Poetry

***Poetry is one of the oldest literary forms out there. Up until a few centuries ago, most people

were illiterate. Let me be clear. For a long time, many cultures didn’t have a writing system to

begin with, but even after writing systems began to pop up, literacy was reserved for the wealthy.

Instead, people used a method called oral tradition, which is the transmission of info via speech.

Now, in order to ensure that the info actually stuck, people would use all sorts of techniques,

such as acting out scenes, singing songs and… writing poems. For many people, poetry was an

extremely important tool for the preservation of their history and culture.

After the rise of global literacy, poetry was mainly used for entertainment or for political

statements. Over the years, the love for it has diminished, but learning about poetry is still

necessary for your growth as English students. Get ready to write. ***
Poetry
Poetry is language that is written using specific patterns, syllabic structures, and rhymes. Poetry

is used to express ideas, tell jokes, tell stories etc. Poems are made up of stanzas, which are a set

amount of lines grouped together.

Some types of poems are:

1. A haiku is a three-line unrhymed poem that follows the pattern of five syllables in the

first line, seven in the second line and five in the third line. Haikus often focus on nature.

2. A free verse poem follows no set rhyme scheme or metrical pattern.

3. A couplet is a two line poem that rhymes. A couplet can function as a poem on its own or

as an individual stanza within a larger poem.

4. A quatrain is a series of four-lines that make. The most common rhyme schemes for this

form are: AABB, ABAB, ABBA, and AAAA. A quatrain can function as a poem on its

own or as a stanza within a larger poem.

5. A diamante is a 7 line, diamond shaped poem. Each line uses a different part of speech.

These poems often begin with one subject and then transition to a contrasting subject in

the 4th line.

6. An epic is a poem that celebrates the feats of a legendary hero. *** Epics are super long,

so I’ll only give you the titles of some. Let’s see…the epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and

The Odyssey are some famous epics. Brief history lesson: The epic of Gilgamesh is one

of the oldest literary works in existence. It was written by a Babylonian at least 2000

years before Christ. ***

7. An acrostic is a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word, message or

the alphabet. These poems may or may not rhyme.

8. The English sonnet is divided into four stanzas, comprising 14 lines in total. The first

three stanzas are quatrains, and the final stanza is a couplet. The traditional rhyme

scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Sonnets usually deal with love.
9. Limericks are funny poems. They have a rhyme scheme of AABBA, with lines one, two

and five all being longer in length than lines three and four.

10. An ode is typically written to praise a person, event or thing. Odes are often short in

length. The poet can choose a rhyme scheme or none at all.