rules before reading or writing your next poem.
This will help you to enjoy and understand this form of literature fully.